Hong Kong's first internationally sanctioned motor race, the Formula E, "is back on track for next year" with Hong Kong Automobile Association President Lawrence Yu Kam-kee confident a revamped and modified circuit plan will be accepted" by the FIA, according to Alvin Sallay of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. The city was dumped from the inaugural season "after the proposed circuit in Central failed to meet the approval of the world auto sports governing body." Yu said, "We have now come up with a new plan for the circuit, one which has been modified and will make it easier to be accepted by the FIA." The most contentious part of the circuit, a 10-meter stretch, "which dips under a small tunnel, has been bypassed." Yu said that technical officials from Formula E "have given the thumbs up to the adapted plan." If the plan is approved by the FIA, "it will mean removing a number of islands along Lung Wo Road before race day as well as a number of traffic lights." Yu: "It is probably a blessing in disguise that we were rejected by the FIA this year. If they had approved our circuit this time, I don't think we would have had sufficient time to work with the various government departments" (SCMP, 4/9).
