Formula E: Bern wants to stand in for Zurich
NEW LOCATION DETERMINATION The Zurich City Council will not approve another Formula E race with a different route until summer 2020 at the earliest. The new venue could be Bern as early as next year. Zurich's city government has evaluated the impact of the Formula E premiere in the weeks before and after the June 10 race. It has come to the conclusion that [...]
The Zurich city government has evaluated the impact of the Formula E premiere in the weeks before and after the June 10 race. It has come to the conclusion that the impact on the population inside and outside the circuit at Hafen Enge was too great. Above all also because of the long set-up and dismantling work of the race track.
In addition, another major event is planned for 2019, the Züri-Fäscht, along with the Street Parade. Therefore, the Zurich City Council will grant another permit for an E-Prix in 2020 at the earliest, and only in a different neighborhood.
Contact with Bern City Council
The Swiss E-Prix organization has already contacted other city governments before this cancellation. A delegation from Geneva already attended this year's race to get a picture of the process and the effects.
According to the front-page story in the Berner Zeitung of Tuesday, September 4, Bern's municipal council has a positive attitude toward such an event in the nation's capital. "We are in contact with the organizers, they have presented us the concept," Bern's security director Reto Nause is quoted as saying.
As environment director, the CVP politician sees an exciting approach to demonstrating mobility without combustion engines with Formula E in Bern. However, Nause hardly considers a route through the city center to be feasible.
With the expected crowds, there are of course also economic interests. Bern gained experience with the effects of such a major event in the summer of 2016 with the Tour de France.
Supporters in the majority
The first political resistance is coming from the left. However, according to a survey by the BZ, supporters from various party circles from the left to the right and among the Bernese population are clearly in the majority.
In contrast to Zurich, Bern has a motorsport tradition thanks to the earlier staging of the Swiss Grand Prix in Bremgarten until 1954.
In the region on the western outskirts of the city, where the Grand Prix Bern Memorial was held once again last August 19, a Formula E race would also be conceivable. The same applies to other districts far from the city center, where public transport would not be too badly affected.
Pentecost Sunday or later
The Swiss Formula E race is on the provisional FIA calendar for June 9, 2019, with Zurich as the eleventh venue. Whether it would remain on Whit Sunday is questionable.
The race before that will take place on May 25 in Berlin. This date is set. Since the next and at the same time last event of the year-spanning fifth season 2018/19 is not scheduled until mid-July in New York, the Bernese would have some breathing room in terms of dates.
At best, they could step into the breach on the weekend of June 16, 23 or 30, 2019 - Formula E usually runs on Saturdays.
One thing is certain: time will be tight either way. But Swiss E-Prix Organisations Ltd. is used to that.
