Formula E reveals 'missing' venues in future calendar discussions

Formula E co-founder Alberto Longo has revealed that India and Italy are the two venues he believes are "missing" from the calendar, with him working to bring both destinations back.

The all-electric series announced its calendar for the first season of Gen4 last month, featuring a record-breaking 21 races across 13 venues.

Formula E's maximum calendar length is 22 rounds, creating room for new destinations, particularly as eight circuits will host double-headers next season. There is a real push towards permanent circuits, largely due to the performance capabilities and size of the all-new Gen4 car.

For the start of Gen4, Formula E has added a new destination in the United States – the Circuit of the Americas – as well as the Netherlands, and has changed its UK venue, moving from the ExCeL Centre to Brands Hatch.

Just as the series has wanted for some time, it will have two races in both the United States and China, with Longo also seeing further opportunities in Asia.

India is a key market for Formula E and has a strong presence in the paddock through both Indian manufacturer Mahindra and Jaguar title sponsor Tata Consultancy Services. Hyderabad hosted a race in Season 9, although it has not returned since, with a corruption case still ongoing.

Italy has an even richer Formula E history, with Rome hosting eight races before dropping off the calendar in 2023.

Misano hosted a double-header in 2024, but the event was not a success. Italy has not featured on the Formula E calendar since and will not do so again until 2028 at the earliest. Longo is eager to change that by bringing both Italy and India back.

Asked what destinations Formula E wants to add to future calendars, Longo told RacingNews365 during an interview: "In terms of the championship's top priorities, we have them all, probably with the exception of India at the moment. We had a fantastic race in Hyderabad, and hopefully we'll be back in that market.

"Italy is also one of the markets where we really feel the passion. We feel that every fan we have in these countries is literally texting us, saying they want us to come back. So I think those are the two countries I'm kind of missing at the moment. We're working on it, as you can imagine.

"But the good thing is that there's a lot of appetite from other parts of the world. I think Asia has also woken up. You talk to many East Asian countries, and they are really into electro-mobility today. They believe that Formula E is a very good platform for them to promote the mobility they want in their cities.

"The good thing is that interest in hosting a Formula E event is very, very high – higher than ever, I would say."