Big interview: Alejandro Agag on his New York City deal

How excited are you about launching the New York ePrix in front of such an incredible view?

“We are in New York City, in Brooklyn, to announce the first New York ePrix. We’ve been working on this for many months – years, I would say – to bring Formula E to one of the capitals of the world. Some people say the capital of the world.

“Today we announce that we made it. We’re going to race in New York, Formula E will race here in Brooklyn, at the cruise ship terminal, and this is one of the biggest days in Formula E, to announce the New York ePrix.”

How spectacular will these television images be when the race is shown around the world next July?

“Formula E wants to have races in places that people can immediately recognize. You’re watching the cars, you see the backdrop, and you say ‘oh, they are in such or such city’. Here, you can see right there is the Statue of Liberty, right behind me downtown Manhattan, so the fans watching this race will immediately say ‘oh, they’re racing in New York’.”

Why do the Formula E races take place in the city?

“In Formula E we want to bring the race to the people, that’s why we bring these races to the center of the cities. We bring it to a place where you can come with public transport and easy to access. For the race here in New York there is going to be a new ferry line. So we make it easier for people to come and enjoy seeing electric cars. This way we think they will be more likely to purchase an electric car later. That’s why we are here in the heart of the city of New York.”

How good a fit is the city of New York with the championship’s goals for sustainable mobility?

“I think New York and Formula E are a great match. Both share the same values. We want to promote electric mobility. We want to clean the city. We want to make the city less polluted. And that can be achieved with electric cars. I think that symbol of having Formula E, the electric race, here in the city will show that.”

How appropriate is it to have a Formula E race where they have the largest number of electric subway stations in the world?

“Millions of people travel up and down the city of New York with electric power on the subway but that’s underground. What we also want is overground, in the streets, so everyone moves around with electricity in the subway and on the streets.”

What would you say to a New Yorker to introduce him to Formula E?

“I would tell them that there is a new kind of event is coming to the city. An event which is not only a race, it’s a lot more, it’s a family day out, a day in the city where the kids can get closer to a new technology, to innovation, to the future of what is going to happen in the cities all around the world. I think it’s an opportunity to see something new, to see something that will really blow your mind because it’s so different to everything you’ve seen before. I would tell the New Yorkers to come to Formula E.”

How good a fit is New York with the other great cities in the FIA Formula E championship?

“Formula E wants to be in the great cities around the world and season three has incredible additions. Hong Kong, Marrakech, Montreal and New York – these are the kind of cities we want to be in. Being in these cities sends a very strong message that the electric car is a solution for mobility in the city and that pollution in cities can be really challenged by electric cars. That’s the message that we want to bring.”

How many big brands, both auto manufacturers and others are joining the championship?

“In Formula E we are seeing some kind of snowball effect. We started slowly and people were asking ‘is this going to succeed or not’, now the momentum is great. Big OEMs are coming. The ones that were in the beginning, Renault, Citroen, Mahindra – joined now by Audi, by Jaguar, but more are coming and also technology companies like ZF, NextEV and start-ups with lots of financing that will be factors in the new world of mobility – of clean mobility and of connective mobility and also of driverless mobility. So all the future mobility is coming into Formula E.”

How thrilled are you that the first ever modern major international motorsport event here in New York is going to be a Formula E race?

“I think we are in front of a historic moment. It’s the first time in modern history that an FIA motorsport event, an FIA race, is going to be happening in one of the five boroughs in New York City. Finally, we have a race in New York.

“I think the potential reach for being in a market like New York is huge. On top of the eight million people that live in the city, the 15 to 20 million in the larger area, this is the capital of the world. So the eyes of the world are going to be looking at this race on television from all over the place, from Japan to China to Europe, so to be in New York it has a huge potential, it’s a huge opportunity for Formula E.”

Are you surprised as to how far the series has come since your inaugural race in Beijing two seasons ago?

“I think we are far beyond our best expectations. The series has had an incredible evolution. When I was in Beijing my dream was to maybe go back to Beijing the year after to continue with it. Instead, we’ve been expanding, we’re here with Manhattan behind me, in Brooklyn, in an amazing venue to race in a market that many people have tried to have a race but very few people have made it.

“So, we are completely beyond our expectations and we still wait for more and more surprises because this is just getting better and better."

What do you love about New York City?

“New York is probably the capital of the world. In a city with this energy, I think making a comparison would be like a battery in the world and this is the biggest one. The energy of New York is going to make the race special.

“From Central Park to Soho to Brooklyn, all people around New York from all the different countries that live in New York can enjoy a very global show like Formula E.

“In Formula E we have drivers from Brazil, France, China, from all over the globe. And there are so many people from those countries who live here in New York. I think we’re bringing them a global show for all New Yorkers to enjoy.”

How much are you looking forward to the opening round of the championship Hong Kong and how intense do you think the competition is going to be?

“In Formula E, we cannot wait for the race in Hong Kong and for Season 3 to start. It’s going to be an incredibly exciting season. We’ve already seen in the tests everyone has done a step forward, the technology has improved all across the board. Every team has done its homework and the championship is going to be very close.

“The quality of drivers is very high, so we’re up for a fantastic fight, for a fantastic championship. Both our first seasons, Seasons 1 and 2, were decided in the last race and we think that Season 3 will not be an exception.

“We think we’ll have even better racing and a better technology fight because at the end of the day, what we want is that this becomes a technology competition that improves the technology that then can be used in electric road cars.”

What are you most excited about? New drivers? New manufacturers. And do you have a prediction as to who is going to excel?

“I’ve been watching the tests and it’s all very close but I have seen something very interesting at Donington. One of the teams is not a manufacturer, there are nine teams that produce their own power train and one team – Teecheetah – a Chinese team that has used one of our rules to purchase the Renault powertrain which is our top favorite.

“If that works out well for them, it will validate one of our main principles which is the manufacturer and client team being equally competitive.

“And that opens a big opportunity for teams that don’t have that much money but want to compete to be in a championship like Formula E.

“The problem is that we have so many manufacturers wanting to be in the championship but I want to keep that angle of competitive customer team and we may get it right on this third season. I’m really looking forward to that.”