Motorsports | Morocco takes over HK’s ePrix after social unrest

The Hong Kong race of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) electric-powered single-seater championship (Formula E) has been removed from the final version of the 2019/2020 calendar, released after the latest meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council held on Friday in Cologne, Germany.
According to the FIA’s decision, Hong Kong’s Formula E race, which was expected to take place on March 1, 2020, was dropped and replaced by a race in Marrakech, Morocco, to be held a day earlier.
The decision to leave Hong Kong off the final version of the racing calendar follows on from the social unrest and protests that have been occurring in the city for the past four months and are not likely to end soon.
According to several media sources, Hong Kong’s replacement in the Formula E calendar has been decided for this season only, with officials aiming to have it back for the 2020/2021 season.
The same sources noted that the decision was made after a meeting with regional officials, who expressed many concerns over the “smooth running of the event,” namely concerning the timely and safe construction of the track.
A Formula E spokesperson was quoted in Autosport magazine as saying, “After careful consideration and following conversations with key stakeholders, Formula E and event organizers have mutually agreed to not race in Hong Kong in season six.”
“All parties, including the HKSAR government, remain committed to continuing racing in Hong Kong in future, while ensuring the operational excellence of our events.”
Although the Hong Kong ePrix won’t take place for at least another year, Asia continues to gain momentum in this racing category.
China’s races in Sanya, Hainan province will continue as part of the program and two new rounds in Asian cities are also expected to be added in Seoul, South Korea and Jakarta, Indonesia, though these races remain subject to FIA circuit homologation.
The 2019/2020 season will get underway, with the first two races to be hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 22-23, 2019.