Formula E season two calendar confirmed: Paris joins, Miami and Monaco dropped

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The World Motor Sport Council has approved the calendar for the second FIA Formula E season following its meeting in Mexico City earlier this week.

As expected, the majority of the races held in the first season have been retained for the second campaign, which will start in Beijing on October 17.

Formula E will once again head to Putrajaya in Malaysia for the second round of the season before rounding out the calendar year in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Buenos Aires will host the first round of 2016, albeit a month later than it did in season one, before a “TBD” round that is slated for March 19. MotorSportsTalk understands that this will be in Mexico City at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

The United States will only host one Formula E round in season two as the Miami round is cut from the schedule. Long Beach has been retained, though, and will welcome the series on April 2.

The championship will then head to Europe on April 23 for a race in Paris, new for season two, before a one month break ahead of the Berlin ePrix on May 21. The Monaco ePrix has been dropped.

Moscow is set to host an ePrix on June 4 before another double-header season finale in London. However, the date is yet to be confirmed, but may need to be shelved until July 10 to avoid clashing with a Formula 1 grand prix.

2015/2016 FIA Formula E Championship calendar

Round Date Country ePrix
1 17 October 2015 China Beijing
2 7 November 2015 Malaysia Putrajaya
3 19 December 2015 Uruguay** Punta del Este**
4 6 February 2016 Argentina** Buenos Aires**
5 19 March 2016 TBD TBD
6 2 April 2016 USA Long Beach
7 23 April 2016 France Paris
8 21 May 2016 Germany Berlin
9 4 June 2016 Russia Moscow
10 & 11 TBD United Kingdom London

 

The WMSC also approved plans for the introduction of an ‘e-licence’ in Formula E, required by all drivers participating in the series.

“In order to qualify for the e-Licence, the following is required:

  • A specific FIA training session on the most important points of electrical safety, technical and sporting aspects of the competition
  • To have accumulated in the previous three years at least 20 points of the FIA points system used to qualify for the F1 Super Licence, or to have previously held an F1 Super Licence, or to have participated in at least three races of the previous FIA Formula E Championship.”

Finally, the Formula E champion will be granted a super licence to race in F1 as part of the FIA’s revised points system to gain one. The series is not included in the points classification, though.

Vicki Golden and 805 Beer tell a unique story from an Inverted Perspective

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Vicki Golden has earned a career worthy of a thousand stories and 805 Beer tells at least one of them, as “Inverted Perspective” premiered March 30 on the company’s website and YouTube channel.

Golden did more to break the glass ceiling in SuperMotocross than she ever thought possible. She knows this because riders have never felt the need to explain any of her accomplishments with the disclaimer, “for a girl”. 

At this point in Golden’s career, she’s been the first woman to finish top 10 in AMA Arenacross Lites, the first woman to qualify in the Fast 40 in Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the first woman to compete in freestyle Moto X competition, earning a bronze medal by doing so.

Her love for moto came from childhood while she watched her dad and brother ride. By seven she was on her bike and making waves throughout Southern California. 

Golden, 30, is still madly in love with the sport and has no plans on moving away but her career is already one to talk about. 805 Beer’s film series wanted to do exactly that.

“I’m taken aback by it all,” Golden told NBC Sports about the documentary. “It’s just crazy to see your story, it’s one thing to live your life and battle everything that comes about but it’s another to just sit there and talk about it.”

805 approached Golden about the feature by asking, “Do you even realize that what you do, and your story is special?”

Golden took the question as a blank canvas to map out the highs and lows of her career and life. 

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The title “Inverted Perspective” came from a brainstorming session with Dominick Russo and it highlights Golden’s outlook on the sport of SuperMotocross and her life in general. 

“My whole life, my whole career was thinking differently and looking at things that shouldn’t be done and aren’t there, while being able to make a place for myself, where no one thought there should be a place,” Golden said.  “It’s inspiring someone to think in different ways. It sums up my life.”

Vicki Golden is not “fast for a girl”; she’s just fast. – 805 Beer

While Golden is no stranger to the spotlight, this was the first time she’s been fully involved with the storytelling and creation of a feature about herself. 

“It’s not like a full new experience,” Golden said. “Obviously, you get your standard questions about your upbringing and accomplishments, but I’ve never really put into perspective things that happened in my past with my dad and putting that to light. Also, certain other things that maybe got overlooked in previous interviews or films. I wanted to touch on these and Dom wanted to create a story. It’s just cool to see it come to light, it’s a nearly impossible thing to tell somebody’s life story in 40 minutes.”

Golden’s father was left paralyzed after an ATV accident, robbing him the opportunity to ride again. This happened a few months before the father-daughter duo was set to compete in the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals when Vicki was 12. While she might have been unable to grasp the severity at the time, it’s something she carries with her. Golden continues to ride in his honor.

Years later, an accident in 2018 nearly sidelined the then 25-year-old Vicki when a freestyle accident almost resulted in the amputation of her lower leg. 

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Golden 805 Beer
Vicki Golden has ridden a variety of disciplines in SuperMotocross, which gives her a unique perspective. – 805 Beer

“Inverted Perspective” highlights her father’s diligence in helping Vicki continue with her career and the kindness and strength he carried while fighting his own battle. 

“My dad was the entire reason that I started riding in the first place,” Golden said. “So, to honor his memory and to honor what we went through and how hard he pushed to keep our dream alive and keep everything going – in that sense then, it was really special to be able to honor him and talk about him.”

The 40-minute feature was filmed entirely in black and white, a stark contrast from the oversaturated world of motocross where the brighter the suit the easier it is for fans to find their rider and follow him in the race. By filming in monochrome Russo and Golden had the chance to focus on the race and track from a different perspective. 

“It was cool to be able to film it differently,” Golden said. “It created a challenge in the sense of what was going to be more visually impactful for the film.

“I couldn’t be here without the companies that back me but at the same time, it’s not like the logos or colors disappeared, it’s just different lights shed on different spots. It’s just a cool way to do it and to take color away and still be impactful. When you think of black and white, you think of old school, the OG way of doing things.”