Formula E organisers have in principal agreed a five-year contract extension for the Rome E-Prix, which will keep a race in the Italian capital city on the calendar until 2025.
A new deal was passed in a meeting of the Rome City Council on Friday, but remains subject to the approval of the World Motor Sport Council – scheduled to next convene on 19 June.
The Rome E-Prix first joined the FE calendar for the 2017-18 season and had been scheduled for 4 April this year.
But it has since been cancelled as a result of the coronavirus-enforced season suspension that will continue through until the end of June.
Virginia Raggi, the major of Rome, said: “Rome is once again a key reference for Formula E and remains a key attraction for big events.
“When we exit the health emergency, we will need to come back much stronger than ever be-fore.
“Our city is ready for this challenge and the Italian capital will be the symbol of the series until 2025.
“This agreement will bring many investments in urban areas and make our collaboration much stronger.
“This is a contract that will offer Romans many benefits, which will help with starting again.
“Our city is very proud to be hosting the E-Prix – a sporting event pioneering sustainable ideas and innovative technologies.”
Founder and chairman of FE, Alejandro Agag added: “We are proud to announce such an important achievement and the start of a new long-term cooperation.
“We thank the mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, and the whole administration for being able to make it happen.
“Italy is a strategic market for us, and we are determined to keep working with the country to grant a further growth of the championship, in terms of popularity and competitiveness.
“We have involved some of the biggest players in the industry to work together towards a gradual change in how electric mobility is perceived.
“This process will have major global consequences.”
While the current season is on hold, FE has launched its Race at Home Challenge Esports competition in partnership with Motorsport Games.
BMW driver Maximilian Guenther won the first non-championship round on a virtual shortened Monaco FE circuit.
The first proper round of the eight-race series will take place this Saturday using the Hong Kong circuit for which the damage level on the rFactor 2 game has been increased from 25% to 80%.
Source: https://www.autosport.com/fe/news/149140/fe-set-to-race-in-rome-until-2025