The way forward for Excessive E had been doubtful amid talks of a transition to hydrogen energy, however the championship had stopped wanting explicitly stating that it will not proceed alongside Excessive H in 2025.
A column by managing director Ali Russell, posted to its web site earlier this week, talked about that internet hosting a primary occasion in the US because the 2024 finale “shall be a becoming strategy to spherical off Excessive E”.
Talking within the Enterprise Discussion board on the Autosport Worldwide Present on Thursday, Excessive E’s utilities supervisor Andy Welch confirmed that the championship which started in 2021 is ready to conclude on the finish of the season as work progresses on the brand new Spark Racing Applied sciences-built hydrogen prototype that accomplished a profitable first shakedown final month.
“In the event you’d requested that query two years in the past it will be possible that it will be each,” Welch replied to a query from Motorsport.com on the way forward for Excessive E.
“The Excessive H prototype is testing now, the championship shall be in ’25. Excessive E will come to an finish on the finish of ’24.
“It is a totally different automobile, totally different championship, identical format. And Excessive E as it’s, will cease.”
Former Method Ford workforce boss Welch later defined that logistical challenges weren’t an element within the resolution to carry Excessive E’s four-year tenure to an in depth.
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
Laia Sanz, Mattias Ekstrom, Acciona | Sainz XE Workforce, Hedda Hosas, Tanner Foust, NEOM McLaren Excessive E, Molly Taylor, Kevin Hansen, Veloce Racing, Cristina Gutierrez, Fraser McConnell, X44 Vida Carbon Racing, and Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky, Johan Kristoffersson, Rosberg X Racing, on the grid
“We’re not making any preparations for persevering with with Excessive E, though we may,” he informed Motorsport.com.
“If the decision got here to do a sequence in Saudi or a sequence in Europe, it may occur.
“The business affect of working two championships on the identical venue, though engaging within the sense that you may run two championships with one help, you do not get twice the bang for the buck.
“You are still solely working a race weekend. And our spectators, are they focused on whether or not it is an E or an H? Some will not be, some will.
“The clear remit is H in ’25, E stops this yr, though there’ll nonetheless be the automobiles there and all of the infrastructure.”
Welch added that the hydrogen prototype is more likely to seem at an Excessive E occasion “in direction of the top of the calendar”.
“In some unspecified time in the future you’ve got obtained to remember that now we have to press the button on the automobile manufacturing and that must be in early to center of the yr,” he added.
“Then we’ll have 10 or 12 automobiles being produced and clearly equipped to groups on the finish of this yr.”
Excessive E has introduced a calendar of 5 occasions in 2024, starting in Saudi Arabia on 17-18 February.
Following a yet-to-be confirmed second spherical, two double-header occasions in Sardinia shall be held on consecutive weekends in September, earlier than concluding at Phoenix in November.
