ExCeL London Circuit
ExCeL London Circuit at a glance
- Location
- London
- Type
- street circuit
- Length
- 2.09 km (1.3 mi)
- Surface
- mixed: smooth indoor exhibition-hall flooring and abrasive outdoor asphalt
- Opened
- 2021
Track map and layout
The ExCeL circuit is Formula E's only indoor/outdoor track, threading a temporary lap through the ExCeL exhibition centre's halls and around the Royal Victoria Dock outside. Cars start on smooth, grippy indoor flooring, cross a slippery metal transition strip, then drop down a ramp into the outdoor section on highly abrasive dock-side asphalt before climbing back up and returning through the halls to finish. Since its 2021 debut the lap has been shortened twice: 2022 removed a pair of tight switchback hairpins for a bus-stop chicane, and 2023 removed a further section to create a longer straight for the heavier, faster Gen3 cars, taking the lap from 2.252km (1.399mi) at launch down to today's 2.09km (1.30mi).
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 original layout | 2.25 km | 23-turn indoor/outdoor debut layout |
| 2022 revised layout | 2.14 km | Hairpins at turns 10-11 replaced with a bus-stop chicane |
| 2023-2026 layout | 2.09 km | Current layout, shortened again for Gen3 cars |
Events and race weekends
The London E-Prix is an annual, usually two-day, round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, typically held in July or August and often placed near the end of the season, which has made it a title-deciding weekend more than once. The August 2026 event was one such finale: Pascal Wehrlein clinched his second Formula E drivers' title there, while Taylor Barnard took his first career win and became the series' youngest-ever race winner. It remains a live, active fixture on the Formula E calendar rather than a one-off or lapsed event.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| London E-Prix | ABB FIA Formula E World Championship | July/August | Two-day double-header, usually a closing round of the season; 2026 (15-16 Aug) is the last at ExCeL, with the London E-Prix moving to Brands Hatch in 2027 |
Getting there and parking
ExCeL London is one of the best-connected venues in British motorsport: it sits between Canary Wharf and London City Airport in the Royal Docks, served directly by Custom House and Prince Regent DLR stations plus the Elizabeth line at Custom House, with the ExCeL's own Royal Victoria Dock frontage a short walk from several stations.
- London City Airport (LCY) · about 5 min drive
Parking
ExCeL has multi-storey and surface parking on site, but organisers generally recommend public transport for E-Prix weekends given central London traffic and road closures around the circuit.
Book DLR or Elizabeth line travel rather than driving on race weekend; the venue is designed around rail access and on-site parking is limited relative to crowd size.
Hotels and camping near ExCeL London Circuit
Canary Wharf and the wider Docklands, both a short DLR ride from ExCeL, have the nearest substantial hotel clusters and suit a race-weekend stay well; central London offers a much larger range of accommodation a bit further out via the Elizabeth line or DLR/Jubilee line connections. Race weekends can push up local hotel rates, so early booking is worthwhile for a sell-out event.
Where to look
Canary Wharf and Docklands for proximity; central London more broadly for wider choice.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
The ExCeL circuit is built as a temporary track for E-Prix weekend only and dismantled afterwards, so there is no public track-day, HPDE or ride-day access to it outside race weekend.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula E race lap (Gen3, current layout) | 1:08.289 | Taylor Barnard | McLaren Formula E car | 2025 |
Spectator guide
The London E-Prix draws sell-out crowds across its two race days, with grandstands built into and around the ExCeL halls, dedicated fan sections for individual teams, and a festival-style weekend that pairs the racing with live music.
Seating
Multiple grandstands are erected inside and outside the exhibition halls for race weekend, including team-branded fan sections such as the Nissan Fan Seat in Grandstand 4.
Weather
- Jul-Aug: Typical London summer conditions, highs around 21-24°C, with the indoor sections offering shelter from any rain
History of ExCeL London Circuit
From Battersea to lockdown limbo
After the London E-Prix left Battersea Park following the 2016 season amid local opposition, Formula E spent several years searching for a new London venue before settling on the ExCeL exhibition centre in the Royal Docks. A race here was originally pencilled in for July 2020, but those plans were shelved when ExCeL itself was converted into an NHS Nightingale hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A genuinely new kind of circuit
The ExCeL E-Prix finally debuted in July 2021 with a lightly modified version of the original proposal: a 2.252km, 23-turn lap that became motorsport's first true indoor/outdoor circuit, sending cars from the exhibition halls' smooth, grippy flooring out onto abrasive dockside asphalt and back again via ramps. It was an immediate curiosity in the paddock for how differently the cars behaved on the two surfaces within a single lap.
Trimming the lap for Gen3
The circuit has been revised twice since. In 2022, organisers removed a pair of tight switchback hairpins that had proved unpopular and error-prone, replacing them with a bus-stop chicane and shortening the lap to 2.141km. For 2023, with the heavier and faster Gen3 cars arriving, a further section was removed to create a longer straight, bringing the lap to its current 2.09km (1.30mi).
A settled, title-deciding fixture
Since 2021 the London E-Prix has run every season at ExCeL, usually as a two-day double-header late in the calendar, and has repeatedly played a role in deciding the championship. The August 2026 event was a prime example: Pascal Wehrlein secured his second Formula E drivers' title over the weekend, while young British driver Taylor Barnard took his first career Formula E victory in race two, becoming the series' youngest-ever race winner at 22. Unlike Battersea Park before it, ExCeL shows no sign of losing its place on the Formula E calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Is the ExCeL London circuit still used for racing?+
Yes. It has hosted the Formula E London E-Prix every season from 2021 to 2026 and remains an active round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
How long is the ExCeL London circuit?+
The current layout, used since 2023, is 2.09km (1.30 miles); it was 2.252km at its 2021 debut and 2.141km in 2022 before later revisions.
What makes the ExCeL circuit different from other Formula E tracks?+
It is Formula E's only indoor/outdoor circuit, running partly through the ExCeL exhibition centre's halls on smooth flooring and partly outside on abrasive dockside asphalt around Royal Victoria Dock.
Is the ExCeL circuit the same as the old Battersea Park circuit?+
No. Battersea Park hosted the London E-Prix in 2015-2016 on a temporary park street circuit; after several years away, the race moved to the purpose-adapted ExCeL circuit from 2021, and the two venues share no infrastructure.
What is the nearest airport to the ExCeL London circuit?+
London City Airport (LCY), only a few minutes away by road, is the closest; the venue is also directly served by the DLR and the Elizabeth line.
Can the public drive on the ExCeL E-Prix circuit?+
No. It is built as a temporary circuit for E-Prix weekend only and dismantled afterwards, so there is no public track-day access.
Other tracks nearby
- Battersea Park Street Circuit · 13 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Brands Hatch · 23 km · road course
- Brooklands · 38 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Bedford Autodrome · 88 km · road course
- Goodwood Motor Circuit · 91 km · road course
- Silverstone Circuit · 95 km · road course
Facts checked against 5 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.