Formula E could be set to return to Russia with a proposed race at the Sochi Autodrom circuit in the future.
The all-electric single seater series headed to Russia for the Moscow ePrix for its inaugural 2014/15 season with the race being held in the city centre and next to the Kremlin, with Nelson Piquet Jr emerging as the winner.
After three seasons off the Formula E calendar, however, electric racing could return to Russia according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Kozak.
"Moscow has already hosted the Formula E race and it was around the Kremlin," Kozak told Russian news agency, TASS.
"We are ready to consider this issue again. We have discussed it with President of the International Automobile Federation [FIA] Jean Todt and proposed holding the race at Sochi Autodrom racing circuit.
"This racing track is compliant with the Formula E requirements and is integrated into the municipal infrastructure,
"We have also considered an option of holding the race in Saint Petersburg. This issue is still being considered. We are very interested," he added.
The Sochi Autodrom is the current home of the Russian Grand Prix and has been on the Formula 1 calendar since the start of the championship's V6 Hybrid-Turbo era in 2014.
Located in the Olympic Park where the 2014 Winter Olympics were held, the Sochi circuit is 5.848km long and was designed by Hermann Tilke.
Next season marks a major step forward in Formula E through the introduction of the 'Gen2' car – the championship's replacement for the current Spark SRT 01E which has been in use in the series' inaugural season.
The new Gen2 car will feature a longer lasting battery that has been designed by McLaren Applied Technologies, meaning that FE's current mandatory mid-race car switch will be removed while cars will also have increased power, with 200kW being available for drivers to use in the race while a 250kW power mode will be used in qualifying.
If the Sochi Autodrom was added to the Formula E calendar for the future, it would be the longest circuit that the series has visited, with the Moulay El Hassan circuit in Marrakesh being the longest track on the current season four calendar at 2.99km.
While tracks will be extended for the faster Gen2 car of season five – as seen by the changes of the New York City ePrix circuit most recently – a short circuit layout of the Sochi Autodrom could be used if the full circuit wasn't a feasible option.
Discussion about this post