Goodmayes racer Alex Lynn and title leader Sam Bird preview London E-Prix

Goodmayes born Alex Lynn told the Recorder that standing on the podium at this weekend's London E-Prix "would mean everything".

The ExCeL Centre, in Newham's Royal Docks, is hosting the world electric motorsport championship with races taking place on Saturday and Sunday (July 24 and 25).

The venue features what Formula E is calling a world-first indoor and outdoor circuit layout, which includes the home straight in the centre's south hall.

Lynn, who races for the Mahindra team, said he is impressed by the arena.

"I hope that it's going to put on a great show this weekend.

"I know that all the circuits look ten times better on TV than sometimes in reality.

"If they could pull that off here, I think it's going to be a really unique event."

The London E-Prix returns to the calendar after last being held at Battersea Park in 2016.

The ExCeL was set to host two races last year but they were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and the venue's use as a Nightingale hospital.

Lynn believes it's "super important" that Formula E comes to the capital.

"It's pretty special to be racing in my home country but also my home city and that's really special for me."

He grew up in east London until around the age of eight and he told the Recorder that his love of motor racing began by starting on bikes at the age of five.

His career has taken him through an array of motorsport championships and he won the GP3 title in 2014.

Lynn was also a development driver for Formula One team Williams before entering Formula E in 2017 with DS Virgin Racing.

Following a stint with Jaguar in 2019, he is now with Mahindra and picked up his first podium in Formula E this year in Valencia.

Another top-three finish in London "would mean the world", he admits.

"To be in my home city, my home country, it would mean everything. It would definitely be an extremely special moment, that's what I've been working towards."

With the Met Office issuing a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms across London for both days, the unique indoor-outdoor nature could pose some challenges for the drivers and teams.

Lynn said: "We were in the arena and usually when you're at a race circuit, no matter where it is, you're outside, you can tell what the weather is doing, you can see it coming in, you can see the sun coming out.

"Here we've got no idea what it's doing outside and it's crazy to think but that's part of the challenge of Formula E. We always have to be quite fluid and take it as it comes."

No general admission tickets have been made available for this weekend's races, although there will be some invited guests in attendance.

Championship leader Sam Bird told the Recorder he was "a little disappointed" tickets were not put on general sale citing the crowds that attended Silverstone for the British Grand Prix and Centre Court at Wimbledon.

But he added: "Formula E have done an amazing job just getting us to this point."

The British racer, who visited Salisbury Primary School in Manor Park with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan last year, said he was impressed with the layout at the ExCeL.

He is looking to secure his first Formula E crown and won the last race in New York.

When asked what a successful weekend would be for his title hopes, Bird said: "I think points in both races, let's see.

"I've given myself an amount of points I'd like to score this weekend.

"A maximum being 60 - I'm nowhere near that -  but I think if you can score over 10 points a day, you'd be doing extremely well."

Lynn, who sits 17th in the championship, is looking to finish the season strongly himself.

"Two points-scoring races would be a successful weekend but an amazing weekend for me would be leading the championship which is what is crazy about Formula E at the moment.

"Everyone is still in the fight and that's where we need to focus, on maximising every day."