SAMARKAND: The FIA, motorsport’s world governing body, celebrated its 120th anniversary at its 2024 conference, chaired by President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

More than 300 delegates from 167 member clubs representing 121 countries attended the event, hosted in the stunning Silk Road Complex in the heart of Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Major announcements included the launch of a three-year Helmet Wearing program, designed to improve driver safety, a Women in Motorsport Mentorship Programme, launched in conjunction with 24 Hours of Le Mans, and all-new Cross Car designs.

The federation also set out plans to incorporate social impact into its sustainability roadmap.

Other key agenda items included a 120th anniversary session, led by the mobility department and featuring all four of the FIA’s regional presidents.

The sessions were complemented by a strong social program which included a Welcome Cocktail event at the Eternal City in the Silk Road complex, a gala dinner at the Mo’jiza restaurant, and an extraordinary light show at Registan Square.

The week concluded with an Extraordinary General Assemblies meeting in the Congress Center Ballroom, when members passed key amendments and updates including the FIA’s 2024 annual activity and financial report.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: “I want to extend my heartfelt thanks once again to the National Autosport and Karting Federation of Uzbekistan and the City of Samarkand for being such generous hosts and we are indebted to the support of the Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Department of Social Development, the Ministry Of Sport, and the national Olympic and Paralympic Committees.

“We have celebrated an incredible milestone for the FIA as we reach 120 years, and whilst we have remembered the Federation’s illustrious past, we have also looked at what the future will bring.

“We have introduced robust governance, transparency, and clarity. It is my duty to ensure that our members and the global community are served with excellence. Our members are at the heart of everything we do, from the small group of enthusiasts who founded the Federation in 1904 to the 242 clubs who are now connected through the FIA.”

The next General Assemblies meeting and FIA Prize Giving, will be hosted in Kigali, Rwanda, in December.

RIYADH: The provisional calendar for Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, unveiled on Tuesday, confirms a return to Diriyah early next year and reveals the event’s longest season, with the largest number of races and locations to date.
It once again includes a race double-header in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 14-15. This will be the seventh time the Kingdom has been part of the Formula E championship and the races will take place on a new track in Diriyah, the precise details of which will be announced later.
The 11th season of the pioneering all-electric racing event will for the first time consist of 17 races at 11 locations. In addition to the new track in Diriyah, the provisional calendar, subject to validation by the FIA World Motorsport Council, reveals a new race location in Miami; a double-header of races in Monaco, marking a first for the principality in any motorsport championship; a double-header in Tokyo; and the return of Jakarta to the calendar.
“For Season 11 we’re taking electric racing to the next level and doing things that have never been done before in motorsport,” said Jeff Dodds, the CEO of Formula E.
“Our world-leading GEN3 EVO will debut in front of hundreds of millions of fans around the globe, while adding two brand new locations and combinations of double-headers to grow our sport further.
“The new and improved calendar offers a perfect blend of circuits for drivers to push their upgraded cars to the limit, while staying true to our street-racing DNA and the on-track action it produces.”
The Season 11 campaign will begin in Sao Paulo on Dec. 7, following preseason testing from Nov. 4-7 in Valencia, as the all-new GEN3 EVO race car — capable of going from 0-60 mph in just 1.82 seconds, 36 percent faster than the current GEN3 vehicles — is put through its paces and tested in public for the first time.
The new circuit in Diriyah will host the first double-header of the season, and on April 12 the championship returns to Miami for the first time since the first season, at the Homestead-Miami Speedway venue, which has hosted NASCAR and IndyCar races for decades.
Monaco will will host back-to-back races on the full Circuit de Monaco for the first time, and following the inaugural Tokyo E-Prix in March this year, for which public roads in the world’s most populous city were closed for an automotive event for the first time, it will host a double header of races on May 17 and 18.
Jakarta returns to the calendar after a one-year hiatus, and the season will conclude with a double-header finale at ExCeL London. One location is yet to be confirmed, as final discussions with a new venue continue ahead of final confirmation of the calendar following the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council Meeting.
“We’re thrilled to offer a calendar with some fresh new highlights while building on our legacy locations,” said Alberto Longo, co-founder and chief championship officer of Formula E.
“Returning to Miami gives us a home in one of the US’s most iconic and sports-mad cities, while securing a double-header in Monaco is a dream come true. We can’t wait to build on the success of Tokyo and deliver a double-header, while returning to Jakarta and entertaining our huge Indonesian fanbase, too.
“With 17 races across the season and our most advanced race car debuting on-track, we’re offering our fans cutting-edge sport we could only have hoped for when founding the championship just over 10 years ago.”
Marek Nawarecki, director of the FIA Circuit Sport Department, said: “The 2024-25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship calendar features a range of circuits that will truly showcase the qualities of the brand new GEN3 EVO car, set to be introduced next season.
“I’m glad that Formula E capitalizes on the success of the Tokyo and Shanghai races while also returning to some of its iconic venues and retaining a good amount of street circuits, which is in its core DNA. I’m also hopeful that this new season will again play host to some fascinating action on track.”