Formula E 2019

Preview show just on
Looks like an interesting season
First race on the 15th
Some big name manufacturers
Felipe Massa driving for team venturi

 

With Porsche and Mercedes-Benz giving up WEC P1 and DTM respectively to concentrate
on Formula E, it should be telling us that where the money is flowing in racing currently is
to F-E.

The mere presence of Porsche and Mercedes-Benz at this level is going to raise the stakes
tremendously and the technology will be going off the scale now as well. It definitely deserves
watching now with these two powerhouses moving in.

Read also that Porsche is considering bringing in Brendan Hartley for one of their rides. Why not?
He did stellar work for them in the WEC 919 program.

BHW

 

The cars look great
I'd like to see more tracks rather than all those street courses
But I guess that's one of the selling points

 

From what I understand, they cannot realistically run on any high speed tracks, they cannot do high speed, zaps the battery pack too quickly. And with new car setups, no longer swapping cars halfway during race, managing the decline of the battery is the game. Street courses are tight, slow speed (< 140mph). The series is apparently not very popular, they seem to have a hard time giving tickets away much less selling them.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4284060/formula-e-ticket-sales-montreal-auditor-general/

http://en.nhandan.org.vn/sports/item/6918202-motor-racing-formula-e-faces-moment-of-truth-in-season-five.html

 

Get ready for Formula E to explode this season.

With Porsche and Mercedes-Benz ready to spend millions to move their technologies forward. It is
well known that Mercedes-Benz is in collaboration with Tesla using their battery platform and working
with the F-1 team at Brackley.

Porsche never gets into any racing situation as a factory where they don't have some sort of an advantage.

Formula One could only wish they had this many manufacturers participating currently. Follow the
money, it's now flowing to F-E. It's about to get really interesting.

BHW

 

Yes now it gets interesting and I watch most races on video, even more so this coming season. The biggest and permanent problem is the lack of noise we have come to expect as part of the excitement in motorsport, that is the biggest cause of the lack of spectators.

I have been tempted to go up to Paris to see the race there but at that track unless you have a grandstand seat you can't really see anything so I can't be bothered.

 

Ran across a Formula E feature on NBCS two nights ago which was a preview for
the upcoming season.

There was mention of the sound levels and evidently that is something which is going
to be improved. There wasn't really any detail about this but it is an issue that is being
addressed evidently.

Perhaps it will be something along the lines of what Fisker did with the Karma when the
car is engaged in full electric mode emits what sounds like an electric guitar being strummed
which at first is kind of weird but like everything, you get used to it.

The cars look cool enough with the integrated halo that Formula One will be following
in due course and plenty of competitive teams and drivers. F-E is an evolving thing and
while I've never really made a point of watching it live I will this season.

BHW

 

It was a well polished preview show. Really seemed to focus more on the teams and personalities than the racing, and for new fans that's not necessarily a bad thing. I wish Indycar would do something at that level of polish.

 

Here ya go Rob, in 2 parts

 

Not sure why but I had thought the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche were set to enter
Formula E this season but they're rather coming in next season.

Not sure why the long delay but Porsche trotted out their car at a Porsche event over
the weekend.

BHW
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I'm confused...

Was looking forward to seeing the FE race today but could not find it anywhere
on the channel menu.

What network is carrying it in the U.S.?

Very disappointing.

BHW

 

There is a Formula E channel on YouTube. There's a slight delay (several hours) from the end of the events and when they are posted, though. That's how I watched quali and the race today.

Evidently you can watch the events live using the Fox Sports app. I downloaded it to my phone, but ended up watching on YouTube so I can't say how will the app works.

 

Didn’t miss much. Still way too standardised to be technically appealing and filled with way too mediocre drivers to be of any human/personality interest.

 

So it's a FOX thing?

That explains it. We haven't seen a live IMSA race in the Miami market since I don't know
when due to FOX and their constant nonsense playing around with their race coverage and
the cockamamy deal IMSA has/had with them.

What a pity but I'm not going to jump through anyone's hoops to watch this.

Will check out the YouTube version, thanks.

BHW

 

I watched a few races last season and just watched this season's first race (via replay on FS1). With so many constructors and familiar names currently involved, I am intrigued by the series but so far find the racing a bit lackluster and gimmicky (Fanboost and Attack Mode). And yes, my inner Neanderthal still misses the Internal Combustion sounds. Perhaps it's time to hire the Austin Neeow Guy.

As for the FS1 coverage, I found the 4 commercial breaks a bit much for a 45 minute race.

In other news, Stoffel Vandoorne qualified and finished ahead of his teammate!

 

Further in other news, Felipe Massa made his Formula E debut, and... still sucks! http://f1i.com/news/326356-massa-racks-up-penalties-in-formula-e-debut.html

Massa started 12th, got up to 8th, and then started to rack up penalties, dropping him to 16th. He got a drive through penalty, then two more penalties and a license penalty.

"The 37-year-old, who last raced in Formula 1 with Williams in 2017, admitted that he didn't know why he had been penalised during the race.
"Honestly I do not even know why I took the drive-thru," he said. "I was doing a good race, surpassing so many cars.
“In the end I did everything for good except this penalty, which I do not know why I was given," he complained."​

So Massa doesn't understand the rules, doesn't know when he should be using the boost and attack modes, but thinks he did everything right. Yup, typical Massa, still sucks!

 

Read earlier that FE ran a test that featured women drivers including Pippa Mann, Simone di Silvestro
and Amna Al Qubais (among others) at the Saudi venue. Having a woman in the driving lineup would
certainly raise the series profile

As for the Saudi race itself, caught a highlight package on YouTube. Still not very inspiring to say the
least. If they're going to continue to rely on gimmicks to bring attention to the series, they're going to
alienate traditional racing fans.

BHW

 

Steve Matchett is the 'host', maybe you'd call it, for FE. Can't argue with the assessment of the racing, but more 'names' are getting involved. I'll watch casually just to see how things change over the years.........

 

The rules are too complicared for the driver to handle during the race, and the spectators don't understand the penalties inflicted, IMO.