Formula E begins talks over new London venue for 2017

The English capital was not on the 2016/17 FE calendar announced by the FIA last week, but series CEO Alejandro Agag revealed it was a contender for the vacant June 24 slot.

Members of London mayor Sadiq Khan's team attended last weekend's 2015/16 season finale in Battersea Park, and Autosport has learned Agag met with London deputy mayor for business Rajesh Agrawal on the Sunday.

Agag told Autosport these first formal talks would allow the process to try to hold a race on the city's streets in 2017 to begin in earnest.

He is aware there is "a very short period of time" to find a location in London for the race because of the challenge of securing the necessary planning permissions to host a race.

"We need to decide very quickly where and how if we're going to make June 24," said Agag.

"It will be important which borough we're in and what council it is. We are optimistic."

London is not the only contender for the June 24 round, with Moscow also in the running, but appears to be the favoured option.

FE and the mayor's office will now explore possible parts of the city to host the race.

While Agag described Khan's support as "crucial", he said the championship's presence in Battersea Park for two seasons and its growth as a business was the reason it was now realistic to target a race in the centre of London.

"Now they know we're serious people, we deliver, we're financially strong," he said.

"Now it's easier to say 'let us race in the streets'."

With Battersea dropping off the FE schedule after two seasons, Agag described the movement from dissenting locals that has forced the series out of the park as "a big mistake".

"What they've done is wrong for the interest of Wandsworth and London," he added.

"But it doesn't do anything to look back.

"We're looking to the future and we're really going to try to race on the streets."

AUTOSPORT SAYS
Scott Mitchell, Formula E correspondent - @ScottAutosport

Moving into the centre of London was always high on FE's agenda, though the desire to piece together a deal and make that move in little over a year is quite ambitious.

All credit to FE and the authority for that, because I agree with Agag's sentiment that being forced out of Battersea is a shame.

The series has lost a challenging circuit, one that has hosted two great title deciders, and a key location from the calendar.

It's more than a little odd for UK-based FE to travel to major cities around the world but be barred from its back garden, while a bona fide street race in London would be great for British motorsport, and for fans.

I also agree with Agag when he says FE can be great for London too.

Without an ePrix, London has lost an asset in its fight against air pollution.

Reducing emissions has to be one of the English capital's priorities, as part of a global need to fight against climate change.

FE will not alter the public perception of electric vehicles on its own, but London's armoury for that endeavour is weakened without it.

Sadiq Khan, who assumed his role as London mayor in May this year, is known to be a supporter of what FE can do to promote zero emissions and green technologies.

It smashed citizens of Berlin and Paris in the face when it rolled right into the middle of town earlier this year.

London needs a race that does exactly the same.