Why London Formula E is so important
The return of racing to London is a reason for celebration, and it could do a lot of good for motorsport. Just don't call the Formula E finale a street race, says GARY WATKINS
This is a great weekend for British motorsport. Or at least it is if you are a Londoner, born and bred, like me. Motor racing - and I must stress the word racing - returns to my city after an absence of nearly 43 years with two Formula E races this weekend.
The London ePrix in Battersea Park is the first motor racing in the capital since the Crystal Palace circuit closed its doors back in 1972.
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Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 33rd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 80 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.
Gary, who also writes for Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton close to the former workshops of the Cooper Formula 1 team but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.
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