Formula E considering race in Middle East

Formula E could add a race in the Middle East for season three, and hopes to have its 2016-'17 calendar confirmed by March.

The all-electric championship may grow to 12 rounds next season as part of a gradual expansion plan. Hong Kong has already joined the calendar, while Montreal has previously been linked and a race in Australia has been mooted as well.

Series CEO Alejandro Agag said the chances were of more new races being held next season were "quite high".

"We're discussing with a couple of venues in the Middle East and some other venues in Asia and some new venues in Europe," he said. "We don't want to make a revolution of the calendar year on year. But maybe two new venues are likely."

Formula 1, the World Endurance Championship and MotoGP have all branched out to the Middle East in the last decade, with Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates hosting various top-level events.

Formula E's calendar is already wide ranging, with season two comprising races in Beijing, Putrajaya, Punta del Este, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Long Beach, Paris, Berlin, Moscow and London.

Agag wants its events to be locked in well before the start of season three, with this season's Mexico round only confirmed in November and the London event in Battersea Park still requiring planning permission to be signed off. He also suggested Beijing is likely to remain the curtain-raising event.

"The deadline [to submit the calendar] is in June but we want to push it as much as we can and trying to put it in by March," Agag said. "We're going to try do October to July. Unless we have to [change it], because the weather in Beijing gets difficult later on.

"We were very lucky this year so we may have to do Beijing before, but in principle [it will be] the same."

Originally on Autosport.com