Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz attended the first ABB FIA Formula E World Championship races in the borough and presented the winner’s trophy to a British driver.
The Mayor gave her backing to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship for bringing the net-zero carbon sport to London and working with Newham Council to promote electric cars and reduce air pollution.
The first two races in Newham’s Formula E era took place last weekend at the ExCeL London, with the 2021 Heineken® London E-Prix on 24-25 July.
The second race, on 25 July 2021, was won by British driver Alex Lynn, who was born in Ilford and grew up Essex, and was the first victory of his four-year career.
Elated winner Alex, of Mahindra Racing, said: “It’s really difficult to put into words after four years on and off in Formula E, always dreaming of one day maybe coming close to winning a race. It’s been a difficult one for me, so to win is super-special.
“It really is a dream come true. I’ve never felt anything like that. On Saturday, I led my first-ever laps in the championship and on Sunday, managed to win, which is crazy.”
Newham Council is committed to tackling the climate emergency and improving air quality and so it is great news that the prestigious ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has agreed to stage the London E-Prix in our borough over a number of years.
The advent of the Championship in Newham is also set to create jobs, especially in the recovering hospitality sector in which so many people lost their jobs during the pandemic.
Moreover, it will promote Electric Vehicle (EV) technology and innovation and is set to increase the uptake of electric cars in the borough and inspire young people to go into sport, innovation and sustainability.
Two years ago, Newham Council declared a Climate Emergency and, following 18 months of strategic planning, published a Climate Emergency Action plan in July 2020 to pave the way for the council to become carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon zero by 2050.
Newham’s Citizens’ Assembly recently identified “greening the borough” as its top priority.
One in seven of Newham’s population is exposed to levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) that is above the UK limit value for human health.
On average, Newham residents are also exposed to a level of airborne particulate matter that is 35 per cent greater than the World Health Organisation guidelines.
Poor air quality in the borough kills 96 residents every year. For more information on this, visit https://www.newham.gov.uk/public-health-safety/air-quality-newham
Newham Council will work with the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship to help raise awareness of and target air pollution in the borough and showcase the benefits of driving electric and how clean mobility can counteract climate change.
The Championship was the first sport to achieve third-party ISO 20121 certification for Sustainable Events and the first to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint from inception, showcasing their leadership for sustainability in sports.
Their sustainability programme is based upon delivering sustainable events, making a meaningful positive impact in their host cities and raising awareness of the benefits of electric vehicles.
ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Cities Development Director Oli McCrudden said:
“The thrilling Heineken® London E-Prix saw electric street racing return to London for the first time in five years and was enjoyed by fans all over the world. The event staged in the heart Newham at ExCeL London was a great success and we look forward to working with Newham Council over the coming years to promote electric cars and make a positive impact on the borough.
“I would like to thank Newham Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz for her support and for presenting the trophy to the winning driver on Sunday.”
The ABB FIA Formula E World Champion is a single-seater championship for electric cars.
The series was conceived in 2011 and, since the 2020-21 season, Formula E became the first single-seater racing series outside of Formula One to be given world championship status.
Hosting the London E-Prix was a major undertaking for ExCeL London, for example requiring the floor surface to be transformed to make it compatible with racing tyres.