Motor racing-Formula E and FIA set for long-term contract extension
LONDON (Reuters) -Formula E is set to extend an exclusive deal with motorsport's world governing body that will ensure it remains the only all-electric racing series sanctioned by the FIA for decades to come.
Formula E, majority owned since last year by telecoms company Liberty Global, started out in 2014 with a 25-year licence.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem let slip to reporters during last weekend's British Formula One Grand Prix that an extension to the Formula E contract was done and "would come up soon".
Formula E chief executive Jeff Dodds told Reuters on Friday ahead of the season's penultimate round in Berlin that there was nothing official.
He said, however, to expect various announcements at the London season-ender this month.
Formula One is starting a new engine era next year with a 50/50 split between combustion and electric but Ben Sulayem has said the Liberty Media-owned sport could go back to noisy V8 engines by 2029.
"If they (F1) choose to keep using it (the 2026 engine), we'll choose to keep talking about the fact that they like the (electric) technology so much they integrate it into their race cars," said Dodds.
"If they choose to go back to V8s, then we would absolutely leverage the fact that we would then be the only electric championship and everything that that means."
MCLAREN EXIT
Formula E is likely to be reduced to 10 teams, from 11 at present, next season after the withdrawal of Formula One champions McLaren to focus on endurance racing.
McLaren had sought a new owner for the team but Dodds said the time frame was too tight for interested parties and it would revert to Formula E, barring a late twist.
"As it stands unless something changes, and I never say never in Formula E or motorsport, their last race would be London," he added.
"The team slot would vacate, which means the licence would revert to us, and then we have a lot of other interest in joining the championship.
"The chance of somebody joining for one year of Gen3 is unlikely but the chance of somebody coming in and starting to develop with a future coming in for Gen4 is much more likely."
Formula E will be in the last year of its Gen3 era next season, with the more powerful and faster Gen4 car then coming in for 2026/27.
Nissan's British driver Oliver Rowland can clinch the 2024-25 championship in the Berlin double-header this weekend, and would be the series' 10th different champion in 11 seasons.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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