So what is the future of Formula E

[steveaki13]

So I was talking to a couple of people recently and I was trying to work out what the longer term future is of Formula E.

If Electric cars are the future, then how will Formula E and Formula 1 co exist?

I mean at the moment Formula E is brand new, and has some decent drivers albeit an aged and second string but also has some issues to overcome.

So as Formula E grows how does it gain reputation and bring in top current drivers?

Also with Formula 1 likely to head down this route one day as technology improves, does F1 replace Formula E when it becomes electric or do they end up side by side as two electric Formula's and compete for the top drivers.

Or even does Formula E replace F1?

So many questions. I thought it might be interesting to think about.

Will F1 crush Formula E or will Formula E leave F1 behind

What sat you lot

[Mark]

I have always viewed it as being the test bed and development series for F1. So I would imagine eventually once the technology has come on far enough that F1 would adopt it and Formula E would cease.

[jens]

I have always viewed it as being the test bed and development series for F1. So I would imagine eventually once the technology has come on far enough that F1 would adopt it and Formula E would cease.

Hmm, pretty interesting views. Could be the case.

I think first of all Formula E has to build its up in its current form and prove it is actually a sustainable series unlike A1GP, SuperLeague or whatever we have had in the past.

The cars are way slow at the moment, but once they get faster, F1 will gradually start taking more and more notice. Will they merge one day? Or will Formula E become sort of what GP2 currently is? So it means merging/replacing GP2. Although it is interesting that GP2 is viewed as "driver development series", while FE is "technology development series", maybe one day they can be the same.

[journeyman racer]

I have always viewed it as being the test bed and development series for F1.

Dunno about it being specifically for F1. But having spoke to a guy who is part of a F1 radio show here, it is a test bed and development series.

So I would imagine eventually once the technology has come on far enough that F1 would adopt it and Formula E would cease.

Sounds logical.

[zako85]

I have always viewed it as being the test bed and development series for F1. So I would imagine eventually once the technology has come on far enough that F1 would adopt it and Formula E would cease.

Under this scenario, FE should not really cease. First of all, there is a ton of competent open wheel racers who had nowhere to go after F1. FE is a nice refuge for them. Also, FE is a much lower cost formula, so a lot of teams with talented staff can afford to remain in the series even without hundred million budgets. Even if Formula 1 copies and adopts the best innovations of FE, I think FE will stick around. We need a second top-level open wheel series to absorb the open wheel drivers, spectators, and teams who couldn't make it in the cruel and materialistic world of F1. (At some point I thought that IndyCar should be this secondary open wheel series, but it clearly failed at that by now).

[Mekola]

Under this scenario, FE should not really cease. First of all, there is a ton of competent open wheel racers who had nowhere to go after F1. FE is a nice refuge for them. Also, FE is a much lower cost formula, so a lot of teams with talented staff can afford to remain in the series even without hundred million budgets. Even if Formula 1 copies and adopts the best innovations of FE, I think FE will stick around. We need a second top-level open wheel series to absorb the open wheel drivers, spectators, and teams who couldn't make it in the cruel and materialistic world of F1. (At some point I thought that IndyCar should be this secondary open wheel series, but it clearly failed at that by now).

Agree definitely.

[Mark]

That's a decent perspective. Perhaps it can be more than just a development formula with both up and coming drivers and ex F1 drivers.

Certainly F1 has already taken the first steps with hybrid electric technology and FE can feed into that. It's feasible that eventually F1 batteries will become rechargeable and depend on the petrol engine gradually less until it becomes an advantage to dispense with it entirely.

[MrJan]

I think that at some point down the line the technology will be so advanced that we'll have a series that we would recognise as F1 which is all electric. I can't quite see the idea of a new series like Formula E surpassing what we've got at the minute, a championship that has evolved over 60 years.

I think that we all have to accept that, at some point in the future, motorsport as we know it will cease to exist. There's no way that we can continue with the oil based sport that we've got at the minute.

[Doc Austin]

The cars ran reliably and raced well, so the series is off to a good start.

They need to find a way to get a longer run time or recharge faster because the whole car swapping thing is really dumb. Swapping cars only serves to highlight how limited the technology is right now.

[A FONDO]

Of course it is limited, as every new technology that is not in mass production yet. Nobody said it will kill F1 in the next two months.