Renault e.dams is off to a fast start in the 2016-17 Formula E season, while Mahindra looks solid at the sharp end.
As far as title defenses go, Sebastien Buemi’s effort is about the best that any driver could hope for. Two wins out of the first two races of the 2016-17 FIA Formula E Championship and a 22-point lead over the driver he bested by just two points to win last year’s title, Lucas di Grassi.
In addition to Buemi’s perfect start Renault e.Dams has a 38-point lead in the teams’ championship over ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport. Tied with ABT are Mahindra Racing, who are off to their best start ever since Formula E’s inaugural season with a podium each for Nick Heidfeld and Felix Rosenqvist as well as a pole position for the latter at the Marrakesh ePrix.
Hong Kong and Marrakesh were the scene for the start of a season that has seen Formula E in the news, but not for anything that has happened on track.
The news that has people discussing it with increased vigor is that of Audi choosing to axe its World Endurance Champioship effort to focus on Formula E. In addition to that Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd has signed an agreement which gives them the option to line up on the grid for the fifth season of the championship that starts in 2018. Even more intriguing is talk from Ferrari of a possible entry but only if some conditions are met. Namely, the end of car-swapping at a pit stop and greater technical freedom.
The last caveat would greatly change the championship’s current cost effectiveness that sees budgets of around five million euros and tight restrictions on many technical aspects that are centrally controlled.
Although that is unlikely to curb the interest from German manufacturers, at least, as the country moves towards a ban on the sale of cars with an internal combustion engine by 2030.
Formula E is believed to be positioned to be the best way forward for circuit racing as it is believed that few will have the patience to see racing in the traditional sense. Although those who follow MotoGP as well as some F1 races are likely to think otherwise.
Not to mention the Formula E cars are still visibly slow compared to standard fare in established motorsport series. Ferrari’s condition of greater technical freedom could help in this regard but the increased cost could lead to the kind of arms race one sees in F1, WEC and WRC.
Although a pecking order has clearly emerged in Formula E as well with e.Dams and ABT being the class of the field while Mahindra also tries to move to the sharp end.
They are cutting things fine in their effort to do so, however. Nick Heidfeld finished the Hong Kong ePrix with almost zero percent energy in his car en route to third, despite the car swap. That doesn’t exactly come as a seal of approval for a series that is trying to change some deep set notions about electric vehicles. Tesla seems to be doing a far better job of that with its road cars and not even using motorsport as a means to market its technology.
It is quite apparent that Formula E as a whole needs to make some rapid steps forward to go from what the FIA president Jean Todt refers to as a laboratory on wheels to a full blown racing championship that gets people excited to see it.
The initial buzz and excitement around the series’ first season has died down a bit but the addition of Jaguar, the commitment of Audi, Mercedes taking an option and even Ferrari discussing a possible foray has made things a bit more interesting. If anything can drive the championship forward, it has to be the efforts of manufacturers. That is clearly apparent in WEC where hybrid technology has seen in excess of 1,000 bhp being produced by the top LMP1 squads with an almost equal split between an internal combustion engine and hybrid tech.
Formula E needs to make headline grabbing developments like that while increasing its speed by a big margin. Maybe there is something to Ferrari’s requirement of needing greater technical freedom to consider entry into the championship. Until then, the progress of Formula E is worth following although for genuine excitement nothing quite beats the trinity of Formula 1, MotoGP and WEC. At least not at this point. But who knows what the future will look like? It’s up to Formula E to rise up to the challenge to claim it or just be considered a science experiment with good intentions but so-so results.
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