Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of Formula E, speaks during a press conference for Seoul E-Prix 2020 in Seoul in June 2019. The event was canceled later on due to COVID-19 pandemic but is not rescheduled to be held in August 2022. (Formula E Korea)
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship, an electric car racing series, is coming to Seoul for the first time in August next year for a global event the city believes will help revive its tourism sector, which has been struggling for months amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The final round of the 2021-22 season of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship will be held on the streets around Jamsil Stadium in southern Seoul from Aug. 13-14 next year, according to the Seoul city government on Friday.
The whole schedule for the season is expected to be officially announced next month.
The race in Seoul was originally scheduled to take place in May last year, but the whole series was postponed due to the pandemic. The competition that Seoul will host next year is likely to be the race that determines the winning team for the season.
Since kicking off the first season in Beijing in 2014, Formula E has used high-speed electric cars with input from top global racing car brands to race down the streets of major cities.
Unlike Formula 1 that uses gasoline-powered vehicles, Formula E uses electric vehicles that reach speeds of up to 280 kilometers per hour and can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 2.8 seconds.
Seoul expects the event will help the city enjoy a boost in the number of visitors and serve as a chance to better advertise itself as a tourist destination.
To add to the momentum, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Friday it will host Seoul Festa 2022 from Aug. 10-14 next year, which will showcase Korean pop, beauty and food to visitors through various programs.
The city government expects Seoul Festa 2022 will enjoy success if held just when the race takes place and as attention is centered on the city.
The office added that the marketing effect of those events could also be amplified as BTS serves as global ambassadors for the Formula E series as well as honorary tourism ambassadors for Seoul.
By Ko Jun-tae (
ko.juntae@heraldcorp.com)