This is an exciting time to be a Formula E fan. Is Just a few more days until a new world championon the next top generation electric racing car and staring down the barrel of 100 races for the sport. And looking back at more than 5,000 miles of electric track, how far has the series come?
After the first race for Formula E begins on September 17, 2013, the sport will host 100th event in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday. And what began with the mid-racing changes in a sport clamoring for legitimacy has grown into a certified World Championship that draws millions of viewers each race.
“I am so proud of where we are today compared to where we were 100 races ago, eight years ago,” said Alberto Longo, co-founder and championship director at Formula E.
“I remember when we first started thinking about the idea of getting this championship and how difficult it was.”
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The idea for Formula E came about in 2011 when the series’ boss Alejandro Agag met with then FIA president Jean Todt to discuss the possibilities of an all-electric seating range. After two years of research, development and driver contracting, the sport has been officially recognized by motorsport’s governing body, the FIA.
Longo said: “August 27, 2013 when we signed the agreement with the FIA. It was the first major moment in Formula E’s history because it was a validation of all the work we’ve done over the past two years. ”
A year later, the lights went out during the series’ first race in Beijing, China. That even saw racers compete in two different cars, as the original racers couldn’t manage the full 45 minutes. It was finally won by Lucas di Grassi, who will be the sole driver this weekend to participate in every Formula E race since.
“Back then, everyone we knew laughed at this project we were thinking about. And now, look how far we’ve come,” added Longo.
In 97 races and 8 seasons since, Formula E has been crowned 14 different race winners and 6 different world champions.
Sports also introduced a variety of innovations such as FanboostLove it or hate it, has helped elevate the sport across social media. It also brings Attack Mode to bring strategy back into the sport and add extra time for safe cars.
Technology has also had a major upgrade over the years. With the switch to 2nd generation cars, drivers no longer need to switch cars mid-race and new Gen 3 modelswill debut next season, promising speeds up to 200mph.
“As we move from Gen 1 to Gen 2, you can really see that the technology is starting to work,” says Longo.
Despite its growth and evolution, the series’ founders are not resting on their laurels as they approach race number 100.
“We now have a world championship showing some of the most spectacular races in the world in some of the best cities in the world,” adds Longo. And with amazing and sure teams best driver lineup available.
“We are really proud of what we are doing, but we also have a lot of pressure. We like to pressure ourselves to be better and better every day and every year. I think we are getting there step by step.”
So, with 98 races and numbers completed for Formula E, it’s definitely time to start getting excited about the future of all-electric racing.
