Brussels Formula E track will be a hit, predicts Tung

Tung drove the circuit and viewed the area around the Belgian venue just after Christmas and believes that the track, which races next to the famous Basilica de Koekelberg, will provide plenty of action.

“It is a very nice area where the track is, and my impression is that it will be wide enough and have enough interesting features to host a very memorable race,” the Chinese driver told Motorsport.com.

“There is a really big roundabout just in front of the Basilica which will form part of the track and it looks like they will also go over a flyover too [the Leopold II tunnel], which should be fun.”

“It looks nice and wide as there are bus lanes there with the regular roads and even a tram system, so it will be interesting to see where the concrete blocks form the track exactly,” continued Tung, who drove the track in a Jaguar F-Type SVR road car.

“What’s nice is that if you go down from the Basilica the gradient is gradual, so it should be a nice sensation for the drivers. Turns 1 and 7 look nice and quick, so I think overtaking will be okay."

The bottle-shaped Brussels street circuit will race around the historic Parc Elisabeth, and Tung believes that the natural undulation will mean good visibility for fans.

“There are shops all around and it is a popular area so it will have a nice ambience,” added the Jaguar driver. “The views should be really good because of the undulation. It is right in the heart of town which keeps with the Formula E philosophy, which is good.”

The venue for the first Brussels race was changed from the original Heysel location due to a clashing cultural festival scheduled for the same weekend.

Final approval for the event, scheduled for Saturday July 1, is subject to approval from both the FIA and local authorities, but Motorsport.com understands that the final sign-off is due in mid-January.