Formula E cancels Hyderabad E-Prix 2024
Formula E on Friday officially announced that the Hyderabad E Prix, scheduled for February 10, 2024, has been cancelled.
In a statement, Formula E said, “The cancellation comes following a decision by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (MAUD), under the control of the Government of Telangana, not to fulfil the Host City Agreement signed on 30 October 2023. Formula E Operations (FEO) has been 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.”
A few weeks earlier, Formula E had said it had received an official communication from the Government of Telangana that could jeopardise the event and sought clarifications from the local government.
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Hyderabad hosted a round of the all-electric single-seater series in February 2023, marking the return of a FIA World Championship event after a ten-year gap since the last Indian Grand Prix Formula One race in 2013.
In October 2023, a new agreement to host the race in 2024 was signed before the elections in the state, which saw a new party coming to power.
Alberto Longo, Co-Founder and chief Championship Officer of Formula E, said, “We are extremely disappointed for the huge motorsport fanbase in India. We know that hosting an official motorsport world championship race is an important and prestigious occasion for Hyderabad and the whole country. The President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), Akbar Ebrahim, and his team have been incredibly supportive in bringing Formula E back to Hyderabad. They share our disappointment in the decision of the Government of Telangana, which means that it will not happen.”
In 2023, the first edition of the race, a security breach – vehicular traffic entering the race track ahead of the first practice session, threatened to cancel the race. The authorities, however, were able to secure the street circuit in time and the event went ahead as per schedule.