A couple of months ago, we reported that folks at Formula E were in Hyderabad to consider it as a possible venue for the upcoming season. Now, we finally have the confirmation that the city will indeed be hosting the electric sprint-off on February 11, 2023, subject to the homologation of the circuit. 

Season 9 of the e-Prix will be the first major international motorsport event to be held in India since the Buddh International Circuit hosted the F1 Indian GP back in 2013. The city will host round 4 of the event, which will also see new Gen3 cars making their debut. The season will also host newcomers like Maserati and McLaren, along with existing manufacturers like Jaguar, Nissan, Porsche, Mahindra Racing and NIO 333. 

Confirming the news, the official statement from Formula E reads, “Two major motorsport fanbases will welcome E-Prix for the first time. Round 4 of the championship will be held in Hyderabad, India, on February 11, while fans in Brazil will see the São Paulo E-Prix on March 25 for Round 7.”

The season will begin in Mexico City on January 14 and then move around 13 cities all over the world, with a record 18 races between January and July 2023. Early this year, the governing body of Formula E and the clean energy company Greenko signed a letter of intent with the Telangana government. While this did make the city an official candidate to host the race, it didn’t guarantee a secured spot. 

Now with the news coming out, the work on the new 2.37km track has already begun. It’ll be designed by Driven International, who’ve previously worked on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The same firm is also working on developing other tracks in India like the Nanoli Speedway (Pune) and the Marque One Motor Club (Andhra Pradesh). 

The same Hyderbad track will also host two rounds of the Formula Regional Indian Championship, along with F4 India and the Indian Racing League in November and December.

(Image credits: DHL, Jaguar)