Great news for all my North American friends who also love electric racing: Formula E is now one step closer to hosting its second Canadian ePrix—this time in Vancouver. And the city actually seems amenable to the idea.
This past week, the Vancouver City Council voted in favor of partnering with the Canadian promoter of Formula E, One Stop Strategy Group, as a way to “support recovery of the gutted tourism sector.” The prospective ePrix wouldn’t take place until July of 2022, but that gives Canada plenty of time to get its COVID-19 situation under control and to begin revitalizing tourism. One Stop Strategy Group was also responsible for putting together the second Swiss ePrix in Bern.
The motion submitted to the city council read as follows:
Affirming support for a Formula E world championship event including a conference focusing on climate change and sustainability, musical and cultural event and the Canadian round of an electric vehicle race.
The City of Vancouver has been approached by OSS Group, a private Canadian promoter of the Formula E World Championship, to host a two-day Creative Business Conference focused on climate and sustainability, two music concerts, and a one-day electric vehicle race in False Creek in July 2022, that would generate significant economic benefit to the city and support recovery of the gutted tourism sector.
The preliminary track layout has also been approved by council, according to The Hive.
OSS Group has big plans for the event. It aims to secure a three-year deal, and there are also rumors of a “celebrity race,” the details of which are currently unavailable. The Group also aims to host 56,000 spectators.
I chatted with Jamie Reigle, the new CEO of Formula E, back in January. A Canadian himself, he expressed his interest in bringing the series back to his home country, citing the country’s motorsport history via “F1 in Quebec or IndyCar in Toronto and Vancouver.” It was only a matter of time before the series headed back to the truly northern bit of North America.
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