Formula E Washout in NYC Raises Questions About Future in US
With low attendance and attention stateside, and talent draining to the increasingly popular Formula One, brands are wondering what’s next—and why.
First place winner Antonio Felix da Costa of DS Techeetah holds the lead during Day 2 of the 2022 New York City E-Prix in Brooklyn.
Photographer: John Lamparski/Getty Images North AmericaIt’s not a good sign for Formula E that the car buffs at a Brooklyn “cars and coffee” meetup the morning of the New York City E-Prix had no idea the race was happening, just a few miles away in the same borough.
Several thousand fans who did attend Day 1 of the two-day New York City E-Prix on July 16 cheered as the electric version of Formula One cars whizzed past them. But, perhaps in part because of the oppressively muggy weather, the racing generated less excitement than the high-stakes cycling criteriums often held at the same cruise terminal. A DJ with a thick Long Island accent worked hard on the PA to amp the crowd. “Come on New Yawk, I caaaan’t hehr youuuuuu!”