Formula E and Rome E-Prix promoters are forging ahead with plans to race on the streets of the Italian capital early next month, despite the area recently being placed in lockdown conditions.
The EUR area, where the race is held, lies within the Lazio province, which will be a red zone for next week before reviews will take place on a weekly basis.
In addition to the current restrictions, which include the closing of schools, shops and museums, the whole of Italy will be placed under red zone conditions for the entire Easter period. This extends into race week for the third hosting of the Rome E-Prix, planned for April 10.
Organisers are adamant that the restrictions will not affect preparations for hosting the third race of the 2020-21 ABB FIA Formula E world championship on the streets of the predominantly business-centric area in the ninth municipal district of the Italian capital.
A Formula E spokesperson told The Race that “these restrictions do not affect our preparation for the Rome E-Prix”.
“As always the health and safety of our entire community, as well as that of the citizens and residents of the cities in which we race, remains our priority,” the spokesperson added.
Under the colour-coded tiered system of restrictions, in red-zone areas people are not allowed to leave their properties unless in cases of urgent medical need or if they are key workers.
The updated list of red zones for the country includes Lazio (Rome), while some of Italy’s regions classified as medium-risk orange zones – with the exception of Sardinia, which remains in the lowest-risk white zone category. There are currently no regions that fall under the lower-risk yellow-marked category.
The Rome E-Prix is set to be held behind closed doors after initial plans to host some fans and include various partner activations were amended earlier this year.
Special exemptions for some of the Formula E paddock will allow staff to bypass the mandatory 14 days of quarantining, which have been brought into effect for those travelling from certain countries. This includes the United Kingdom, where the majority of personnel will travel to the event from.
Alberto Longo, co-founder and chief championship officer of Formula E, told The Race today that “we wouldn’t go racing if we weren’t confident in the health and safety protocols we are using to protect the Formula E community or the residents and citizens of the cities in which we race”.
The travelling members of the paddock are being described by Formula E as a “full bubble”, although there are no dedicated centralised hotels as there were at last year’s six-race Berlin finale.
“There have been zero infections at our events,” added Longo.
“Everyone has pre-flight PCR tests, so all precautionary measures are taken and when we are operating on the ground we are in the strictest ‘bubble’ scenario, operating our own PCR testing facility that doesn’t take away resource from local services.
“We stay in our hotel rooms or we are within the event perimeter – we do not make contact outside of our population.”
Formula E has also tightened up some protocols after reports of disordered running of areas at the Diriyah E-Prix last month. These include tighter restrictions around the media centre at events, while access to the EUR site will not be allowed for any team personnel until Thursday April 8.
This is set to have ramifications for the DS Techeetah, Dragon Penske and Nissan e.dams teams, who have to install and prepare newly-homologated powertrains in a much reduced timeframe before a planned shakedown session on Friday afternoon.
Formula E said last April that it had signed a five year agreement with the EUR area to host a Rome E-Prix. The 2020 version was cancelled but the 2021 race was confirmed in January to become the first E-Prix since last August’s Berlin races to take place in Europe.
