Formula E has announced an update to the Season 10 calendar of the all-electric racing championship. The global body has cancelled the upcoming Hyderabad E-Prix Round 4, which was scheduled for Saturday 10 February this year. Earlier in February last year, Hyderabad played host to the inaugural edition of the electric racing series in India.
2024 Hyderabad E-Prix cancelled
This development comes as a huge disappointment for all motorsports fans in India and motorsports in general. The cancellation comes following a decision by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (MAUD), under the control of the new Government of Telangana, not to fulfil the Host City Agreement signed on 30 October 2023.
It must be noted that in the recent Legislative Assembly Elections in Telangana last month, Congress came out on top and replaced the ruling BRS party. The scrapping of this mega motorsport event has also led to a political slugfest as usual. It reported earlier last week that the championship expressed concerns after receiving a letter from the Government of Telangana that could potentially impact the event.
In its official media statement, Formula E Operations (FEO) stated that it was “left with no choice other than to formally give notice to MAUD that it is in breach of contract”. FEO is considering its position and what steps it may take under the Host City Agreement and applicable laws.
This cancellation is a result of the new Congress-led government’s formal opposition to the 2023 race before taking office, which has cast serious doubts over the future of this motorsport spectacle. The Hyderabad E-Prix would have been the only official FIA World Championship event in India in 2024 and was part of a multi-year agreement between Formula E and the Government of Telangana.
Speaking on this recent development, Jeff Dodds, CEO, Formula E, said: “It is deeply frustrating that we cannot build on the success of the inaugural race last year, which delivered almost 84m USD in positive economic impact to the region. We are also disappointed for our major Indian partners, particularly Mahindra and Tata Communications.”
Post the cancellation of the Hyderabad E-Prix, the 2024 season of the World Championship has been reduced to 15 races. The season begins next Saturday, 13 January, with the Hankook Mexico City E-Prix. Other host cities confirmed on the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship calendar for Season 10 include Tokyo, Shanghai, Berlin, Monaco and London.
