'We've got to get it right' - Formula E mulling over Miami location change and additional U.S. races

Formula E is still eyeing a second race in the United States, adding to its current date in Miami.

The series held two rounds in the U.S. in its first season, taking in Miami and Long Beach, but has stuck to a sole location since – albeit with double-header events in New York and the second visit to Portland in 2024.

There has been talk of multiple rounds Stateside since then, and work on delivering that is progressing, with Formula E co-founder and chief championship officer Alberto Longo saying that a second U.S. race – plus another in China – should be in place by the time the GEN4 Formula arrives in 2026.

“I think we have two markets that we really want to go very quickly into two races, and two races in two different locations,” Longo told media including RACER at the Monaco E-Prix. “One is China, the other one is the U.S.

“I'm actively talking with 11 cities in the U.S. at the moment, and whether that's going to happen for next season or for the season after that is the question mark. But for sure, let's say for GEN4 we will be doing two races in the U.S.”

One change that is anticipated before then is regarding the Miami race. While Longo insists, “Miami is going to be on the calendar for next year, whether we find other options or not,” it could move away from Homestead-Miami Speedway after a single year.

“Being in Miami was such an important achievement for Formula E,” said Longo. “It was important to be in a top, tier one city in the U.S. We have been in New York, we have been in LA, we have been in Portland, and Miami was obviously, we thought, the place to be. And we're going to, for sure, stay in Miami.”

Longo deemed the Homestead event in April a success, but admitted that “there are things that can be obviously improved”. Expanding on the challenges, CEO Jeff Dodds admitted that the venue’s location wasn’t optimal for the series’ ethos that has centered around taking racing to the people, and that its wide-open nature compared to Formula’s typical temporary venues made presenting the racing as a compelling product on TV difficult..

“I think my personal challenges would be this: [it’s] too far away from downtown. I think if you're asking people to travel an hour and 15 minutes and 20 minutes, and you have only one accident on that road, it becomes very challenging,” he said. “And if I'm really honest, I don't think the cars looked amazing on that circuit. [It’s a] very wide track there, obviously designed for four NASCAR cars going side by side, and it works beautifully for that. I think for the cars we've got today, and the footprint of our cars, the cars didn't look as fast as they really are.”

Dodds, however, still said there were “loads of positives” from the Homestead event.

“[There were] lots of good things. Hospitality, VIP, everything fully sold out. I thought the venue looked great, we branded it really well,” he said.

“They did a great job for us, and they supported us brilliantly.

“But I think there's a lot of things that we would hope to achieve in what is arguably one of the top racing notions of importance for us. The U.S. is so important. We've got to get it right.”