Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has revealed Shanghai as one of the host cities for the upcoming electric Formula 1 races in 2024. Scheduled for late May, Shanghai will feature two races as part of the 16-race electric F1 circuit.
While this marks the first-ever electric Formula 1 race in Shanghai, it is not the inaugural Formula E event in China. The first race under FIA supervision took place in Beijing in September 2014, with subsequent races organized in Beijing, Hainan, and Hong Kong, the latest being in March 2019.
The decision to reintroduce Formula 1 races in Shanghai comes as the city is set to resume hosting traditional F1 races in the next year. The Chinese Grand Prix, an annual event from 2004 to 2024, faced a hiatus from 2019 to 2023 due to the global health crisis.
🇯🇵🇨🇳 New locations… and 🇲🇽🇸🇦🇮🇳🇧🇷🇮🇹🇲🇨🇩🇪🇺🇸🇬🇧 returning favourites…
Presenting our Season 10 calendar ⚡️
— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) October 19, 2023
FE’s CEO, in announcing Shanghai as a Formula E host, expressed enthusiasm about the unique combination of street and track racing, providing an optimal platform for drivers to showcase the capabilities of the Gen 3 formula.
China’s representation in the Formula E championship has evolved, with two initial teams founded by Faraday Future and another Chinese EV maker, Nio. Faraday Future’s withdrawal in 2017 due to financial constraints left the ERT Formula E Team as the sole Chinese representative. Formerly known as China Racing, NEXTEV TCR, NEXTEV Nio, Nio Formula E Team, and Nio 333 Racing, the team underwent several transformations before adopting its current name in 2023. The team’s history includes notable drivers like Ma Qinghua, the first Chinese to win an FIA World Championship race, and Nelson Piquet Jr., who secured victory in the inaugural FE season in 2014.
