Channel 4 strikes deal with Formula E for live coverage of both London races
CAPITAL WILL HOST E-PRIX FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2016
CHANNEL 4 will broadcast live the London E-Prix doubleheader weekend on July 24 and 25.
Leicester’s Jake Dennis, below, will be among the Formula E drivers in action when racing returns to the capital after five years.
It will also be the first major event to take place at the ExCeL Centre since the venue reopened after being converted into an NHS Nightingale Hospital during the pandemic.
The track at the ExCeL Centre will include a substantial indoor section – a first for Formula E – while the FIA has deducted 4kWh from the energy total cars may use to allay fears the races could be processional or littered with crashes.
London is returning to the Formula E calendar for the first time since 2016, having featured in season one and two when the races were held at Battersea Park.
Vernon Kay will present more than four hours of coverage on Channel 4, with the two races also available via its on-demand streaming platform All4.
Kay said: “There’s nothing that quite beats the atmosphere of your home race and with seven British drivers to cheer on, the UK fans are going to love tuning in for this amazing weekend of racing.
“London is the penultimate event in the calendar so it is going to be all to play for.
“Fans can be sure of close, unpredictable racing on what is set to be a spectacular and unique track.”
British driver Sam Bird, of Jaguar Racing, leapt to the top of the drivers’ championship after victory in the second of the two races in New York last weekend.
Bird said: “It is great news for Formula E to be shown live on Channel 4 for such a key race on the world championship calendar.
“This is the first time in five years we’ve raced in London – the first time in 17 years for Jaguar – and terrestrial TV plays a key role to put our sport into the homes across the UK at a milestone moment.
“The ExCeL track looks like it should put on an entertaining race for the fans as it’s the first indoor and outdoor circuit, offering something truly unique.”
Coverage of the Formula E world championship has been shown on the BBC website, iPlayer and Red Button so far this season.
Aarti Dabas, chief media officer at Formula E, said: “We are pleased to add Channel 4 to our ever-growing line-up of media partners.
“The UK is a key market for Formula E’s ecosystem of teams, manufacturers, partners and drivers.
“More importantly we wanted to provide our growing UK fanbase and potential new fans with easy access to watch and engage with the live coverage of their home races.”
The Formula E championship will also return to streaming qualifying live on its own YouTube channel.