The FIA has ratified the 2023 Formula E World Championship calendar, and it’s confirmed and set in stone. There will be racing in the streets of Cape Town!
The prospect of hosting an ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race is truly exciting. Capetonian motor heads have long been calling for a street race in the Mother City. Though for a Formula… something else. It’s a race nonetheless!
The race will also be lacking in the thundering roar of an internal combustion engine. However, fans will be enthralled by these electric rockets’ pure torque and braking power.
“We’re very excited because we’re going to see Generation-Three cars featured for the first time,” said Iain Banner, the Chairman of race promoters e-Movement (Pty) Ltd.
“Cars that travel from 0 to 200 (kph) at higher speeds than Formula One cars. The new generation car does 328 kph and the circuit in Cape Town is predicted to be one of the fastest, if not the fastest, on the Formula E calendar.”
The Course
The Race will start on Vlei road at Green Point athletics stadium. The cars will speed toward the first corner, a left into Helen Suzman boulevard. From there, they head into a high-speed left turn into Granger Bay boulevard.
Cars will slow down going into the roundabout at Fort Wynyard street. from there, turn seven will take them into Beach road. The cars will then speed along the coastline through to Fritz Sonnenberg road.
From Fritz Sonnenberg road the cars will take a right back into Vlei road, where they will eventually cross the finish line.
Our race location for Round 5 of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship 👀
Set to be one of the fastest tracks on the calendar, we can’t wait to race on the streets of Cape Town! ⚡ pic.twitter.com/DFIQq3Wfch
— ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (@FIAFormulaE) October 19, 2022
Showcasing Cape Town and Promoting Green Power
Cape Town’s natural beauty will be on full display, and according to Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, the event will help the Mother City in its journey to a greener economic ecosystem.
“The City of Cape Town views Formula E as a key event that could go a long way in cementing Cape Town’s position among the most progressive cities in the world,” said Hill-Lewis in a statement released by eMovement.
“The Western Cape already has a strong green economy ecosystem which we have worked hard to cultivate. The E-Prix, along with the African Green Economy Summit, will only serve to strengthen and grow this sector. We are committed to working with e-Movement to ensure that Cape Town delivers a spectacular event early next year.”
The 2023 Formula E season starts in Mexico City on 14 January 2023, followed by a race in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia and Hyderabad, India. Cape Town will be the fourth stop on the calendar. The electrifying weekend of racing is scheduled for the weekend of 25 February 2023.
Couldn't have said it better ourselves… 👀@NicoRosberg ⚡ pic.twitter.com/Z2sHRUPm53
— ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (@FIAFormulaE) October 20, 2022
Nearly the entire month of February will be dedicated to the showcasing of “e-mobility”. A 10-day festival will proceed the race, where “Africa’s transition to a Green Economy” will be showcased.
“The e-Prix is the celebration at the end of a 10-day Go Green Africa legacy activation. It includes an Electric Vehicle Road trip from Tshwane to Cape Town, the Electric e-mobility festival adjacent to the race track, and Africa’s Green Economy Summit taking place at Century City Convention Centre,” said Iain Banner, in the statement.
“Our mission is to make a positive contribution to South Africa through the deliver of all the above. And I believe we are almost there.”
