If you haven’t already heard, Formula E is coming to South Africa in 2023 with the novel Cape Town E-Prix! We decided to take a dive into the history and genesis of the first sport series to have a net zero carbon footprint from its inception.
With origins dating back as early as 2011, before EVs were even a buzzword in the automotive industry or the phrase Cape Town E-Prix would have baffled residents of the coastal city, Formula E has become an integral part in the vast spectrum of modern-day motorsport. As the several years of its existence began to pass and more manufacturers understood the viability of green mobility through electrification, so did the popularity and growth of the single-seater series.
Theoretically conceived by current FIA President Jean Todt and Spanish businessman, Formula E Chairman Alejandro Agag at a Parisian restaurant on the 3rd of March in 2011, the sport series has managed to achieve a centenary of races in cities around the globe in less than a decade.
South Africa is no stranger to motorsport – two-wheel, four-wheel, open-top single seaters and production machinery – we have past and present champions that fly our multi-coloured flag high. In addition to the drivers, there are also certain circuits that resonate in the minds of adoring motorsport fans around the world, the iconic Kyalami being arguably the most recognisable and potentially on the cards to host another Formula 1 race after a three decade hiatus.
Related: Tentative lights out and away we go for Kyalami Grand Prix
It may therefore seem strange that the ABB Formula E World Championship has selected the city of Cape Town as the backdrop for the novel and momentous race scheduled into calendars for the 2023 season. The reasoning behind this lies in Formula E’s founding mission. That is; to race through the streets of the most iconic cities in the world – with a grid full of the best racing drivers and teams around – to show just what sustainable mobility is capable of in the name of a cleaner future.
Want to dive deeper into the history of Formula E? Click here.
Doing exactly this in 2014, with the unprecedented series commencing at the Olympic Park in Beijing, the series has grown to include 12 teams and 24 drivers on the grid – all making use of equal machinery, but more on that another time. Nelson Piquet Jr, son of Formula 1 Champion Nelson Piquet was crowned as the first Formula E World Champion in the same year and since, there have been an additional 6 World Championships in its 8 season lifespan – the only double Champion to date being Frenchman Jean-Éric Vergne.
Moving towards the current day and the 2023 season in specific, Formula E will switch to the new Gen3 cars which are faster, more efficient and more durable than any of their predecessors. South Africans will get to witness these zero-emission single-seaters at the Cape Town E-Prix when it hits our shores next year.
