Agag, who was announced on Tuesday as Strategic Advisor to the Chairman of the board of Motorsport Network, parent company of Motorsport.com, founded Formula E in 2011 at the behest of the FIA and scaled it into an FIA World Championship, attracting a swath of manufacturers over the past 15 years.
Branching out into electric off-road racing with Extreme E, Agag has pivoted the series towards hydrogen, which is set to debut in the near future.
The pivot comes against the backdrop of major race series contemplating their future propulsion technology and the role hybrid internal combustion engines might play. From 2026 F1 is moving to a more significant share of electric power and sustainable fuels.
Alejandro Agag, Chairman, Formula E, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President, FIA
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Agag feels the sport at large should stay open minded on how it approaches combustion technology.
“I think motorsport needs to be flexible,” said Agag. “Motorsport is in a good place. Formula 1 is in an amazing place, definitely. Formula E is in an amazing place. But regarding future technologies, we have to keep our mind open as to which technologies will be the winners.
“In my view electric will definitely be a huge part of the future of racing. Sustainable fuels may be a very, very important part of the future. Hydrogen may also play a huge role, especially if we crack the combustion of hydrogen, and we can use it for racing.
“So, the future is great, but we need to keep a very open mind to see what technologies we use and how we combine the different races.”
“We’re going to learn a lot with Extreme H. And that’s what motorsport is about.”
“Extreme H is going to be the first hydrogen championship in the world,” said Agag. “We will announce very soon the first race, but it’s coming very quick. And then we will have the first hydrogen racing in the world.”
Alejandro Agag, Formula E Founder and Chairman
Photo by: Uncredited
The Spaniard acknowledges the series will face a huge learning curve as the first of its kind, but he feels being on the forefront of technological progress is why motorsport exists in the first place.
“It was the next frontier, and motorsport needs to be always breaking new frontiers,” he insisted. “Hydrogen is an amazing technology that will play a role in the mix of technologies for mobility in the future.
“It’s a great test bed; not only for the hydrogen cars, but also for the charging systems, for refuelling, storing, and transporting the hydrogen. We’re going to learn a lot. And that’s what motorsport is about.”
On the new Formula E – FIA deal: “You need to look at electric with a long-term vision”
Agag was centrally involved in agreeing the 10 year extension of the Formula E contract with rights holder the FIA announced last week, taking it to 2048. With the fresh FIA mandate and investment from Liberty Global, the majority shareholder since last year, Agag feels the series is set up for long-term success.
“We have had really good conversations with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem about the future, and I think it’s great that we have an amazing shareholder in Liberty Global that has decided to invest and to extend the contract even more,” Agag said.
“You need to look at electric with a long-term vision, and now we have it. I think that’s exactly the right way to do it.
Alejandro Agag, Chairman, Formula E, on the podium
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
From Politician to motorsports entrepreneur
Agag is unusual among his peer group of motorsports entrepreneurs, having started out in politics. He was elected a Member of the European Parliament at the age of 28. After a few years in the role, he moved into business and specifically media rights. This led him to motorsport where in 2005 he became a shareholder in the Campos team running in the GP2 series (now known as F2). He acquired the team in 2008 and renamed it Addax.
During his tenure the team brought through several drivers who reached F1 including Sergio Perez and Romain Grosjean. It was from this springboard that he moved into electric racing when the FIA called for a promoter for a new electric single seater series.
A regular at F1 races, Agag is an influential figure behind the scenes in international motorsports and among FIA circles.
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