The area in and round the London ExCeL Arena is used to regeneration and change with the Newham, Custom House and Prince Regent locale growing and expanding year-by-year.
Therefore, it seems fitting that Formula E’s era as its finale home will come to an end next summer with its on-track action becoming more and more awkward.
A one-year extension to the initial five-year deal was first reported by The Race earlier this year. It will mean a sixth visit to the Docklands site in the summer of 2026 which, in the general trend as a Formula E race host, means it’s had a pretty long run as a host venue.
The fact that the narrow and twisty, inside-and-out venue has become just too compact even for the Gen3 and Gen3 Evo cars of recent seasons was made very clear last weekend.
Cars tripped over one another, bodywork crunched and scattered at almost every corner and very little genuine overtaking beyond occasional attack mode glory runs actually occurred.
The races have had points of interest and jeopardy but mostly it’s been about contact in a manner that could just as readily be seen at any indoor karting venue across the east end of London on any given weekend.
The novelty value of the ExCeL Arena venue has gone now and with no proper extension to the track possible its time as the second London E-Prix venue will come to an end with the advent of Gen4 at the end of 2026.
“I don’t know about saying Formula E has outgrown it, but safety cars are inevitable when you put seven or eight corners within, I don't know how long, 20-seconds of the start of the lap,” Maserati MSG driver Jake Hughes told The Race.
“I don't know if we could do something different on the layout. I do like this event a lot, but I do think that the first few corners, especially at the start of the race when everyone's condensed, it's just too tight one way or the other.”
Hughes is echoing the whole grid here. Everyone enjoys the ExCeL venue for its efficient transportation links, its convenient hotels and restaurants a few minutes’ walk from the paddock and of course the fact it is 15 minutes from the centre of one of the world’s most vibrant and multicultural cities.
On many levels it ticks every Formula E box, but this season there was also a bit of a bitter taste as some fans felt a bit exploited by re-allocation of some pre-ordered tickets and the introduction of a charge in attending the autograph session which stood at £99 per person, although this was at least off set with a lunch voucher.
Yet the sporting element has always been a worry, even in the Gen2 cars when an initially insane ‘S’ double hairpin caused wholesale carnage.
It’s had some great days, notably four home winners with Jake Dennis’ pair, Alex Lynn and Oliver Rowland also triumphing. Nick Cassidy is the true king of the place now with three wins and three poles.
Its family friendly vibe has a charm all of its own for a pre-summer feel. Can that be replicated elsewhere for the Gen4 era? Formula E thinks so, whether it is at a permanent circuit which is the clear favourite or on a bespoke pop-up street or arena circuit that can fit into Formula E’s diminishing city unique selling point.
Where Next for Formula E in the UK?
Silverstone is currently the favourite to take on the UK’s round of the world’s only all-electric single-seater series with talks having been held for almost two years between Silverstone and Formula E Operations.
Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle visited the Formula E paddock at Shanghai last June to study how it utilises a permanent circuit and the outlines of a plan for Formula E to race at Silverstone in the summer of 2027 are believed to exist.
Brands Hatch is also an option and would have the advantage of getting a reasonable artistic licence to be able to use the London E-Prix moniker, something that Silverstone would clearly not be compatible with.
Brands though does not have as polished or as expansive facilities as Silverstone, meaning that Formula E’s large-scale Emotion Club VIP arm would have to adapt, as would practicalities such as the broadcasting base and a support race infrastructure, which Formula E is working towards having by 2027 at the latest.
A new street circuit is also possible with the obvious preference being somewhere in London. The former Olympic site location in Stratford, West Ham United’s stadium and even a previously ambitious/fanciful plan to race down the Mall in central London have all been discussed.
But perhaps a more realistic venue in another area of the UK could be attractive and also gain support from tourism boards and regional backers.
The UK had one of the most memorable street circuits to host a big bank holiday event with the Birmingham Super Prix from 1986-1990.
Nearby Coventry is a leading EV adopter city and had one of Formula E’s prestige manufacturers in Jaguar based very close to it. Glasgow and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne are both also progressive cities, with the latter sharing a key partner with Formula E in the Public Investment Fund which owns Newcastle United FC and is rumoured to be investing in the city’s airport.
There are several possibilities for Formula E to keep a UK race, something which is seen as a must for the teams and manufacturers, seven of which have bases in the country.
The decision will ultimately come down to finances, deals and the prospect for whether or not Formula E can showcase its much quicker cars to the biggest and most engaged crowd as possible.
