Hyderabad signs letter of intent to host ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
In an announcement that is sure to have made Indian motorsport fans sit up and take notice, ABB FIA Formula E declared on Monday that the state of Telangana had signed a letter of intent to potentially bring the Formula E World Championship to Hyderabad.
BREAKING: Hyderabad signs Letter Of Intent to host ABB FIA Formula E World Championship ✍️🇮🇳
The move will see the sport's officials work with city and state officials to examine the viability of hosting a future race in the city. If Hyderabad qualifies as a suitable host city, it will become the first Indian city to host the prestigious World Championship.
Alberto Longo, the sport's 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.”
An eventual race held on home turf is also bound to give a boost to Mahindra Racing, one of the founding teams of the sport, which saw its inaugural season take place in 2014. This was evident in the joyous tweet by Dilbagh Gill, CEO & Team Principal of Mahindra Racing, with regards to the announcement.
I'm absolutely thrilled with the news that Hyderabad is now a candidate city to host a Formula E race. Since the very beginning it has been my dream to see @MahindraRacing race in front of home fans - we are now one step closer 🙌🇮🇳 Thank you @KTRTRS for your vision 🙏 https://t.co/rtYZqC48Ce
Meanwhile, Formula E hit record broadcast viewership figures in Season 7. As per the sport's official website, the season saw a cumulative audience of 316 million, a 32% year-on-year growth. This feat was especially notable given that the season had a shorter race calendar than usual and did not have any races taking place in Asia.
Simultaneously, the sport will surely welcome the surge in viewership and interest bound to come in from India if Hyderabad hosts a race.
Greenko Group to partner Formula E's Indian stopover
To ensure the delivery of the event, Greenko Group, a leading Indian renewable energy company, will partner with FIA in a bid to showcase their commitment to delivering clean and affordable energy to meet India’s long-term energy needs. An event like this will also go a long way to boost Hyderabad’s image on the world stage. For the sport, holding an event in India also makes strategic sense given that it is a major automotive market that is quickly adopting electric cars.
Fastest growing motor sport series on the planet @FIAFormulaE comes to #HappeningHyderabad 😊
I strongly believe that this will usher in an electric growth in EVs, new decarbonised sustainable future & make #Telangana an ideal EV Hub
#ChangeAccelerated https://t.co/H0cvtjPXwf
The Greenko Group and the Government of Telangana held an event in Hyderabad on Monday to officially welcome the sport to Hyderabad. The event had several dignitaries present from Formula E, Mahindra Racing, Greenko Group, and the Telangana Government.
#HappeningHyderabad
#ChangeAccelerated
Govt of Telangana along with Greenko Group invites you to join us in welcoming @FIAFormulaE to Hyderabad https://t.co/z4OzOydEJ7
After the signing ceremony, Anil Chalamasetty, CEO of Greenko Group and promoter of the event, said that if things go according to plan, Hyderabad would enter into a final agreement with the sport in three months. An estimated date between November 2022 and March 2023 would be considered for the event in such a situation.
The sport has seen noteworthy drivers in the past, with Indian driver Karun Chandhok having raced with Mahindra Racing in the past, while former Formula 1 star Felipe Massa participated in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
The latest season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Season 8, is set to flag off on January 28 in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.