I watched bits of a few races last year.....BOOOOORING! Undoubtedly the manufacturers will keep it going as it’s ideal r&d territory for electric stuff and more than likely feeds into whatever kers systems is in F1. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are financial benefits from the fia andcsrious governments. Once people realise that electric isn’t as green as they think; just google images of cobalt mines in Africa, we might see a change and s push for hydrogen; kind of like wind and tidal renewables at the moment!
It wasn't until long ago that Ferrari was the only manufacturer in F1. After Renault left in the 80s (and no, Mclaren was a racing team first and even back then they only made 100 or so of their Mclaren F1's...hardly an established manufacturer!). Did they win everything? Far from it. Back then F1 was about racers for racers. Teams didn't have a 2nd agenda. How often do we hear the big boys complain and screech they'll be leaving the sport if they don't get their way? Call their bluff. The big boys (namely Mercedes and Renault) wanted the extraordinary expensive engines. Masked it as a ''way to reduce cost''. Cost went up massively. They knew they'd be the only ones with the budget to really compete. The rest of the field was just only ever going to be grid fillers....The only one they'd really need to worry about is Red Bull. F1 continues to sell themselves and somehow believe that with a hugely expensive package and write ''green'' on it, they'll convince other manufacturers to join....**** they're intelligent enough to see that it's like going to the casino and bet the house on.....double zero. And even then the payoff isn't there. Let formula E have the manufacturers. F1 needs to bring back the entertainment. Rapido. And if that requires some sacrifice in the name of teams, well, so be it. I doubt Red Bull would leave. The sport is a drop in the ocean for them. They'll also be displeased, by the way...as with the logical rules I'm dreaming up, aero will be reduced significantly, so Adrian Newey won't work that hard anymore. Will he leave? Maybe. A pity if he does. sure. But a great loss? I don't think so. It should be about having the best driver. That's the reason I think Red Bull will stay. A drive is what they can sell on their cans. Newey's bald head not so much.
FE has found a way to increase viewers significantly year after year. This is all that matters. Will they sustain this? I don't know. I watched my first FE race this season. I liked it, some good passing and competition. Plus it cures the racing fix until F1 returns. FE is designed to be something new, a different viewership experience for fans. Heck if i'm not mistaken i think you can text vote to give your favorite driver extra kilowatts during the race! Yeah i like F1 better, i'm old school, i like noise, but i would'nt be surprised if F1 is taking note and getting new ideas on fan interaction.
You guys not watching are missing out....right now. Stoffel Vandoorne is currently leading the Fanboost!! And just think if he can make good use of Attack Mode. I watch. The racing seems silly. I feel silly. But primarily I'm just curious if the product will improve with so many manufacturers jumping in. Last race via replay (with fast forward thru commercials) took approx 30 minutes to watch....this does not include listening to Toto Wolff's wife give her valuable insights. By the way, I think the proper Monday-Morning-hipster-vegan-post-Tesla-parking-Latte-sipping-pre-yoga-banter is: "So, did you catch the E-Prix ?" Image Unavailable, Please Login
I’ll only watch if I’m allowed to attach a powerful electric battery to Stoffels nose and watch him light up..... jeez..... fan boost, attack mode that lasts a few seconds.... battery driven boredom on wheels
I somewhat miss the Gen1 Formula E, with the mid-race car-swap-pit. Nearly as cool as an old LeMans running start...well, not really. But it did make me laugh. Just missing circus music. If Formula E is "the future" how long before IndyCar follows suit?
nailed it. Marrakesh is this weekend. I will likely become bored at some point and spend the 30 minutes to observe "the future of racing" in all its glory
Rather you than me mate, I’ve got some paint to watch dry, and then if there’s time left I’ll watch some damp wood warping
Well, NASCAR must have been the last series to run with carburators, rigid rear axles and drum brakes, no? NASCAR is the antithesis of technical advancement and progress.
There were some interesting / positive takeaways I wouldn't mind seeing a flavor of to spice up F1... • I liked the various camera views available from the cars...felt really immersive and gave an exciting perspective of the kind of speed the cars are achieving and how close they were getting to each other • Nice mix of manufacturers in there: Audi, BMW, Jag, Nissan • Cars are going all-out for the ENTIRE race...no saving tires bs • I also thought the duration of the race was nice, 1hr of all-out racing felt better than the atypical long-a$$ F1 races of watching fuel saving, tire saving, parade lapping The fan boost and attack mode stuff I think are creative, struck me as gimmicky but adds another layer of engagement for the right audience I guess...basically gamification of races which I totally believe the younger crowds would appreciate. I'd argue whether e-racing was "more boring" than f1 races...excluding last season, most of the f1 races were nothing more than over-glorified parade laps while this one e-race I watched, I saw the top 5 constantly shuffling up and down the order throughout the race.
Got you covered. We'll toss the neighbors Adirondack chairs in the water then apply a coat of red. I haven't gotten around to watching today's race. Not that high on my priority list. Might cue it up whilst generating some long ashes later this evening. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hard to go wrong. Forgive my slightly uneven burn. I blame the sea breeze and Formula E excitement. So I watched. Took me slightly longer than 30 minutes because I did not fast forward through the NASCAR commercial with F-16 flyovers. BMW was running one-two with 10 minutes remaining until they nearly took each other out, but instead only lost one car. The race nearly finished under yellow, but they managed to clear the track in time for one exhilarating lap of racing. I'm still quite excited about the whole viewing experience....okay seriously, so the batteries can only support a 45 minute race, but a yellow might occupy 25% of that?? Hmmm, I don't think the oh-so fascinating FanBoosts and Attack Modes can overcome that fundamental flaw. Can someone please FanBoost my lighter? It's running a bit low. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I tried to watch with an open mind. It is like watching slot car racing. It sounds good in theory, but I just couldn’t hang with it.
The batteries are not environmentally friendly, as others have said. It's like watching Scalextric but without the exciting bits. The overtakes seem pedestrian, compared to Moto Gp and and even F1. A few hours at Pascha in Marrakech is much better for the senses
Yep, times are changing. The ICE is Under threat in motor racing like it is in the Streets. In 50 years time, everybody will have forgotten about noisy and smelly race cars.
Sad. Part of why I'm watching for now...morbid curiosity. Race on Sunday to sell on Monday. The EV push has taken hold and so many manufacturers going all-in on a substandard product...to what end? De facto collusion to ultimately pull the plug on more expensive racing series? Maybe the ADHD generation can only tolerate a few Formula E events sprinkled throughout one-day to include a 45 minute race. Or maybe the technology will continue to advance and Formula E will become the most exciting racing series ever (not holding me breath). Things evolve and not always for the better. Turbo-hybrid F1 era may not be the golden age, but it beats the hell out of Formula E.
You raise a very interessing point here. Many manufacturers will have realised that they could join a new electric series at a fraction of the cost used to enter the present hybrid formula. No manufacturer in his right mind will try to catch up the advance Mercedes and Ferrari enjoy, when Renault and Honda are struggling to just participate But starting from scratch in FE, and hopefully see it develop into a credible series is affordable for many car makers, it seems.