Formular E-thoughts?

Anyone care to share first had experiences here? Been to a race? I can't get over the fact that the sound is gone. Just gear boxes, tires, electric motors. Then again my ears are not as good as they once where due to loud pedals. Of course it is the future. So embrace it?

 

I caught a bit of the Formula E race today but, as usual, I wasn't able to watch more than about ten minutes of the race. I can't remember the last time I actually watched Formula E for more than ten minutes...too many better things to do.

I bet the races are fun for the drivers but they leave a lot to be desired (poor sound, seemingly low speeds, etc.) from a spectator point of view, IMHO.

I will, however, be watching the Canadian F1 GP live in about an hour from now...but those cars leave me wanting more sound wise as well. Fingers crossed that Formula E is NOT the future.

 

I saw the recap of a race today. At first, I didn't know what I was watching since there was no sound, just a commentator discussing what occurred. My first thought was, "huh, those are odd looking 'open wheel' cars. The front end is kind of neat looking, I wonder what series this is?"

My reaction was based purely on appearance, but after trying to watch a little, I was bored out of my mind.



Mark

 

Yea it's lame, sorry not interested.

 

I don't think about Formula E.

 

http://autoweek.com/article/formula-e/f1-great-sebastian-vettel-says-formula-e-not-future

Seb weighs in to say what 99 % of F1 fans have been saying .

 

Hate to disagree with ol' Seb but seeing as how major manufactures are committing to Formula E
from 2019 onward, it certainly does look like the future.

Mercedes-Benz is pulling out of DTM in order to compete in Formula E and they've been in DTM
since forever. Porsche pulled out of WEC and Le Mans to compete in Formula E. Audi likewise
pulled out of WEC and Le Mans to focus more resources on Formula E. Other major brands such
as Jaguar, Renault, BMW and teams such as Penske, Andretti, Act, Venturi are casting their lots
in with Formula E.

Agreed, the cars are not exactly Formula One and the notion of having to change cars mid-race
is crazy but the technology which drives electric cars in the future is no doubt going to come from
racing and therefore manufactures with vision are committing to this format to be a step ahead
of the competition.

I read sometimes that the entire Porsche line is set to be electric by 2025 (or so) and while I've not
seen anything to substantiate this, the fact that they're foregoing Le Mans for Formula E is telling.

The technology and racing will get better and Seb will know when he's racing over there one day.

BHW

 

I am the only person i know who has actually been to an FEeeew race.I doubt very much i will ever do it again, or even make the effort to watch it on TV.

F1 has its issues of course but is light years in front of FEeeew.

https://www.gpupdate.net/en/autosport-news/362166/fe-expects-to-be-only-series-left-by-2040/

 

Hate to even bring this up but I met a guy at an Art Basel event here in December who works within the
battery and animotronic industries and he mentioned to me that they're looking to do an all-electric racing
series with (get this) no drivers.

Thinking about it, what would the point be really? Taking out the human element, the only PR there is to
be had is for the cars. No thrills, more or less watching a racing version of "Junkyard Wars".

I pointed out to him, Juan Pablo Montoya happened to be standing ten feet away and I told him that he
should go tell him about it and see what his reaction is. Ha!

Seriously, with so many resources that are going to be pouring into Formula E within the next two years,
other racing series are definitely taking note. Just ask DTM. Mercedes-Benz has already pulled out, BMW
and Audi are already in Formula E, they pull out of DTM and it will cease to exist.

BHW

 

They (millennials) may watch it on their I phones but not many will bother to go to races as the experience will be a joke. They may only hold them on street courses in the future as they won't have noise NIMBYS anymore. That way they can count anyone living within a 5 block radius of the race as a spectator!!

 

I will says this now, and I am almost 100% sure of this as being a future fact. If they go do driverless electric racing almost every race track in North America will go out of business unless they get heavy government support to stay open.

 

I pay attention to FE about as much as everyone else here, but 1) I think Roboracer is part of the FE 'day'(no longer a weekend event); if it's not, it's a real series. 2) Jaguar is one the schedule, too, with a 1 make/car series. 3) 2018 is the last year there will be 2 cars used per race. Battery tech is improving.
An Autoweek interview with the founder of FE said he is a 'racing purist', yet this miserable series features 'Fanboost' where a driver(or 2 or ?) gets extra energy via social media voting, maybe prior to the race.

 

They aren't committing to this series because of their product lines. They are committing because a) it's cheap and b) it has "cachet" (e.g., marketing).

On the subject of driverless, e-racing - it already exists. RC and Drone racing - which is about as much fun as watching paint dry. It's amazing how ****ty racing series are with marketing (and I don't just mean awareness, I mean understanding what people want - they simply don't get it).

 

I respectfully disagree with the opinions on motivations for companies like Porsche and Mercedes-Benz to
get involved in Formula E.

Knowing these companies, they're going to raise the bar in the technology end in order to pass what they
learn in racing down to their road cars (as they've always done). The manufacturer that proves its technology
best on the race track will ultimately have a huge advantage when it comes to marketing the technology they're
able to pass down to their road cars.

My new friend who was telling me about animatronics also mentioned that Mercedes-Benz is already heavily
involved with Tesla, so there you go...

BHW

 

I think you might be right by the German companies motivations, but for spectator racing you have to have spectators in attendance. Maybe they will go to cities and offer free or really cheap tickets for walkup spectators. That will do nothing for the race tracks as they don't have many if any walk up spectators.

And I am sure Tesla will get heavily involved with anyone who will give them money. Tesla had already spent the Mercedes check before it had even cleared

 

A strange confluence where FE is where the money is, and it's cheap racing!

 

If history teaches us anything, and after all history is the foundation of this sport, Formula E won't be
on the cheap for very long once Mercedes-Benz and Porsche get involved.

BHW

 

I'll watch it if it's the only racing on the DVR, but I won't go out of my way to find it.

I read the article in Racer.com about the new mayor of Montreal cancelling the FE race. Seems the city was left with $30 million of debt, and attendance figures were suspect. 25,000 tickets sold, but 20,000 given away.

 

While a may buy a Mission E to DD it would be solely for utilitarian commuting. But I seriously doubt I will have any interest in spectating FE. Double my non interest if the cars are driverless.


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

To wit...

https://jalopnik.com/porsche-is-developing-an-all-electric-sports-and-superc-1821997037

BHW

 

I honestly tried, When they came to Brooklyn, I watched on tv .
Then I found out they CHANGE CARS FOR PIT STOPS, It was all over.
Somehow its the future, but to me it makes no sense.
I spoke to my INDY friends and had suggested Ecars at the 500, they all laughed and got mad...but missed the point.
If they came on for twenty laps then pulled off, then 2 years 50 laps then pulled off, you get the picture.
THATS WHAT MADE INDY FUN UP TO THE INDY RACING LEAGUE.
you hadin the 50/60/70/80 and 90's bringing what they brought.
It would then be fun, but if everyone has a HONDA and a v6 only, the ticket sales as of now will plummet.
Just a thought. only 80 years ago , only 80 years ago....Henry Ford thought the Model A WAS AWASTE OF TIME UNDER EDSEL.
Think about it.
GTJOEY dying with gas in my veins.

 

What you are basically saying is that they are in Formula E as it gives them a decent ROI on their $$'s unlike WEC, DTM etc. Therefore it probably is the future.

 

Yes, for now it does. But once major manufacturers get involved in a series, there's a tendency for that ROI to quickly turn negative FWIW.

I don't see it as the future because I don't think the series will take off. If major manufacturers participate in a series that no one watches, what do you think will happen?

 

Formula E will be what it is for the next 20-30 years, until the kids today that are growing up watching it
get into adulthood, and then it will 'take off'.

 

I don't know watching grass grow can only be so much fun to watch. A little goes a long way. They will have to do something to peek interest. I don't think the sport can afford to stay as it is currently for 20+ years. There has to be some profit some how and I can't believe there is much profit in the sport as currently operating? I could be wrong?