Lopez, Buemi ‘uncomfortable’ missing FE races

Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag and WEC chief Gerard Neveu met with FIA president Jean Todt and F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn over the Monaco Grand Prix weekend to discuss better cohesion between the calendars in the future.

It comes after the WEC surprised Formula E by scheduling its 2017 Nurburgring round against a Formula E double-header in New York, despite a pre-existing gentleman's agreement between the categories.

That clash means Renault e.dams' FE champion Buemi and DS Virgin Racing driver Lopez will miss the series' first trip to New York - having already had to skip the official WEC pre-season test at Monza to fly overnight from Toyota's LMP1 programme launch to contest the FE Mexico City round.

Formula E announced its 2017/18 season calendar on Monday, while only the Le Mans 24 Hours has been announced as part of the 2018 WEC schedule.

Three-time World Touring Car champion Lopez is midway through his rookie Formula E campaign with DS Virgin, and made his LMP1 debut with Toyota in the Silverstone WEC opener.

Lopez said his hope was to continue racing in both championships next season but said it "will all depend on the series".

"I'm already feeling really uncomfortable with the situation of missing New York," he told Autosport.

"When you're committed to a team you want to be there racing with them and when they have to change a driver, experience counts.

"And on the other side as well - the main programme is Toyota and I feel uncomfortable sometimes asking if I can race other things.

"If everything comes together I'm really happy with what I'm doing and if I can do it for many years it would be fantastic."

Buemi announced prior to the Berlin round he had re-signed with Renault e.dams with two more seasons and said establishing a clear stance on calendar clashes was key.

"I agree it makes you feel uncomfortable," Buemi told Autosport.

"When you arrive in Mexico last-minute like I did you feel you're not doing a good job for your team in WEC or for your team in Formula E. You're doing both badly.

"I think it's very important for a very clear message coming from the FIA that there are going to be clashes or there are not going to be clashes.

"If they agree there is not then there should not be any.

"If they say, 'You will have more and more clashes, it's up to you', then you approach it in a different way."

Agag told Autosport the meeting in Monaco "went very well" but revealed "there is still one race we're trying to avoid a clash" over in 2018.

"We hope to sort it out," Agag said.

"In any case, a very good initiative from the FIA to promote that meeting because it's the first time that has happened."