Formula E boss Jeff Dodds tries to make Formula 1 more competitive, putting 250k dollars on the line if someone can beat Max Verstappen.
During an interview with TNT, the number one of the electric championship speaks about the predictability of the Formula 1 2024 season. Dodds says, “99% Max [Verstappen] has got this in the bag“. Formula E’s boss declares he will give a quarter of a million dollars to charity in case another driver wins the championship:
“I’ll tell you what, if he doesn’t win it [the championship]. If any one of the other nineteen drivers wins it, We’ll give a quarter of a million dollars to the charity of choice of the other drivers that wins it. As a fan of Formula E, I know I’ll arrive in Sao Paulo not knowing who is gonna win the race As a Formula 1 fan, I absolutely already know who is gonna win“.
“99% Max has got this in the bag”💥 @FIAFormulaE CEO Jeff Dodds puts $250k on the line – will it make Formula 1 more competitive? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/dwFpeBGFzz
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) February 21, 2024
Dodds criticizes the lack of competitiveness of the Formula 1 championship, slightly different from the latest years of Formula E. In 2023, Red Bull won twenty-two of the twenty-three Grand Prix, with Verstappen being crowned World Champion for the third time. In Formula E, the championship battle ended in London, during the last race weekend. The title went to Jake Dennis from Andretti, but only after a tough battle against Nick Cassidy, Mitch Evans, and Pascal Wehrlein.
Formula E competitiveness
Formula E’s main characteristic is to be extremely competitive, with different drivers fighting for the title every season. During the last nine years, Formula E crowned champion eight different drivers. Jean-Eric Vergne is the only driver to have won the title twice and for two consecutive years. Jeff Dodds knows the potential of his category, compared to Formula 1 where the Dutch driver is winning constantly.
For the 2024 season, the leadership of the championship passed from Pascal Wehrlein to Nick Cassidy in the first three rounds. The next race will be in São Paulo on the 15th of March and there are no expectations for the winner. This trend will probably characterize Formula E for the rest of Season 10, with the championship being decided in the last rounds.
The bet proposed by Jeff Dodds is ironic but is also a marketing choice from the Formula E CEO. The statement brings attention and curiosity to the electric championship, with Dodds almost challenging Formula 1. Think about a different Formula 1 winner from Max Verstappen is hard, and there is a real possibility for Dodds to keep those 250k dollars. However, in Motorsport, everything can happen.
