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As we sit down and watch the 2024 Paris Olympics, we can’t help but think back to all the times we’ve raced around the circuits with connections to the iconic Olympic Games. We’ve also had some big athletes take a turn in our Formula E cars over the years, going from one kind of track to another.
Paris
It seems fitting to start with Paris, the current home of the Olympic Games. Les Invalides is situated in the heart of the French Capital and is easily recognisable by the golden Dôme des Invalides, one of the city’s most famous buildings. The area consists of monuments and museums, which houses information on the military history of France, but is most known for being the location of Napoleon’s tomb.
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Formula E first raced in Paris in Season 2, at a street circuit that lapped around the complex. It hosted four races over as many years, and was a special event on the calendar, also being home to the championship’s governing body – the FIA.
Now, it’s home to the archery and para archery for the Olympics, as well as a stop for the cycling and marathon events. The beautiful backdrop is one of the reasons this is such a special venue, but we will still be picturing our Formula E cars racing around this iconic structure as we tune in on our televisions.
Seoul
Another circuit that was familiar for fans of the Olympics was Seoul, South Korea. The Asian country was home to the last two rounds of the Season 8 calendar, and saw us crown Stoffel Vandoorne and the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team as our World Champions.
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It was the first time Seoul had welcomed Formula E. but it was no stranger to major sporting events. The circuit, which was brand new for the all-electric championship, wrapped around the Seoul Sports Complex and Seoul Olympic Stadium, which were both built to host the 1986 Asian Games and 1988 Olympic Games.
The Olympic Stadium is the largest in South Korea, holding just under 70,000 spectators, and has hosted matches for the Korea Football Association. However, Formula E was the first major international sporting event at the stadium since the Olympic Games!
Beijing
Formula E made its debut in the grounds of the Olympic Park in Beijing almost 10 years ago. The 2014 race was filled with drama from start to finish, and showed the world that electric racing can not only be better for the environment but it doesn't have to limit the actual racing.
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The circuit looped around China's iconic Olympic Stadium, more commonly known as the Bird's Nest, which was a popular venue for the 2008 Olympic Games. It measured 3.44km and featured 20 turns, and was created in close collaboration with the Olympic Park Committee among others.
It only hosted two events over two years, but provided plenty of action and will always be a great memory for Formula E as the home of our very first E-Prix nearly a decade ago. Where has the time gone?
London
We might have only just finished our Season 10, but did you know the ExCel played a huge role in the 2012 London Olympic Games? The convention centre in the capital’s Docklands is situated on an 100-acre site and saw two of its halls split into five different arenas for 13 sports. In fact, it hosted the most events outside of what we saw inside the Olympic Park.
Events like Judo, Weightlifting, Fencing and the Boxing all took place in the popular ExCel arena, but which was recently hired out by Formula E to host our nail-biting season finale. The half indoor-half outdoor circuit is unique to us in the top levels of world motorsport, and saw us crown TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein as our newest World Champion last week.
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Sporting stars in very fast cars
In addition to our circuit connections, we’ve also been privileged to have some very special guests take to our all-electric machines over the years. Handing over the imaginary set of keys to the world’s best athletes has been a popular trend for Formula E.
Usain Bolt
The world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, experienced a breath-taking new level of speed and acceleration behind the wheel of Formula E’s world record-breaking GENBETA race car earlier this year in Mexico City.
Ahead of the first race of Season 10, the multi-Olympic gold medallist drove the revolutionary electric race car on a full lap of the Mexican circuit. The fastest man ever – over 100m and 200m – could not resist trying out the sprint capabilities of the GENBETA machine, which smashed the official indoor land speed world record by more than 50 km/h reaching 218.71km/h inside the ExCeL London in 2023.
“The GENBETA race car is like a rocket ship on wheels,” Bolt said after his time behind the wheel. “Getting the chance to drive it was a mind-blowing experience. It’s the only time I’ll say something is faster than me!”
Sir Chris Hoy
Six-time Olympic cycling gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy had a chance to drive the GEN2 Formula E car back in 2019, when he took part in a demo run in Rome. It’s no secret how much Hoy loves racing, having competed in the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours in the LMP2 class, as well as taking part in some national racing too.
Hoy also appeared on the Formula E broadcast in London last season, and even helped hand out trophies on the podium at the event at the ExCel.