Formula E track test with IRL inaugural race on Nov 19-20

Hyderabad : The Formula E racetrack being laid out at Necklace Road is all set to be tested on November 19 and 20 as the city kicks off the first race of the inaugural edition of India’s street circuit races, ‘Indian Racing League’ (IRL). The IRL race will be a trial run for the track ahead of the inaugural Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile’s (FIA) Formula E race in February 2023.

The IRL has four rounds, with the first (Nov 19 & 20) and fourth (Dec 10 & 11) being held on Necklace Road track as part of the Hyderabad Street Circuit. The second and third rounds of IRL will be hosted at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai.

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has been working on Necklace Road stretch for the past couple of months, dismantling dividers and laying a fresh black top to ensure that the track meets the specifications laid down by FIA and Formula Electric. The FIA has finalised a 2. 3 km track around Hussainsagar —the circuit covering around the Secretariat Complex andgoing through Lumbini Park as a loop

“The Formula E races are unique in that these cars are capable of touching speeds of 300kmph on street circuits — specially black-topped roads —unlike the Formula 1 cars which need special tracks,” the HMDA said in a press release. The track will be testedfor the safety of drivers and spectators as cars will cornering at breath-taking speeds during the Formula E race in February next year. Special safety equipment such as Techpro barriers, debris fences and other related track infrastructure are being built around the track to address safety requirements.