In what could be a potential return of major Formula motorsports to India, the city of Hyderabad has signed a letter of intent to host FIA Formula E races in the future. The agreement signed with Formula E will see FIA officials working with the Telangana government to bring electric car street racing to India.
"We were one of the founding teams in Formula E and a long held dream of Mahindra Racing has been to race our cars on home ground, cheered on by a home crowd. Thank you KTR TRS for taking a huge step towards making that dream a reality! We can't wait," Mahindra group chairman Anand Mahindra enthused on Twitter.
Mahindra Racing is currently the only Indian team to be racing in Formula E.
Speaking about the announcement, Alberto Longo, Formula E Co-founder and Chief Championship Officer, said, "We welcome Hyderabad and the State of Telangana's interest in hosting a round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. With this Letter Of Intent, we can further explore the exciting potential of returning elite motorsport to India."
All races in the E-Prix calendar are street races, with prestigious locations such as New York, Paris and Diriyah in the list of the 2022 FE calendar which begins on January 28. Formula E has also reportedly partnered with Greenko, a Hyderabad-based company that will help host the E-Prix if it comes to India.
While India does have the Formula India Regional Championship, the return of Formula E could boost Indian motorsport fans expectations as it returns to the FIA calender for the first time since the Buddh circuit was removed post 2013.
In 2011-2013, 3 Formula One races were held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, with four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel crowned winner in all three. The Buddh circuit has since been used to host smaller racing events but is now a far cru from the international acclaim it received as an F1 racing circuit.
Formula E Season 8 is all set to begin later this month on January 28 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. The 16-race season will take place across several cities globally before concluding in August this year.