Formula E was "adamant" Mexico would still feature on 2021 calendar
Formula E boss Jamie Reigle says he was “adamant” Mexico would feature in 2021 despite the pandemic and reckons ‘lessons have been learned’ from an ill-fated permanent circuit debut.
The series has moved to the Autodromo Miguel E Abed, close to Puebla, for a double-header this season with the usual Hermanos Rodriguez Formula 1 venue unavailable while housing a COVID-19 vaccination centre.
This comes amid ongoing travel restrictions in Latin America, which has notably forced effective sister championship Extreme E to abandon its planned Brazil and Argentina rounds this year.
But Formula E chief executive officer Reigle told Autosport that he led the push for Mexico to remain on the schedule as it is “one of the few markets where we’ve got real traction”.
He said: “I was always adamant that we return to Mexico because when I started in September 2019, we had Saudi Arabia, Santiago and then Mexico.
“To me, Mexico, at the Hermanos Rodriguez demonstrated the potential future of Formula E. Huge crowds, passion, music, the circuit, everything's great.
PLUS: The half-term report cards of each Formula E team in 2020-21
“One of the things that I've been pondering is, 'People within Formula E, are we optimistic about our future or not?' I think back to Mexico, and 'there it is', that's what we want to replicate around the world.
“There’s all kinds of reasons why it was challenging, but what we said with the teams, 'Look, Mexico is the one of the few markets where we've got real traction'.
“It would be a real shame if we missed for a year. That's where we made the push.”
Edoardo Mortara, Venturi Racing, walks the track with his team
Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images
An inaugural Puebla E-Prix will also mark the mass return of spectators, following limited numbers being permitted for the previous round in Monaco last month.
Up to 10,000 fans will be allowed per day with tickets not on public sale but rather opened up for local health workers by way of a “contribution to the community”.
The oval-based Puebla track configuration also marks Formula E’s return to a permanent circuit following the much-maligned first Valencia E-Prix in which late energy management woes led to widespread criticism after six cars were disqualified while a further three drivers stopped on track.
PLUS: How Valencia E-Prix farce left Formula E with an image problem
Asked if he had any concerns about a repeat scenario upon rapid return to a more conventional track, Reigle said: "The Valencia experience taught us a lot of things.
“What we've tried to do here is make sure that we change some features of the circuit to make it more reflective of Formula E environment.
“We recognised and learned the lessons from Valencia, and we're trying to find that here.”
Related video
Formula E debutant Eriksson hit with 20-place grid penalty
Puebla E-Prix: Rowland leads incident-filled practice sessions
De Vries "would be even smaller" without halo after Seoul E-Prix crash
Nyck de Vries has praised Formula E's halo after submarining under Sebastien Buemi's Nissan in the Seoul E-Prix's opening lap pile-up, suggesting "I would be even smaller" without it.
Seoul E-Prix: Evans keeps Formula E title hopes alive into final race
Mitch Evans kept his Formula E title hopes alive with victory in the Seoul E-Prix, bookended with a multi-car pile-up at the start and finished under the safety car.
Seoul E-Prix: Rowland cruises past di Grassi for pole in wet qualifying
Oliver Rowland beat future Mahindra Formula E team-mate Lucas di Grassi to pole in a wet Seoul E-Prix qualifying by 0.623s, claiming his fifth pole in the series.
Seoul E-Prix: Vergne leads Formula E practice in red-flagged FP2
Jean-Eric Vergne headlined a red-flagged Seoul E-Prix second free practice session, as both Alexander Sims and Nick Cassidy had separate stops in the closing stages.
Can anyone beat Stoffel Vandoorne to the Formula E title?
Stoffel Vandoorne is on the brink of the Formula E title with a commanding lead ahead of the Seoul finale, but both rivals and unknowns still stand in his way. Here’s a run through of what Vandoorne must overcome to clinch the championship and how his competition will look to pull off the biggest of shocks
How Formula E's most underrated driver is taming his Dragon
It might not look like the most glittering of Formula E campaigns, but Dragon Penske’s youngster has caught the eye of those who count despite his future remaining unclear. Regardless of the distortion, Sergio Sette Camara has a clear vision of what he’s focused on and how to get there
How Formula E's title fight gave way to Dennis and Di Grassi in the dockyards
The penultimate stop on Formula E's world tour took in London's ExCeL, where the championship contenders were upstaged by two first-time winners in 2022. Andretti’s Jake Dennis kept the home fires burning in the first race as Venturi’s Lucas di Grassi claimed the second, but two consistent finishes mean its advantage Stoffel Vandoorne heading to the Seoul finale
The ex-F1 racer turned Venturi team boss adapting to a Formula E title fight
For the second year in a row, the Venturi team is in the thick of the fight for Formula E title glory with Edoardo Mortara. That's despite a change to a more meritocratic qualifying system, which was expected to give the works Mercedes team an edge, and ex-Formula 1 racer Jerome d'Ambrosio being new in the team principal hot seat. As he tells Autosport, it's a challenge he's revelling in
Why Sims is quitting Formula E to become the master of his own destiny
Alexander Sims’ call to give up a pukka Formula E spot after four seasons in the series may have surprised some, but after laying out his reasoning and what he hopes comes next, very few onlookers can argue against his plan
How Formula E's Big Apple crunch led to Cassidy joy and heartache
Nick Cassidy hadn't enjoyed too many joyful moments in the 2021-22 Formula E campaign, but the Envision Virgin driver was the class of the field in New York - even after a sudden downpour had caused him and several others to shunt heavily out of the first race. Red flags saved his bacon on that occasion, but a 30-place penalty that cost him pole for race two due to a new battery opened the door for Antonio Felix da Costa
Mortara turns up the heat on Formula E title rivals in Marrakech scorcher
Formula E’s unplanned return to Marrakech provided teams with a fresh challenge in old but familiar surroundings, as Edoardo Mortara kept his cool in melting conditions to triumph and retake the championship lead
How Formula E's double-duty drivers influenced their Le Mans teams' fortunes
Eight Formula E drivers made the 7,000-mile sprint from the streets of Jakarta to the fabled Circuit de la Sarthe and every one had a story to share at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours. Despite a range of triumphs and disappointments, each driver doubling up on the day job played a key role in their teams' fortunes