Formula E founder Alejandro Agag wants to shift the focus: "I think Formula E could have four races in China"

Alejandro Agag, founder and chairman of Formula E, has made it clear that he can imagine more races in China in the future of the electric racing series. He is talking about four different venues and a possible collaboration with Formula 1.

A look at the sales figures for electric vehicles worldwide shows that the Chinese market in particular has embraced the comparatively new technology. "I was in China for the Shanghai Formula E race and every car I saw on the road was electric," describes Agag in an interview with Reuters. China leads the electric vehicle market, according to EV Volumes statistics from 2024, 53.9% of electric vehicles were registered here. In second place in the statistics, with a large percentage difference, is the USA, with only around a fifth of China's percentage (12%) and Germany in third place (4.4%).

China has been an integral part of the racing calendar since season 1

Formula E has raced in four cities in China over the years: Beijing (2014 and 2015), Hong Kong (2016 to 2019), Sanya (2019) and Shanghai (since 2024). Two races in Shanghai on 4 and 5 July 2026 are firmly scheduled in the race calendar for the coming season. There are also two dates (30 May and 20 June) where the venue has not yet been announced. There are rumours that one of these races will also take place in China, in Sanya to be precise. This would bring the number of races in the country to three.

Because of the strong presence of electric cars there, Agag says "that Formula E should have a massive focus in China." In comparison, he believes that Formula 1 is currently more firmly anchored in the USA, where combustion engines continue to dominate. "I think, like Formula One cracked the U.S., Formula E has a huge opportunity to crack China. I think it would be fully sustainable to have four races in China. And I think it will be much closer to the reality of the car market in China," he says.

Possible rapprochement with Formula 1

Although Formula 1 and Formula E are often compared with each other, Agag is not talking about competition. He predicts possible synergies and a rapprochement between the two series in the future. "Convergence doesn't mean doing the same," he says. The topic of sustainability plays a role in both racing series in different ways: while Formula E focuses on electric powertrains, Formula 1 focusses on more sustainable fuels. "If Formula E is the one that takes care of electric, Formula One takes care of combustion."

A possible collaboration "can be commercial, media, calendar," explains Agag. However, the topic of technology does not have to play a role. During the London E-Prix, the FIA had already announced that it had extended the exclusive agreement with Formula E to organise an electric formula series until 2048. Until then, a purely electric Formula 1 would therefore be ruled out.

For Formula E, the upcoming season starts on 6 December in Sao Paulo, Brazil. By then, it should be known whether one of the as yet unknown venues will be in China. As always, e-Formula.news will keep you up to date on this.