FE: Monaco bid to replace Moscow fails

A bid to replace Moscow's June Formula E round with a race in Monaco has failed.

Series CEO Alejandro Agag revealed last month the Moscow event was under threat due to reluctance from the city authority to confirm it would close the roads needed for the Kremlin-adjacent circuit. The series and the FIA were informed of the cancellation of the June 4 race last week and entered advanced negotiations with officials in Monaco.

FE hoped the principality would be able to accommodate the same date, one week after Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix. It is believed the logistical issue of getting the F1 paddock vacated and the FE setup completed in less than a week, combined with an international show-jumping event in Monte Carlo later in June, was the main stumbling block.

FE raced in Monaco last year but it was omitted from the season-two calendar because of the rotation policy the series has with the biennial Monaco Historic Grand Prix. It is believed the local authorities remain keen to host FE in the future, however.

The series' inability to replace Moscow on June 4 means the title run-in shrinks to two rounds. There is a possibility of the Russian event running later, because the London season finale remains in jeopardy.

The fate of London's planned Battersea Park double-header will be decided in court on May 24. Opponents to the July 2-3 race have currently raised two-thirds of the money they had targeted through crowdfunding to cover the legal costs surrounding the claim. But it is understood they have now succeeded in instigating a judicial review into the local council's closure of the park and the planning consent around the event.

That means FE has not given up on reaching an agreement with Moscow to host a race at a later date, to ensure the season does not end with the next race in Berlin on May 21.

Originally on Autosport.com