Details for the inaugural Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy have been announced, with 10 races set to take place in nine different cities.
Created as an official support race for the FIA Formula E Championship, the eTrophy will pit a grid of up to 20 identical production-based Jaguar I-Pace EV racers against each other.
The first round will get underway on the 15th December, with competitors taking to a street circuit in the Saudi Arabian city of Ad Diriyah. Further rounds will take in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, before a season finale in New York City.
Races in the I-Pace eTrophy will last for 25 minutes, plus one lap, giving drivers and fans plenty of time for action on track. Taking place before the Formula E main event, the eTrophy is intended to highlight emerging young talent, and show that electric cars are anything but boring.
Each round of the calendar will also see a VIP driver added to the grid. Jaguar hopes to attract famous faces from the world of motorsport, and further afield, to enter the fray.
The eTrophy has the makings of a potentially dramatic race series. With 20 equal cars on narrow street circuits, the competition should be close. Hopefully Jaguar has produced plenty of spare body panels in anticipation. A prize fund exceeding £500,000 ($650,000) for the season should offer additional motivation.
Entrants will receive their specially prepared I-Pace race car later this month, with a special test day at the Silverstone race circuit. After that, the drivers will have several weeks to prepare themselves for the opening round of the championship.
2018-2019 Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy calendar
Round | Venue | Date |
1 | Ad Diriyah, Saudi Arabia | 15 December 2018 |
2 | Mexico City, Mexico | 16 February 2019 |
3 | Hong Kong | 10 March 2019 |
4 | Sanya, China | 23 March 2019 |
5 | Rome, Italy | 13 April 2019 |
6 | Paris, France | 27 April 2019 |
7 | Monaco | 11 May 2019 |
8 | Berlin, Germany | 25 May 2019 |
9 | New York City, USA | 13 July 2019 |
10 | New York City, USA | 14 July 2019 |