Formula E 2022, 2023 and 2024

[this_is_gav]

Formula E has moved to Channel 4 for terrestrial coverage this season. Expect qualifying on Youtube and some races too. As in previous seasons Eurosport continue providing more TV-based coverage.

The season starts today, with both the (unnecessarily complicated) new qualifying and race on C4 Sport's Youtube channel.

Qualifying (12:30):

Race (16:30):

Tomorrow's coverage is split with qualifying again on Youtube while the race is on Channel 4, both at the same time as today.

 

[this_is_gav]

The different qualifying format is good to watch - a duel between two drivers to progress into the next round. qtr, semi and final for pole position

It will be interesting for the first few races, until a standard settles and inevitably the quickest cars and drivers will rise to the front.

Half of Formula E's fun came from the top drivers usually being disadvantaged in the previous format (as they had to go out in the first quarter of qualifying on a track with less rubber which meant it was harder for them to get through to Super Pole), so much of the action was the faster drivers trying to move forward in the race.

Obviously that element is less likely now, so we'll see in the coming races whether it results in more boring races - something FE desperately needs to avoid, as that's the only real draw for the sport. Other forms of racing have other selling points, where continual action is more of a plus than a necessity - but Formula E needs to retain the spark it had before this qualifying change, as frankly in terms of motorsport people won't tune in just because it is the pinnacle of electric motorsport.

 

[this_is_gav]

Both those opening races we great, I don't understand the lack of popularity tbh

I don't really understand it either, though I suppose no motorsport gets any real traction compared to F1 in the UK, no matter how good the racing is. NASCAR didn't do anything here, Indycar probably gets ~150,000 viewers for the Indy 500 and maybe a tenth of that for other rounds and I bet even the BTCC struggles to get many more.

It's a shame as Indycar is brilliant, as is Formula E for the most part (I still say Fan Boost can do one) and both usually offer better racing that F1, but the casual motorsport fan just isn't interested.

I have to say, he's decent on the radio doing F1 (as was Croft), but Jack Nicholls is brilliant doing Formula E on TV. Even fairly boring races he makes sound exciting like so few can do, and it's genuine excitement too, not forced like Croft or Allen. A bit like a young Ben Edwards was, drawing you in and infecting you with that excitement too (older Edwards is still better than everyone else around, and I hope he's just taking a break).

As a side note, it was interesting seeing just how far off the pace (even in flat out qualifying) Giovinazzi (and Ticktum, oh no) was last weekend. Just goes to show how strong the field is in FE.

I though it didn't really work. 9 events to choose pole just feels like too many. A few of the duels were exciting but most of them felt like a bit of a damp squib, and it was all rather strung out. I would prefer the odd/even sessions followed by a single superpole with the top 8.

I think they're trying to get more people into qualifying, as the previous format wasn't the most exciting. That said it did make for an exciting race as the faster drivers were more likely to be further down the field, though if one did do a great job to get into super pole they had a massive advantage for the race, so I suppose this formats eliminates that.

I still feel when a standard pattern emerges that we'll end up with more boring races, but time will tell.

 

[this_is_gav]

Ooo, that would be very interesting to see. Lets hope this is true.

They definitely are.

The 2021 track incorporated a modified chicane on the harbourfront, which will disappear this year in favour of the typical Nouvelle Chicane layout.

Source: UNDER THE SKIN: Monaco | FIA Formula E

 

[this_is_gav]

Jakarta next, going to be shorts weather apparently...

... for men.

 

[this_is_gav]

Keep it as is, or as a timed race at any rate. Half the excitement comes from teams mismanaging energy or not always being surehow many laps there will be.

If you give them X number of laps then things like safety car finishes will be more likely, and teams will be able to calculate exactly how much energy they can use at any given time.

Oh, and get rid of Fan Boost. While I know why they've done it (social media exposure to try to involve and attract viewers) it was a dreadful idea from a sporting point of view. Attack Mode is brilliant though.

 

[this_is_gav]

I don't like attack mode. Going off the racing line means dirty dangerous track. I'm not convinced it's an advantage either, teams plan using it around not losing places rather than trying to gain places, so really there's nothing 'attack' about it.

That's why it's brilliant (for Formula E anyway - not sure it would be in other series). It's mandatory so all the drivers have to use it and whether you take advantage of it or lose out is all on the driver.

I certainly wouldn't call it any more dangerous than the likes of DRS. I mean, they're all over the dirty track anyway, and if anything the attack activation zone will be the second cleanest part of the track after the racing line itself.

Motor racing shouldn't be easy, so challenges like this are good, so long as they're all equal.