To Replace the Paris ePrix
To replace the Paris track, is not going to be very easy, as losing the Paris street circuit, likely means losing all street circuits in France, and you could argue the Pau street circuit, would have been the best fit for Formula E, including the current Paris street circuit.
So, not including any street circuit, I believe the two best options for the Formula E cars, are Dijon-Prenois, or the Paul Ricard circuit (one of its shorter and more complex circuit layouts). I believe Dijon-Prenois is the better option for an ePrix, and would once again, attract a certain area of the motorsport fanbase, that are the dedicated petrolheads of the world.
To put this into context, Dijon hosted the 1979 French Grand Prix, and certain areas of the motorsport fanbase, have decided this is the best racing, ever to happen in Formula 1. The Gilles Villeneuve and Rene Arnoux battle, on the final few laps of the race, has led some fans, to believe that Formula 1 should, try to recreate that racing, more often in modern Formula 1. Modern Formula 1 is never going to be 1970s Formula 1, almost half a century later.
But Formula E is much closer to 1970s Formula 1, in terms of the pushing and barging, and knocks, in wheel to wheel racing. So much body contact, for a single seater racing series. So, going to Dijon, would allow Formula E to fully display this, to that petrolhead contingent, and allow the series to be fully recognised and appreciated, by a few more fans, without needing to change all the regulations in the series.
In terms of circuit layout, Dijon-Prenois works well, for being quick, but not allowing the cars to fully reach their top speed, other than the start/finish straight. The lack of slower corners and hairpins, other than the Parabolique, creates a fast Formula E circuit, without needing to burn though the battery power, or show the slower pace of the cars. Yet, pushing the cars to the limit, of cornering speed, unlike most street circuits, on the Formula E calendar, other than maybe Mexico City’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
The Paul Ricard Circuit, and using one of the more complex, and yet shorter configurations of the circuit, is the second-best option, but the acres of tarmac run-off areas, is not very Formula E. So, if Formula E needs a racetrack for a late Autumn, early Spring, or a Winter European race, then Paul Ricard may be one of the best places, in the entire continent for Formula E. October or later, would need the race to happen at the Paul Ricard circuit.
But, any date beforehand, Dijon is the much better option for Formula E, in being old school, and lacking a lot of the exceedingly long straights, other than the start/finish straight.
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