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Formula E will descend upon Portland, Oregon, this weekend for the electric racing series’ lone U.S. race this season after venue issues — and potentially declining interest — led to the circuit’s departure from New York City.
This year marks the first since 2016 (outside pandemic-impacted 2020) that Formula E won’t race at the Brooklyn Street Circuit after local construction forced the series to relocate.
Initially bullish on New York’s potential to grow an American fan base, Formula E co-founder and Chief Championship Officer Alberto Longo appears to have changed his tune.
“Unfortunately, the reason we left New York was very simple,” Longo told Forbes. “It was no longer an option for us anymore. … We just started running out of space for grandstands and other infrastructure, so the move to Portland became an easy one.”
That’s a drastically different take than a year ago, when Longo said that remaining in the Big Apple in some capacity was a “top priority.”
Last year, poor weather led to a lower-than-anticipated turnout in Brooklyn for two days of racing, but even then Formula E was still optimistic about the New York market.
U.S. expansion had also been on Formula E’s mind. It’s conceivable that a successful showing in Portland could lead to a permanent race in Oregon, even if the series explores a return to the country’s biggest city.
For now, there is no indication that a return is on the table.
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