- Formula E signed a 25-year contract in 2014
- McLaren Racing licence much more likely to be snapped up for Gen4
Formula E and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) are on the verge of agreeing a long-term contract extension.
At the British Grand Prix, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem revealed to reporters that an extension was done and “would come up soon”, as reported by Reuters.
Formula E was founded in 2014 and agreed a 25-year contract with the FIA for the rights to become the only all-electric series sanctioned by the governing body.
While Formula E is not ready to confirm the deal itself, the series’ chief executive Jeff Dodds confirmed to Reuters that there would be announcements to look out for at the season finale in London later this month.
This news comes as Formula One is set to start a new era in 2026 with a greater reliance on electrical power, but Ben Sulayem continues to make noise about a potential return to V8 engines by 2029.
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“If [F1] choose to keep using [the 2026 engine], we’ll choose to keep talking about the fact that they like the [electric] technology so much they integrate it into their race cars,” said Dodds.
“If they choose to go back to V8s, then we would absolutely leverage the fact that we would then be the only electric championship and everything that that means.”
Meanwhile, it now appears certain that there will only be ten teams on the Formula E grid next season, as no buyer has been found for the departing McLaren Racing outfit.”
“As it stands unless something changes, and I never say never in Formula E or motorsport, their last race would be London,” Dodds continued.
“The team slot would vacate, which means the licence would revert to us, and then we have a lot of other interest in joining the championship.
“The chance of somebody joining for one year of Gen3 is unlikely but the chance of somebody coming in and starting to develop with a future coming in for Gen4 is much more likely.”
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