Formula E taking over

[anonymous-user]

With the announcement of Mercedes leaving DTM and Porsche leaving LMP1 both to join Formula E has F1 really got it's work cut out attracting new manufactures?

Surely this is very worrying times for F1 especially when the sport is losing more and more fans.

Personally I have watched a few races and still prefer F1 but if big names and also manufactures are joining it could be tempting to watch more.

Thoughts??

[threespires]

I'm sure that F1 will have a dwindling fanbase when it goes behind a paywall which will make manufacturers and sponsors question their involvement.
Liberty & Sky will be OK, if they can get 5 million people globally to pay £10 to watch a race then they are sitting pretty.
I think Lewis will be the last global F1 superstar. Whoever takes over from him as the 'man to beat' will be unknown to the general public.
As EV's become more mainstream and with Formula E on Freeview I can see folks starting to watch it more.

[langtounlad]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

With the announcement of Mercedes leaving DTM and Porsche leaving LMP1 both to join Formula E has F1 really got it's work cut out attracting new manufactures?

Surely this is very worrying times for F1 especially when the sport is losing more and more fans.

Personally I have watched a few races and still prefer F1 but if big names and also manufactures are joining it could be tempting to watch more.

Thoughts??

Manufacturers

[The Surveyor]

Those manufacturers who go exclusively into Formula E are backing the wrong horse IMHO, it's the kings-new-clothes of motorsport IMHO.

What we're more likely to see is a revival of BTCC as a mainstream media support act to F1. Or the end of top-level motorsport completely.

[cuprabob]

BTCC coverage on ITV4 is quite good as it is. All BTCC races are shown live and many of the support races too. It's a good 6-7 hours of coverage on race day.

[Some Gump]

Lots of manufacturers in F-E because it's cheap. As soon as costs rocket (when it's less of a spec class) they'll start dropping off - no point spending a hundred+ million to finish 14th.

[Order66]

Formula E needs to significantly improve its offering. I realise they use the stty street circuits because the speeds are so low, but they don't make for good racing. I do watch it but am very aware that the speed just isn't there in these cars, certainly wouldn't consider paying to watch (like I do now with F1).

[C70R]

threespires said:

I'm sure that F1 will have a dwindling fanbase when it goes behind a paywall which will make manufacturers and sponsors question their involvement.
Liberty & Sky will be OK, if they can get 5 million people globally to pay £10 to watch a race then they are sitting pretty.
I think Lewis will be the last global F1 superstar. Whoever takes over from him as the 'man to beat' will be unknown to the general public.
As EV's become more mainstream and with Formula E on Freeview I can see folks starting to watch it more.

Let's not put too optimistic a face on. It could be much worse than that.

[rubystone]

Some Gump said:

Lots of manufacturers in F-E because it's cheap. As soon as costs rocket (when it's less of a spec class) they'll start dropping off - no point spending a hundred+ million to finish 14th.

They will invest heavily in it, drive out the smaller players and outspend JLR forcing them to leave. Then those not succeeding will quit and it'll end up back where it started, 5 years hence.

[ukaskew]

Some Gump said:

Lots of manufacturers in F-E because it's cheap. As soon as costs rocket (when it's less of a spec class) they'll start dropping off - no point spending a hundred+ million to finish 14th.

They are joining because it's moving away from the spec-based format, in fact Porsche specifically mentioned that.

The format is bang on with what all the manufacturers are moving towards with their line ups so I can't see interest dropping off any time soon.

[Dodgey_Rog]

I watched a couple of the races as they were in New York, the track seemed rather crude and for the time they were touting the race, I was expecting something a little more sophisticated. The racing was scrappy, couldn't get over the lack of noise but then it takes getting used to. I'm still surprised they haven't mastered the battery change and have to change cars in order to go the distance, something that will most likely improve as the series goes on. With anything, good to see the big names throwing their weight behind it, anything to speed up the development of better technology I suppose.

On the flip side, a shame to see Porsche leave the LMP1 series, I do like those races.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

F1 is teetering even without sparky cars. If the geezer that owns the energy drink thinks he's had enough it's almost game over. (16 cars left on the grid)

[carl_w]

Dodgey_Rog said:

I'm still surprised they haven't mastered the battery change and have to change cars in order to go the distance, something that will most likely improve as the series goes on

I still don't see why they don't run it as two shorter races.

They could have a "sprint race" and an "endurance race" with no changes to the car (1 car, not 2) other than to charge the battery. Then the teams would have to balance one against the other.

Edited by carl_w on Friday 28th July 21:16

[anonymous-user]

carl_w said:

Dodgey_Rog said:

I'm still surprised they haven't mastered the battery change and have to change cars in order to go the distance, something that will most likely improve as the series goes on

I still don't see why they don't run it as two shorter races.

They could have a "sprint race" and an "endurance race" with no changes to the car (1 car, not 2) other than to charge the battery. Then the teams would have to balance one against the other.

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 28th July 21:16

They'll never be that interesting until they can run at high speed on properly challenging circuits. No sign of that on the horizon, even if they changed cars every 3 or 4 laps.

Maybe they should have relay races? 5/6 cars per team, each doing a small numbers of laps. Think of the number of failed F1 drivers they could employ? (Just kidding, I doubt I'd watch it even then.......... )

[hairyben]

Dodgey_Rog said:

I watched a couple of the races as they were in New York, the track seemed rather crude and for the time they were touting the race, I was expecting something a little more sophisticated. The racing was scrappy, couldn't get over the lack of noise but then it takes getting used to. I'm still surprised they haven't mastered the battery change and have to change cars in order to go the distance, something that will most likely improve as the series goes on. With anything, good to see the big names throwing their weight behind it, anything to speed up the development of better technology I suppose.

On the flip side, a shame to see Porsche leave the LMP1 series, I do like those races.

It all seems a bit mickey mouse to me

I'll watch anything motorized race, but the FE ones I've seen with their go cart tracks and silly wirry noise (coming from someone who's not once moaned about the f1 hybrids), whos who of failed f1 drivers and what was it- ticker tape thing at berlin blowing whenever the lead car went through? Perlease is it supposed to be taken seriously?

Put it this way, I've paid many hundreds for me and mrs hairsyle to watch f1 but couldn't be arsed to leave my house when FE was on in my city for free.

[MitchT]

Buemi going postal with everyone after the race

[ajprice]

ash73 said:

Buemi trying to make his way through the field with cock eyed steering is good drama, I'm quite enjoying this race.

Buemi putting the world to rights with the other drivers after the race was entertaining too. I was waiting for him to point at everybody shouting "You're under citizens arrest!!"

[williamp]

agreed. a cracking racde with lots to watch throughout, and fun afterwards. My sons love it, and it seems more relevent to them then F1 cars...

[carl_w]

I watched from about halfway through (just before they swapped cars) and thought it was an entertaining race. Probably the first Formula-E race that I've watched since the first one.

[C70R]

hairyben said:

Dodgey_Rog said:

I watched a couple of the races as they were in New York, the track seemed rather crude and for the time they were touting the race, I was expecting something a little more sophisticated. The racing was scrappy, couldn't get over the lack of noise but then it takes getting used to. I'm still surprised they haven't mastered the battery change and have to change cars in order to go the distance, something that will most likely improve as the series goes on. With anything, good to see the big names throwing their weight behind it, anything to speed up the development of better technology I suppose.

On the flip side, a shame to see Porsche leave the LMP1 series, I do like those races.

It all seems a bit mickey mouse to me

I'll watch anything motorized race, but the FE ones I've seen with their go cart tracks and silly wirry noise (coming from someone who's not once moaned about the f1 hybrids), whos who of failed f1 drivers and what was it- ticker tape thing at berlin blowing whenever the lead car went through? Perlease is it supposed to be taken seriously?

Put it this way, I've paid many hundreds for me and mrs hairsyle to watch f1 but couldn't be arsed to leave my house when FE was on in my city for free.

That's almost exactly my feeling (right down to living in S London and actively avoiding Battersea). I would actually prefer to watch stock-car or banger racing than Formula E - horribly contrived, over promoted and a dearth of real talent.

Ultimately, the manufacturers will always go where the money is, so it's no surprise to see the big guns voting with their wallets.