The City of Sarajevo received the support from the Formula E top team and the best driver in the world in its candidature for the host of Formula E race in 2020.
Mayor of Sarajevo Abdulah Skaka, Jean Eric Vergne, driver of Techeetah team, Edmund Chu, team manager and Samir Cerić, manager of Sarajevo Sports International spoke at the Press Conference held in the entrance hall of the Alta Shopping Centre. Techeetah DS E-Tense FE 19 racing car which was brought from Paris for this occasion was presented to the audience.
The hosting of this race would be much more than a sport spectacle for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It would promote economic and touristic potentials of Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, attract new investors, and improve economic development of the whole region.
Mayor Skaka stressed that the candidature and hosting of Formula E race, as well as the preparations for the race present a great challenge, adding that that challenge will place Sarajevo next to Paris, Berlin, Hong Kong, Zurich and New York.
“For us, work on this project is an investment that would bring multiple benefits to the citizens. Formula E would promote the BiH capital, and have a great economic, sports and symbolic significance. The City of Sarajevo deserves this kind of spectacle. We have been taking concrete steps for several months with our partners to make the hosting of this race possible. The promotion of Formula E racing car and visit of our friends proves that we are going in the right direction “ said Mayor Skaka emphasizing that the local companies have shown good will and desire to participate in this project.
„From everything that I have heard and seen, Sarajevo has a potential for great business projects and we are very interested in investing into sports and technological sector. If we take into consideration how Formula E championship transformed metropolises such as New York, Hong Kong, Paris and other cities, it becomes clear what this unique platform would mean for putting Sarajevo on the global map„ said Edmund Chu, President of Techeetah team.
Jean-Eric Vergne, present Formula E champion, expressed his delight with the capital city of our country, noting that he believes that the streets of Sarajevo and the racing car would be a great match and that he would be very pleased if the streets of our capital city became one of his challenges.
Samir Cerić, CEO of Sarajevo Sports International, presented this idea and vision for Sarajevo with great confidence, in view of his present business successes and contacts, and the potential of our country and our young people. The fact that the representatives of this world competition, including the present Formula E world champion, have arrived in Sarajevo on his invitation, instil confidence in the successful implementation of this idea.