It was announced today that the finale of the 2017/18 Formula E season will no longer be held in Montreal.

 

If Lucas DiGrassi wants history to repeat itself, then he will sadly be out of luck this year. It was announced today that Montreal will no longer host the finale of the 2017/18 Formula E season.

The doubts around the race began when the city elected a new mayor, Valerie Plante, who wanted the race moved out of the city centre. However today, the new mayor announced their intentions to cancel the race with immediate effect.

Previous mayor, Denis Coderre, had been keen to invite Formula E in to his city to promote sustainable energy. However, the race faced wide criticism for using public money – something which other hosting cities do not do.

Plante stated that “Montrealers have made it clear that we can’t waste their money on poorly planned projects that don’t serve them.” It was estimated that it would cost taxpayers $35 million for the city to host the sport for a second time.

 

A spokesperson for Formula E stated that “We are very surprised and disappointed by the unilateral decision and announcement of the Mayor of Montreal. This is a clear case of a new mayor undoing what the previous mayor did.”

The race was due to be held on the 28th and 29th of July, 2018 and would have been the final race of the season. It is yet unclear where or when the season will come to a conclusion.

It won’t be the first time that the 2017/18 Formula E season has faced turmoil, with the race in Sao Paulo being postponed until season five. It has been replaced with a race in Punta del Esta, due to problems with local authorities.

If a replacement isn’t found within the next seven months, the season will end with a double-header in New York on the 16th and 17th of July.

---

Posted on 18th December 2017 for Overtake Motorsport

Click here for the original article