Formula E race in Hong Kong could be the start of something huge, says organiser
Formula E race in Hong Kong could be the start of something huge, says organiser - but final approval still has to be given by the FIA
It will be the perfect marriage - electric cars racing at speeds of more than 200km/h in one of the most iconic cities in the world - for Alejandro Agag. So enamoured is the suave Spaniard that when he heard Hong Kong wanted to become part of the inaugural FIA Formula E world championship, he had no hesitation in bumping off another city already pencilled in, and inviting "Asia's World City" to join the 10-race street series.
"Hong Kong was a last-minute inclusion in our [provisional] calendar. They only confirmed they wanted to host a leg a couple of weeks before we announced the 10 cities in late September, but we had no hesitation in accepting them," says Agag, chief executive of Formula E Holdings, the promoters behind the world's first electric motor-racing series.
"It is like when you go to a cinema and someone jumps the queue. Hong Kong is that person, but we welcome it simply because we want to race in one of the most iconic cities in the world," says Agag.
"And in my mind, the three most iconic cities are London, New York and Hong Kong. We have London, and we are likely to add New York in our second year. Getting Hong Kong on board is great and we want it to be a permanent venue, like Monaco, every year."
Rome, Rio de Janeiro and Bangkok had been on the original list, but when Formula E released its provisional calendar for the series starting in Beijing next September, they had been replaced by the glamorous harbour of Monte Carlo, Uruguay's picturesque beach resort of Punte del Este and Hong Kong.
The traffic-clogged streets of the Thai capital had made way for a stretch of road in Central, from IFC Tower to the government's headquarters in Admiralty, and November 8, 2014 will be the day when history is made with the first international motor-racing event on the streets of Hong Kong.