23/12/2019
NEWS STORY
Now in its sixth season, though it might have won over a few (former) F1 drivers, Formula E has yet to convince the majority of F1 fans.
While the all-electric series seeks to win over the sceptics, a Gen3 car scheduled to be introduced in 2022, FIA president, Jean Todt, admits it may be "decades" before the series can give F1 a run for its money in the eyes of race fans.
"You could not envisage to have Formula E substituting Formula 1," he admits. "FE races last three-quarters of an hour at average speeds of up to 118 km/h (73 mph), while F1 races run for more than twice as long, with average speeds more than twice as high over distances in excess of 300 kilometres (186 miles).
"There is not one race car able to do 300 kilometres at Formula 1 speed today," said Todt of electric race series. "It could be decades before it can happen, if it does happen."
Season six, which got underway in Riyadh last month, where Sam Bird (Envision Virgin) and Alexander Sims (BMW) scored victories, sees Mercedes and Porsche entering the fray.
Referring to F1, which went hybrid in 2014, he said: "Today, hybrid is the proper choice. The next step is to see how well we can secure greener fuels."