The history of motorsports->ke447 in the Olympics is not a rich one. Car racing was featured as a demonstration event (and therefore not officially counted as part of the games) in 1894, and motor boats raced in three events at the 1908 games, but that's the entire list. Racing cars is an intensely physical activity, and F1->ke190 drivers need to be in peak physical shape, but the link between being fit and winning races is too indirect for most people to consider racing a genuinely athletic endeavor (which it most certainly is). That could all change in 2020 though, as rumor has it that motorsports are being considered for the games, that will take place in Tokyo.

The specific motorsport being considered is Formula E,->ke4660 essentially a version of Formula 1 that uses electric cars.->ke1030 Formula E has struggled to find viewers, and this is presumably part of the organizers' push to find new ways of attracting audiences. We have no idea of just how feasible this idea is, and it does seem that if motorsports was going to be included in the Olympics, it would have happened already. But Formula E is a slightly different kind of thing, and it's possible that it's different enough.

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Why it matters

The push to include Formula E is reportedly coming directly from the president of the FIA, Jean Todt. That should mean that there is a better chance of it getting in, but there's no real way to tell at this stage. A lot of fans of motorsport will surely be wishing that it was some other sort of racing that was finally making it in, perhaps one that actually sounds like racing instead of a giant slot-car track, but it is always possible that this will only be the first step. In any case, Tokyo seems like an appropriate place to start, so we'll be keep a close eye on the whole thing.

2014 Spark-Renault SRT_01E Formula E Race Car

Read our full review here.