As a brand new, global single seater series prepares to launch off the grid, boss Alejandro Agag insists Formula E is not trying to take on F1.<\/p>\n
With battery-powered and nearly completely silent cars, designed with input from McLaren, Williams and Renault, the inaugural race will take place on the streets of Beijing on Saturday.<\/p>\n
“Changing a car halfway through a race is quite strange,” said McLaren driver Jenson Button.<\/p>\n
“But it might work.\u00a0 It’s all in city centres and it might attract people to the sport that aren’t interested in motor sport normally.<\/p>\n
“If they aren’t true racing fans, it’s quite fun to watch some cars go around that are electric.”<\/p>\n
Button’s backhanded compliment sums up the general attitude about Formula E within the F1 paddock.<\/p>\n
But some big and familiar names are involved in Formula E.<\/p>\n
All ten teams feature drivers well known to formula one, including driver-owner Jarno Trulli, Takuma Sato, Nick Heidfeld, Jaime Alguersuari and many others.<\/p>\n
Another is Sebastien Buemi, who played down any comparison between the Formula E car – generating 270 horse power and a maximum speed of 225kph – and its F1 cousin.<\/p>\n
“Formula E is something completely different,” he told the Austrian news agency APA.<\/p>\n
“They not only have much less power, but the cars also have significantly less grip.”<\/p>\n
Series boss Agag was asked by Germany’s Welt newspaper about all the quiet criticism within the F1 paddock, including by its reigning champion Sebastian Vettel.<\/p>\n
“The bottom line is that top drivers will be competing to win.\u00a0 For me this is already enough to talk about pure motor sport,” he answered.<\/p>\n
Not only that, Formula E has a healthy grid, the involvement of manufacturers like Audi, and a truly global calendar spanning Asia, the Americas and Europe.<\/p>\n
Is Agag’s plan to eventually replace formula one as the pinnacle of motor sport?<\/p>\n
“I think that would be the wrong approach,” the Spaniard insisted.<\/p>\n
“We want to be a complement to formula one — it’s not about doing things better or worse than them.\u00a0 We are an independent racing series with our own profile.<\/p>\n
“To put us in a race with formula one would not be fair,” Agag added.<\/p>\n
Undoubtedly, though, while F1 is arguably locked in an identity crisis at the start of its new, quieter turbo era, Formula E’s vision is clear and modern.<\/p>\n
“We are environmentally friendly and fit with the sustainable approach suitable for the cities in which we travel,” said Agag.<\/p>\n
“We consume no fuel, people do not have to spend hours driving out of the city to come to the track.”<\/p>\n
And Agag said that, while F1 is struggling at the moment to boost its television ratings and fill grandstands, Formula E will not face the same problems.<\/p>\n
“Of that I am absolutely convinced,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Our approach is different to that of formula one.\u00a0 For example, we rely heavily on social media — the internet is at the heart of Formula E.<\/p>\n
“With their vote, the fans can give their favourite driver 50 extra horse power in the race.\u00a0 As I said, it’s a great show.<\/p>\n
“You also have to understand that you do not necessarily have to buy a ticket to watch a Formula E race — we have big video screens on which the race will be shown.<\/p>\n
“There are 500,000 people each day in the olympic park in Beijing, so the more of them that choose to stay with us, the better,” Agag said.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 RIF | GMM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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