Formula E: Moscow ePrix dropped from world championship

It’s a race series that boasts iconic city center locations including Beijing, Paris and London but Formula E will not be racing in Moscow next month.

Organizers of the all-electric race series announced Friday that “unforeseen circumstances” had forced the cancellation of the Moscow ePrix scheduled to take place on Saturday June 4.

“Formula E has taken the decision not to race in the Russian capital due to recent and unforeseen circumstances related to road closures,” Formula E said in a statement on the official website.

Last year’s inaugural race won by Nelson Piquet Jr. saw drivers competing over a 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometer) street circuit that ran alongside Moscow landmarks Red Square and the Kremlin.

Efforts were made to find an alternative venue but proved unsuccessful, Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag said.

“We explored all possibilities including returning to Monaco, but regrettably couldn’t organize the change of venue on such short notice,” Agag said in a statement.

“We will now focus on the three remaining races in Berlin and the doubleheader in London, which I’m sure will deliver a thrilling conclusion in the battle for the championship.”

Abt Schaeffler driver Lucas di Grassi has an 11-point lead over Renault e.Dams rival Sebastien Buemi with now just three races to go.

MORE: Formula E falls in love with Paris

Cancellation of round nine of the 2015-16 world championship comes two weeks after the hugely successful first running of the Paris ePrix which saw a sell-out 20,000 crowd watch drivers race around the streets surrounding Les Invalides in the French capital’s seventh arrondissment.

“The track is amazing, it’s now one of my favorites,” reigning Formula E champion Piquet Jr. told CNN. “The atmosphere, the people, the celebrities, it’s the race to come to. It’s got to easily be in the top-three venues, maybe the best one.”

Fans who lined the streets to watch race were impressed with the new racing series now enjoying its second season.

“I think Formula E is very interesting,” Lisa Barthelemy told CNN. “It’s the first time in Paris. I hope there will be other editions. It’s very future orientated.”

Round eight of the shortened 10-race world championship takes place in Berlin on May 21 with the final two rounds taking place in London’s Battersea Park in the first weekend of July.

MORE: ‘Magical’ Paris shows ‘strength’

MORE: Todt wants more electric cars

A estimated 20,000 fans turned out to watch the inaugural Paris ePrix. Here's what a few of them thought of the historic race.

Lisa Barthelemy —

Based in Paris, she attended with her father Gerard -- who is from Marseille.

"I think Formula E is very interesting. It's the first time in Paris. I hope there will be other editions. It's very future orientated.
It's also very positive for Paris after the events of November (2015). It shows that Paris and France can gather people without any problems. Security and happiness everywhere. Image-speaking it's very important for France and for Paris."

Tibo and Romain —

We found brothers Romain (right) and Tibo enjoying the sights and sounds of the eVillage. They said the "ambiance" for the race was good and were hoping for a win on home soil for Renault e.Dams driver Nico Prost. (Read race report)

Diane Bird —

The mother of DS Virgin Racing driver Sam Bird was in town to support her son, alongside his girlfriend Hollie (left).

"I think Formula E is brilliant. I love the social media interaction with fans. It's opened up the whole new word of electric cars to a whole new audience. It's the racing of the future -- it's so much more fan friendly, it's more interesting than other forms of racing," Diane says.
"What could be better than Paris and London? They are very special. Sam's loving it!"

Moko —

This Formula One fan from Senegal traveled to Paris to experience the thrills of electric racing.

"It's the beginning of Formula E because now everyone is talking about electricity. I believe in the future and I think (Formula E CEO) Alejandro Agag is taking a big step."

Fan from Evian —

"I like motorsport and I study engineering, so Formula E is very cool -- I like its efficiency. I expect the race to have excellent racing and be action-packed."

Loic Hoscheit —

"I'm from Luxembourg, but I've lived in Paris for seven years. I came here to study now I work here for a sports event company," he says.

"I think Formula E is a really interesting concept. They've been developing it for more than a year now and I think they should really push it. It's a great idea. I think they are doing a really good job trying to get the crowds involved -- voting (for drivers) with Fan Boost."

Two Parisian fans —

"We like Formula E because we want to discover more of the universe, the cars, driver technique, and we love Prost! It is a very good thing to do this race in the beautiful city of Paris because it is good to promote electric cars and sustainability."

Olivier Blanc —

"It's a fantastic opportunity to be here inside Paris," says Blanc, who works for car manufacturer Renault as an electrical engineer. "It's a very good thing for our brand, our cars, our technology. I think Fan Boost is a very good thing to involve fans ... the way a racer can win points is fun."

Cian McLeod —

"I went to London last year for the final race of the season and I really enjoyed it," the Dubliner told CNN.
"I've never been to Paris so I thought I would come and see Formula E. I was originally an F1 fan and then heard about the new series and I fell in love with it. The action is very close compared to F1, where it's very spread out. Every since the first race in Beijing I've been getting up at ridiculous hours to watch Formula E. I was in London, Berlin last year, now Paris and I'll go to London again. I'm going to the PSG match as well and I'll do some sightseeing as well."

Richard and Romain —

Father and son Richard (left) and Romain traveled up from the Ardeche region in southern France to watch the Paris ePrix. Romain is a fan of Renault e.Dams driver Nico Prost.

Fans from Dunkirk —

"We were drawn to Formula E by its name and reputation. We think we will see a good race. It is a good championship and although we like all motorsport, we especially like Formula E."

Fan from Marseille —

"I like F1 and that made me interested in Formula E. It is spectacular, and I can't wait to see the speed in person. I also want to see how the batteries work."

Julien and Hervey —

"We like the technique and the speed of Formula E. For the world it's very important for the future."

Anais, Virginie, Maelle & Joelle —

Wrapped up warm on a chilly day in Paris, this quartet in the Renault grandstand were, unsurprisingly, rooting for Nico Prost and Sebastien Buemi. Read more about Paris' new motorsport passion

Paris ePrix: 'It's the racing of the future'

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