One hundred of these grand prix. Formula E will celebrate 100 GPs this weekend with a South Korean double, which marks the end of an era for the electric series and will likely see Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne take the title in a farewell to Mercedes.
From a 2014 debut around the stadium built for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Formula E reaches its century-old milestone on Sunday by running near the stadium that hosted the 1988 Seoul Games. The last race of the season will be the end of the season. road to the “Gen2” era, with next season bringing a new generation of cars that will be faster, lighter and more efficient than anything seen so far.
Series co-founder Alberto Longo said the city-based single-seater championship proved critics wrong and was here to stay. “Eight years ago everyone laughed at electric vehicles basically and the limited range they had.” the Spaniard told reporters.
“When we launched the championship, people around motorsport were also saying æwell, OK guys, but it takes two cars to finish the race.” The Gen 2 car doubled the battery capacity and removed the need for pitstop to switch cars. With Gen 3, cars will be even more racist. “If someone had told me we were going to be so successful in such a short time, I would have thought they were probably a little crazy. The reality is we’re only showing the tip of the iceberg,” Longo said. “We have a lot to learn and a lot to grow. We know we’re still the little brother of Formula One, but we’re definitely growing on a faster path than any other racing championship and we’re definitely here to stay.” I remember that when we started with l ‘idea, the big names in Formula One were telling us that we would never make it to the first race … it was a huge challenge, but it’s a huge reason why we are so proud of what we have done. The future is very bright for Formula E “.
The next season will see new rounds in the Indian city of Hyderabad and Sao Paulo in Brazil on an 18-race calendar spanning 13 cities around the world. Mercedes will depart after selling its team to McLaren, while Maserati will also join as a partner of the Venturi team. Four drivers remain in contention for the title, but former Mercedes Vandoorne F1 McLaren driver has a 36-point lead over New Zealander Jaguar Mitch Evans with 58 still available. The Venturìs Edoardo Mortara and the double champion of DS Techeetah Jean-Eric Vergne are also mathematically to the reckoning. The Brazilian Lucas di Grassi is meanwhile destined to become the first Formula E driver to start 100 races, having competed in each of them. Briton Sam Bird also had a 100% record, but was sidelined for the weekend after breaking his left hand in the previous round in London.