Hong Kong Formula E race left off 2020-21 calendar amid political turmoil and Covid-19 pandemic
- Sponsors shy away because of the political situation and the pandemic, says governor of Hong Kong Automobile Association
- It is the second season in a row Hong Kong will be without a Formula E race after the 2020 event was cancelled because of social unrest
Political uncertainty and the Covid-19 pandemic means Hong Kong has lost its flagship international motor racing event for the second year in a row, with the Formula E series bypassing the famous Central Harbourfront circuit for the 2020-21 season.
In a provisional schedule announced by world governing body the FIA, the next season will start in Santiago, Chile on January 16, 2021 and conclude with a double-header in London on July 24 & 25.
China will stage one race on March 21 with Sanya in Hainan province making a second appearance on the circuit. But there is no place for Hong Kong, which hosted a race for three seasons in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
“The Hong Kong ePrix is left off the programme for many reasons but mostly because of the political situation in the city and the pandemic, which has affected local sponsorship,” said Lawrence Yu Kam-yee, governor of the Hong Kong Automobile Association, who was instrumental in helping Hong Kong become part of the inaugural circuit in 2016 when he was president of the body.
“First it was the social unrest in 2019 and now the Cold War between China and the United States, which served to scare off the organisers as well as local sponsors. Although the government is very willing to help, the political uncertainty is the biggest obstacle,” added Yu, referring to potential reaction to the recently enacted National Security Law.
2020 Hong Kong E-Prix race cancelled amid protest fears; Rugby Sevens still on
Yu estimated the cost for staging the Hong Kong ePrix would be around HK$50 million, much less than the HK$150 million needed for the first edition in 2016. Yu said most of the infrastructure was already in place, therefore the costs are much lower.
“It’s not an impossible figure for hosting such a world-class event but it’s the atmosphere that turns people away,” he said.
A spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, whose Tourism Commission oversees the motor racing showpiece, said the government was still keen to bring the race back to Hong Kong.
“The government has maintained close communication with the Formula E organisers regarding the 2020-21 race calendar,” she said. “We understand the decisions in choosing host cities take into account the latest circumstances. The government will continue its conversation with the organisers regarding the return of the race to Hong Kong at the opportune juncture.”
Yu said Hong Kong had been one of the most successful ePrix events on the world circuit and he was extremely disappointed to see it being dropped from the programme for the second time.
“Both the Hong Kong ePrix and the one in Paris are two most successful events in terms of number of spectators and television coverage,” he said. “The organisers are always keen to bring the event to Hong Kong as what they did in the three previous versions, but unfortunately we have now missed the event twice.”
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Hong Kong was originally part of the 2019-20 circuit when a race was scheduled for March 1, 2020 at the 1.8km circuit in the Central Harbourfront. But continuing street protests in the city since last June forced the world governing body to cancel the race and replaced it with the Marrakesh ePrix in Morocco.
But after the Marrakesh race on February 29, the FIA called off all of the season’s remaining races because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The season will now finish this summer with six races being scheduled across three different layouts at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit in Berlin between August 5-13.
