The world of motorsport has given me the opportunity to experience many different thrills. One of the more recent ones was my official presence during a Formula E (electric) championship race, organised by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
I had heard and read a lot about Formula E racing. I was told it was similar to the Formula Junior championship, with identical engines and chassis. The only difference being that these racing cars were driven by electric motors that were fuelled by an onboard battery.
The majority of drivers participating in Formula E had all been Formula One drivers throughout their careers and the talent was evidently present. Bruno Senna, Sebastian Buemi, Nelson Piquet Jr, Jarno Trulli... the presence of such high profile sportsmen is clear evidence to the rise of this new type of motorsport.
As I anxiously waited for the cars to be driven out of the pits, I thought to myself whether the same rituals and sounds as those experienced in Formula One racing would be present for Formula E. The outcome actually surprised me.
The cars zoomed out silently onto the track, in what seemed like some action scene from Star Wars, what with their rather wedged shapes. It was such a strange and unique experience... no engine screams... no exhaust muffling up the power... just the sound of air displacement.
Strangely enough, without the engine noise, the definition of speed seemed to be amplified even further. Watching these cars race round the circuit in practically total silence (although they do emit a low whining noise) was an odd and eerie experience. The screeching tyres were the only proof that high speeds were being reached.
Originally, the idea was to have battery pit stops during the race but this concept was soon aborted due to the complex nature of changing batteries. So instead, it was decided that drivers would simply switch to a second race car housing a fully charged battery.
Many were those that had their doubts regarding the sustainability and potential of Formula E. The evolution of such a sport will help the motoring industry as it continues to focus on the development of electric powered vehicles, thereby seriously minimising the world’s carbon footprint.
This year, Formula E will be even more exciting as all participating teams have been given the opportunity to build their own electric power units. This has been a great success during testing, with lap times improving dramatically when compared to those experienced during last year’s championship. Undoubtedly, FIA’s Formula E is proving to be the future platform for motorsport.