Buckle up and get ready for some high-speed action, because Formula E is headed straight for the Mother City! This comes after a global panel of Formula E representatives welcomed the inclusion of Cape Town on the 2022 racing calendar, and we’re bursting with excitement!
In early July, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) announced that Cape Town would become the first Southern African city to host the all-electric Formula E racing series. Our stunning city will join some of the world’s most iconic cities to present the ABB FIA Formula World Championship, which actively promotes electric mobility and alternative energy solutions to contribute to reducing air pollution.
Sustainability will be at the forefront of this massive celebration, bearing in mind that electric vehicles provide one of the most effective solutions to reduce carbon air pollution. The cherry on top of all of these festivities are the words of Formula E’s Alberto Longo: "South Africa ticks the box of every single thing we need in order to host a race of Formula E."
This green light is enough to have fans jumping for joy, but Longo didn’t stop there. While speaking at a press conference in London, he mentioned the beauty of having the iconic Table Mountain as a backdrop, stating that "I think we are going to be able to put a fantastic event up there."
"And then the passion of South Africans, the heritage of motorsport there, they just love motorsports. I think it’s a place where every serious and professional motorsport series has to do an event," Longo adds.
Formula E is seen as a catalyst for innovation, investment and job creation in the e-mobility and sustainable energy space, and this event aims to create a ripple effect in driving economic development while providing much-needed job opportunities.
But the excitement doesn’t stop there, because the Co-Founder and Chairman of e-Movement, Iain Banner is about to hype up Capetonians even further! He provides the details of what enthusiasts can look forward to in this week-long festival of events and activities celebrating sustainability, and we’re here for it all!
"The race is what I call the celebration. But we’ve come up with what we are calling the e-Fest. And the e-Fest is a 5-day programme around sustainability and eMobility. So we’ll have a 2 day conference of eMobility where we’ll have all things -˜E’ from one-wheelers to bicycles, possibly even a plane and a boat to showcase to the public what -˜E’ is all about both now and going into the future.
"That will be dynamic and exciting. We’ve also got a golf tournament which Ernie Els is hosting for us where our drivers and team principals will play with sponsors and others in the eco-system. And then very importantly we’ve got a climate change summit where we’ll be talking about all things sustainable. And a big initiative in taking this to Cape Town is not only to race, but to grow the economy and promote eBusiness as well," says Banner.
Meanwhile, Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato echoed these sentiments by saying: "Cape Town is pleased to be chosen as one of the cities to participate in the Formula E tournament. The event will unlock major investment, job creation and tourism potential through identifying Cape Town as the racing destination of the African continent.
"We look forward to working towards this event. The City has the necessary infrastructure and skills to host an event of this size and we are confident that the event will further cement Cape Town’s global reputation as the World’s Leading Festival and Event Destination."
In the same vein, as the founding partner to the Formula E Cape Town bid, Jaguar South Africa supported the drive to host the first Formula E event in Cape Town. Richard Gouverneur, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover South Africa said, "Jaguar South Africa is thrilled to be part of the team bringing World Championship motorsport back to [Mzansi]. We have a long term commitment to the all-electric Formula E series and are committed to the success of e-mobility in our market."
Formula E has created a buzz in the motorsport world, attracting millions of viewers who are drawn to the excitement of cars racing the streets of some of the world’s most beautiful cities at speeds of up to 280 km/h. And to ensure that you don’t miss a second of the action, local broadcasters, Supersport and SABC have committed to promoting the event.
Picture: Carl Bingham / LAT Image
