Formula E could expand to as many as four races in China as the all-electric championship seeks growth in the world’s largest electric vehicle market, according to series founder and chairman Alejandro Agag.
Agag told Reuters on Friday that China represented a major opportunity compared with the United States, where electric vehicle incentives have been reduced in recent years. “Trump is really giving the space to China and China is only too happy to take it,” he said. “I was in China for the Shanghai Formula E race and every car I saw on the road was electric.”
The Spaniard said the series should follow Formula One’s expansion strategy in North America, where the combustion-engined championship now hosts three U.S. races, but with the focus on China. “I think Formula E could have four races in China. I think it would be fully sustainable to have four races in China… and I think it will be much closer to the reality of the car market in China,” Agag said, later clarifying he was referring to four separate venues.
Formula E has previously staged races in Beijing, Hong Kong, Sanya and Shanghai, with Shenzhen mentioned as a possible future option. The provisional 2025-26 calendar features two races in Shanghai on July 4-5, with additional dates in May and June yet to be confirmed. Sanya has been suggested as a potential location.
Agag also argued that Formula E aligns more closely with China’s automotive direction. “In China, they won’t be selling combustion cars. So what are combustion races doing in China?… China is the biggest car market in the world so if the cars are going to be electric… I think Formula E should focus on China,” he said.
Formula E and governing body FIA last month extended their agreement through 2048, guaranteeing the series’ status as the only FIA-sanctioned electric single-seater championship. Looking ahead, Agag said he sees room for closer ties with Formula One, which is owned by Liberty Media, while Formula E is under Liberty Global.
“Convergence doesn’t mean doing the same,” he said. “If Formula E is the one that takes care of electric, Formula One takes care of combustion. So we have each one its mission, and then we can definitely work together. Convergence can be commercial, media, calendar. There are many different ways to converge, but it doesn’t need to be technology.”