Formula E organizers confirmed talks with Montreal city officials about potentially hosting a race in the Canadian city. Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag, who met with Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre in Miami on Saturday, described the discussions as “extremely positive." However, he added there are still many details that need to be resolved before making a final decision, in particular budget. “We are at an early stage of the discussion but it’s definitely a very positive discussion,” Agag said. “But it’s extremely early to enter into [discussions about] how much it’s going to cost and who will pay for what.” The electric racing series, which made its North American debut in Miami on Saturday, has a tailor-made approach to every city in terms of financing the event. Hosting an ePrix in Quebec’s largest city seems to follow Formula E’s plan of having a third North American race on the schedule -- together with Miami and Long Beach.
BLAME IT ON RIO: When Rio de Janeiro was dropped from the inaugural ’14-15 schedule, Agag told SBD Global he was in discussions with two North American cities to replace the event. Eventually, Moscow was chosen as the new venue. John Lopes, president of Andretti Sports Marketing, which organized the Miami ePrix, said that he could see Montreal as the third North American race on the series' calendar. He also said that should Montreal receive the event, ASM would be interested in promoting and organizing the race. ASM already has experience with the Canadian market as it previously owned and organized the IndyCar race in Toronto. For Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson, who also attended Saturday’s race in Miami, pursuing a Formula E event should be a no-brainer for the city. “It’s quiet. It’s the future. And Montreal should be pioneering the future,” he said. Branson, whose Virgin Racing team is currently third in the team standings, added that the thousands of people who would be coming to Montreal to attend the race, would over time offset whatever the costs are. Agag did not specify when Montreal could join the series. The city is also home of the Canadian F1 Grand Prix.
