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New details about 2024’s potential Formula E Tokyo street race, including the track layout, have come to light.
Japanese fans in full costume at the Japanese Grand Prix 2022. If Formula E came to Japan, the fans would be passionate. Credit: Formula1.comA few months ago it was announced that Japan was endeavouring to host a Formula E race. Japan is a country that loves its motorsport, but it is also a country with its sights set on the future. Tokyo is set on becoming a Zero Emission City and is promoting the exclusive use of electric vehicles.
Because of this, the Japanese government and the Tokyo government are working with Formula E to bring an electric race to the city. They’re hoping that the race will be on the calendar as early as 2024, making its debut in Season 11.
Formula E is always welcoming new races and countries to the calendar. They have recently added Brazil into the mix with the Sao Paulo e-Prix and the Hyderabad e-Prix in India.
The Circuit
The Race has reported that the race will be held in the Tokyo bay area. The track features long straights and long corners, and then also has a tight, twisty section towards the end of the lap.
It’s set to be a picturesque race if it happens. The track is set to run alongside the waterfront for part of it and then heads towards the city for the ‘street circuit’. It’s proposed that it will run past the high-tech “Big Sight” exhibition halls. It will also have the towering Tokyo Gate Bridge in the background.
The Race
If the race is to go ahead, the organisers want to mirror the excitement and intensity of the London e-Prix. Officials from Japan attended the race in recent summers to gain insight into the production.
Officials from Tokyo and Formula E sign a preliminary agreement to have a Tokyo ePrix. Credit: Motorsport.comAs Formula E is expanding, Japan seems like a logical option. Also, Tokyo would be a major hit with audiences around the world as demand for a Tokyo street race has been high on fans’ wishlists. This demand will likely grow but for now, the organisers have targeted a figure of 20,000 spectators for the inaugural race.
Putting on a show
It was intended for the organisers to put on a Formula E demo around a small area of the intended track. However, there has been no confirmation whether this has taken place. For now, the last time Tokyo saw a Formula E demonstration was in 2016, featuring Formula E World Champion Lucas di Grassi.
Feature Image Credit: Asahi Shimbun
