With the announcement this week that Battersea will host the final round of the inaugural Formula E Championship, it seems as though this intriguing Motorsport revolution is picking up speed. London’s Mayor, Boris Johnson, told the Daily Mail newspaper that the proposal was ‘scintillating’ and that it ‘highlights the impressive strides being made in the manufacture of electric vehicles’. For many, Formula E is a mysterious proposal, but there are underlying reservations amongst some followers of the sport that Formula One has developed a potential rival. To summarise, Formula E will feature ten teams of two drivers who will compete in 45 minute races on city-based tracks. The deal is to create the first all-electric racing series, with backing from the FIA.
Sounds promising. But will it deliver? Of course, Formula 1 is the undisputed top echelon of Motorsport, but Formula E looks like it could plug the gaps which F1 has been desperately trying to fill, like drawing a new generation of fans and taking Motorsport to more exciting venues where mainstream publicity is more likely to thrive.
Formula E can solve F1 problems
While F1 does retain its loyal fans, it is facing a persistent struggle to attract sufficient numbers of new supporters in order for its events to be financially sustainable. The youth demographic is thin on the ground to say the least, as our younger generations prefer to follow the mainstream sports that are always in the public eye, for example Football. Formula E, on the other hand, has promised something different.
By using a social media vote, fans will be able to choose who gets an artificial boost prior to the race (up to 90 bhp). Essentially, it’s a mix of DRS and the X Factor. It could well work; younger people are more likely to engage in a sport that has an exciting spectator influence. Just imagine how much added interest the already thriving World Cup would generate if people could vote to determine the teams’ starting line-ups (that’s the last football reference for today, I promise)!
Threat of a ‘one-hit wonder’
However, Formula E is running a tight line. It’s a very brave decision to utilise electric cars that will no doubt produce an even quieter noise than this year’s F1 machinery. And, following the outrage that F1’s new sound originally caused, the aural manifestation of twenty silent cars filtering through a city centre isn’t likely to capture the imagination of those who already begrudge ‘impure sounding’ motor racing.
Moreover, Formula E could just be another A1GP. The ‘World Cup of Motorsport’ (sorry) was conceived in 2003, but soon went into liquidation after just four seasons. A1 GP’s inaugural 2005 season saw financial backing from the likes of Nicki Lauda, Tokyo Sexwale, Luis Figo and Ronaldo, but in subsequent years the big name ‘seat holders’ dropped off. With Richard Branson and Leonardo di Caprio offering similar investment in Formula E, it does raise a few eyebrows as to what the staying power of the series will be like. Therefore, there is the unfortunate fear that it could just be a ‘one-hit wonder’.
A significant step
Still, we all know (or should all know) that electric cars are a significantly important step in terms of the future of transport, whether we like it or not. Formula One is clearly moving forward with its introduction of Hybrid technology, but Formula E gives a good indication of what F1 might be like in the future.
In addition, there’s no doubt that the series will attract initial interest, especially with rounds in locations which Formula One has long sought after, like London. The driver line-up is impressive, too: Nick Heidfeld and Jarno Trulli are already involved, with several other ex-F1 drivers looking to be a part of the new series.
Clash or Co-habit?
Formula One certainly shouldn’t be in crisis mode however. The fact that the FIA has made Formula E as part of its international programme is a good step for the new championship, but it’ll take a lot to disturb F1 from its current perch. True, Formula One is struggling to retain fans, true, the younger fans aren’t flocking in like they used to, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll go straight into Formula E. Most Motorsport fans appear to be taking on the new series with a pinch of salt, almost as a trial run for Formula One when it eventually goes all-electric.
Essentially, the two series complement each other, rather than being rivals. While Formula One retains its prestige and manufacturer interest, Formula E gives an insight into the future, while also persuading those die-hard F1 fans to watch another form of Motorsport. The two can therefore be co-habitual, and even learn from each other, since Formula E utilises cost-capping, a method that has caused disagreement within the F1 paddock.
So, rather than a threat, Formula E can be seen as a prototype. It’s a statement for what F1 might look like in the next generation, and that’s by no means a bad thing.
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