Bournemouth wants to become “British Monaco”
The tourist town of Bournemouth could soon be included in the Formula E calendar, as a group has launched a project to organize a “British Monaco” there.
This is how Tony Williams of Wessex Entrepreneurs presented the project to revive the economy of Dorset County in southern England.
“The ePrix will be what opens the door to the world Dorset needs to be in and be active in,” Williams told the local daily “Bournemouth Echo” recently. The businessman believes that the relaunch of the region will go through Formula E, but also through a public-private partnership for the organizer.
The event would be organized as a week-long festival culminating in two races, in June, between 2023 and 2026.
The project, supported in particular by the pilot Sam Bird, must however compete with several prominent metropolises and cities in emerging markets. And the presence of a stopover already established in London, some 175 kilometers from Bournemouth, will certainly not be an advantage.
To mark the imagination of the bosses of Formula E, Williams and his partners therefore want to play the card of the negligee, on the one hand, and the postcard, on the other. Bournemouth is indeed a seaside resort with a generous sandy beach on the English Channel and bordered by hills.
“I think Bournemouth has every chance of putting on a fantastic show,” Bird said. We have the infrastructure. Bournemouth has everything to make it happen, now it’s about crossing the finish line. ”
“It’s the start and a lot of things have to happen, but it’s very exciting.”
During the 2022 season, Formula E is organizing 16 courses in 12 different cities, namely Dariya, Mexico City, Vancouver, Monaco, Rome, Berlin, Jakarta, New York, London and Seoul. Another race must be held in a city to be determined in China and an additional event must also be announced.
All the races will be broadcast on the TVA Sports channel.