On Thursday morning, Formula E unveiled the track design for its inaugural Beijing race, which will occur on September 13th, 2014. The track, which will run counterclockwise, is 3.44 kilometers in length and boasts 20 turns. The track surrounds Beijing’s Olympic Stadium and the Beijing National Aquatic Center, with the city of Beijing in the background. For the drivers, it offers left- and right-hand turns, late braking zones, multiple chicanes, and two main straights. There will also be a unique U-shaped pit lane with stands along the pit lane, giving fans an amazing close-up to pit lane action. The track was designed by Rodrigo Nunes in close co-operation with the FIA, Formula E, the Republic of China Motorsport Federation, the Olympic Park Committee, the Beijing Mayor, the Chinese Government, and event organizer Team China Racing.

For those who are new to the Formula E series, it is a brand new FIA series based out of the United Kingdom. The cars will be fully electric with the intent of being a framework for research and development of the electric car as well as increasing the public’s interest in electric cars and promoting sustainability. All events surrounding race weekend, such as practice, qualifying, and the race, will take place over one day so that the host city will be disturbed as little as possible. During the race, each team must make two required pit stops to change cars. The championship will be considered open, which means that the teams will be allowed to build their own fully electric car and showcase their own electric energy innovations while being within the requirements of the FIA. The series will begin in Beijing and end in London, with stops in many of the world’s biggest cities. To view the full schedule and to get more information on the series, visit http://www.fiaformulae.com/home.