Formula E Makes Me Excited About Racing Again

My journey towards a borderline unhealthy obsession with motorsport started way back in 1998 I sat on my sofa in the living room with my parents watching my first Formula 1 Grand Prix. It was a warm, late August afternoon and I was in a food coma from a delicious Sunday lunch. I’d never watched one of these races before; too long, too tedious, too noisy.

My feelings on F1 were confirmed by the fact that the start of the race had been delayed due to rain. Rain!? What was this, tennis!? But, I still watched it because I was full of chicken, stuffing, and my mum’s world-famous roasted parsnips.

Then the five lights came on and the engines screamed, and it all got very gripping. Suddenly, I found that my heart was racing and I was leaning forwards, totally forgetting about being the gluttonous pig that I was.

Then the cars screeched and wriggled off the line struggling for grip with spray getting flung into the air. Two grey and black cars got off the line first (I then would get to know these as McLarens), then in the blinding spray, one went sideways. Carnage ensued. Well, you all know what happened next.

My first taste of Formula 1 racing, of any motor racing in general, came in the shape of the 1998 Belgium Grand Prix. It was also the day that my blood was replaced with petrol, oil, and a bit of blood – I am human after all.

Years passed, and my devotion to motor racing never wavered. In fact my wheeled pallet grew to two wheels, dirt, water (I watched boat racing once). I’ve witnessed history unfolding before my eyes. The moment Michael Schumacher crossed the line in France to win his fifth title, Kimi Raikkonen’s emotional (yes, emotional) first race win, Fernando Alonso becoming the youngest person to win a Formula 1 world championship, Lewis Hamilton exploding in to our lives in 2007. I’ve loved getting absorbed in these moments and letting the history wash over me.

Recently, my love affair with motor racing did waver; namely with Formula 1. I think I started watching the sport at a time of great innovation. But recently the regulations have been tightened to such an extent that many great innovations are banned because it gives an unfair advantage. Yes, costs need to be controlled, and yes, Formula 1 does need to make steps to become future-proof itself.

Formula 1 was always about the ultimate test of man and machine, and it still is, but it is done in a different way. Drivers now spend more time harvesting energy, controlling their highly-technical engines, maintaining gaps, nursing tyres and fuel. Let’s not pretend that this hasn’t been going on since the sport started; it’s just that now we’re a lot more exposed to it with radio traffic being broadcast.

Personally, I find modern Formula 1 dull. We have a grossly unbalanced revenue share and no real attempt to control costs. More teams are going than coming and it's difficult to get new ones in, engine suppliers are waring with their teams, and the politics have become trivial.

But, I can’t stop watching the sport. The fundamentals are still there. Those magical five lights are still there, the speed is ever present, and there is still nothing more thrilling about an amazing dive up the inside. I think things will change. I HOPE things will.

I’ve been writing about Formula E for about a year now. The sport had a lot of critics at the beginning. Two major gripes were the use of Fan Boost and the car swapping.

We never really knew whether Fan Boost was going to work, but it’s proven itself as an integral part of the sport. It helps drivers get into overtaking positions, pass them, and even set fastest laps for valuable points. Teams and drivers have also told me that it gives a boost off-track too; teams love winning Fan Boost as it gives them a mental lift.

The car swapping was criticised as it gives the wrong impressions of electric cars; that they can’t last the full race distance and carting two cars around will be less environmentally friendly. This technology will improve, especially into season 3 when potentially a new series battery will be developed, and into season 5 when teams will be able to develop their own. With those criticisms aside, the pitstops add an extra dynamic to the race.

Formula E has me excited about racing again. The races take place on street tracks which keeps the cars close to each other and the fans. Without DRS an overtake is usually quite spectacular and a thrill to watch.

With everything happening in one day, the build-up is usually pretty intense. Mistakes are punishing as the quick turnaround between sessions keeps teams and drivers on their toes. Being the friendly sport that it is, it’s not uncommon for other teams to lend a hand. This is really endearing and I think sets an amazing president for motor sport. What a message to send to F1; Formula E teams work together even though they’re competing with one another. F1 can look scrappy and fractured in comparison, but I think they're fair to one another.

The Greenpower Charity gives young people an amazing entry into grassroots motorsports; something severely lacking in other series without the qualifying thousands of pounds. This charity allows students to build their own electric car and race them on the actual Formula E circuits around the world. This initiative gives younger people the chance to get a taste of motor racing as well as science and engineering.

The biggest draw for me towards Formula E has been the level of interaction from the teams and drivers. Other than grassroots racing, I have never been so involved in motorsport before. I’ve had unprecedented access to them and have had the wonderful privilege of interviewing teams and drivers at such an early stage in my career. This would have been impossible in other high level motor racing series.

Not only are the teams accessible and prevalent on social media, but the official FIA Formula E account has wholly embraced social media. Race incidents are uploaded onto their various platforms straight away to share. The entire race is uploaded to their official YouTube account so you can rewatch any of the races. Also, in selected countries the race is streamed live, for free. No annual subscription, everything is there for you.

I truly love Formula E, not only because it’s ticking all of the boxes but it’s made me love motor racing again. It gives me the thrills that I used to get all those years ago sat on the sofa bloated with chicken, stuffing, and my mum’s explode-in-your-mouth-with-taste parsnips. When the sport left the Olympic Park in Beijing, Formula E was on everybody’s lips and after their hashtags.

There are many exciting innovations to come when the sport is opened up technically in the coming seasons. It is my hope that the sports’ popularity will increase and that it never steers away from what makes it unique. My confidence in Alejandro Agag and his team gives me comfort that we will see Formula E charging around world famous cities for many seasons to come.

#FE