Like many people, years ago when the idea of Formula E was first put forward to motorsport fans, I was dubious about the whole idea. Still, I tuned in to the inaugural race in 2014, which was held at the Beijing Olympic Green Circuit in China, and found myself pleasantly surprised - in a good way. Since then, although I haven't watched every Formula E race, I have followed the series in one form or another and have yet to be disappointed. Now in it's ninth series and 3rd generation of car, Formula E has become one of, if not the most, exciting motorsport series in the present day. So, sit back and relax because here are 5 reasons as to why you should be watching Formula E.
Unpredictability
One of the things Formula E is known well for is the inability to be able to predict what is going to happen during qualifying or a race, with most of this being down to the build and aerodynamics of the FE cars. It's no secret that these cars are difficult to drive and that skill is the most important factor for a driver, especially if they want to win. By this, I mean, if a driver gets something wrong then the likelihood is that they will loose multiple places in the race rather than one or two. But why is this? Well, FE cars don't give off dirty, turbulent air so naturally the cars can race nose to tail and overtake with ease giving the races that unpredictable factor. You can read more about the unpredictability in Formula E here!
Drivers
It's no secret that Formula E is made up of drivers from a variety of motorsport series such as Formula One, Formula Two, World Endurance Championship and DTM - just to name a few.
So, ultimately there is no shortage of talent on the FE grid which adds to the excitement and unpredictability of races. Also, in the eight seasons (the ninth is currently in progress) that have been completed since Formula E's inaugural season in 2014, there have been seven different champions. Only one driver, Jean-Eric Vergne, has managed the feat twice. In 2023, there's still a good chance that this year's champion is going to be yet another new face but there is still a long way to go and anything can happen. It's a season that's not to be missed.
Attack Mode
Back in Season 5 attack mode was introduced in Formula E. This is when the drivers receive an additional amount of power once they have driven through a designated area. Not only does attack mode give the drivers the extra speed to make some moves, it also makes the strategies more complicated and the race more intense as the teams and drivers need to calculate when exactly the perfect time to enable attack mode would be. In season nine, each driver gets up to 4 minutes worth of attack mode which needs to be used by the end of the race. If not, a penalty could be looming as DS Penske driver Stoffel Vandoorne discovered earlier on in the season.
Race Format
Formula E's race weekend format is pretty different from the likes of Formula One, with the majority of on-track action happening in one day. A typical race day see's a practice session in the morning followed by qualifying, which lasts for about an hour, and then the race later on in the day. The race length is predetermined by laps and includes extra laps if there has been a safety car. There is also the addition of attack mode which I discussed earlier on in this article. Occasionally, some race weekends are classed as a double header where it's all done again the following day. This particular race format is good because it maximises the on-track action as much as possible.
Accessibility for Fans
Ok, this is a big factor that makes Formula E more appealing to fans. Unlike the majority of other motorsport series, Formula E is free to watch, with every session, including the race, being streamed live on Youtube. That's not all, it's almost more cost effective as ticket prices are much lower when compared to the more popular series of Formula One. And, finally, access at the circuit is also more appealing with ticket prices including access to the fan village and driver meet and greats. It's the ultimate race weekend experience.
So, there we have it - 5 reasons as to why you should be watching this season of Formula E. But, let's not get too carried away, I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that Formula E doesn't need the popularity that Formula One has? Despite this, it's a very entertaining series, that's for sure. Do you have any other reasons as to why people should be watching Formula E? Let me know in the comments below!
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