Formula E racing series launchedOpen Wheel 

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I think this series could be really cool, some well known teams and drivers are competing.

I just wish the fan boost thing would not be there. The series hasn't even started yet and they already feel the need to add something to spice up the "show."
 
It was the first official day of testing today, and Sebastian Buemi set the quickest time for e-dams. The series used the full Donington GP circuit, with an added chicane at the exit of the old hairpin. http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2014/july/sebastien-buemi-fastest-at-first-formula-e-test.aspx

Gil de Ferran and Scott Speed tested the second Andretti car, while Jerome D'Ambrosio and Antonio Gargia drove for China racing. The 2 China racing seats, the second Dragon seat and the second Andretti seat are the only ones yet to be filled. http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/...-and-gil-de-ferran-to-test-with-andretti.aspx

Long Beach GP winner and Toyota WEC test driver Mike Conway joins Dragon racing. http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2014/july/mike-conway-joins-dragon-racing.aspx

And here is a practice start, Karun Chandok really nails it.


As much as I want to like this series, the cars look painfully slow out there. The lack of engine noise probably doesn't help that, but they're not much quicker than a Formula Ford.
 
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I don't know about you, but I think those Formula E cars are pretty hot-looking. Maybe not Panoz DP01 hot, but these are certainly much better looking than most of today's F1 cars and the DW12 IndyCars. I still look at Formula E from a motorsports enthusiast standpoint. The appeal of these Formula E racing machines is about as much as cars like the hybrid racing beasts from Audi, Toyota, and Porsche. I am still very curious as to how the races will play out. Even despite getting used to this kind of technology, the real constant here lies in the quality of racing. I just wonder this as a question, "will the quality of racing suffer with these Formula E cars?" You also have the fact these are street course races with formula cars. These races could be pretty intense based on how hard these drivers will push these cars.

I'm still looking forward to see how this all plays out.
 
aarror
It was the first official day of testing today, and Sebastian Buemi set the quickest time for e-dams. The series used the full Donington GP circuit, with an added chicane at the exit of the old hairpin. http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2014/july/sebastien-buemi-fastest-at-first-formula-e-test.aspx

Gil de Ferran and Scott Speed tested the second Andretti car, while Jerome D'Ambrosio and Antonio Gargia drove for China racing. The 2 China racing seats, the second Dragon seat and the second Andretti seat are the only ones yet to be filled. http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/...-and-gil-de-ferran-to-test-with-andretti.aspx

Long Beach GP winner and Toyota WEC test driver Mike Conway joins Dragon racing. http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2014/july/mike-conway-joins-dragon-racing.aspx

And here is a practice start, Karun Chandok really nails it.


As much as I want to like this series, the cars look painfully slow out there. The lack of engine noise probably doesn't help that, but they're not much quicker than a Formula Ford.
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They look quick off the start, I highly doubt they are running at full potential during the first test session.

Formulda Ford lap record on the GP circuit is 1:35.1, Buemi was fastest yesterday in Formula E with a 1:35.4. However, that includes running an extra chicane that was put in after old hairpin, so on a like for like track they will lap faster.
 
aarror
As much as I want to like this series, the cars look painfully slow out there. The lack of engine noise probably doesn't help that, but they're not much quicker than a Formula Ford.
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I had a look on Forix to compare todays testing times to other cars on the same layout:

1:16.796 AutoGP - Narain Karthikeyan, 2012
1:22.590 Formula 3 - Jack Harvey, 2012
1:30.795 BRDC F4 - Jake Hughes, 2013
1:31.589 Formula Ford - Eric Lichtenstein, 2012 (Old car)
1:31.973 Formula E - Lucas di Grassi, today
1:34.427 Intersteps (FBMW) - Jake Dennis, 2011

They will look quicker on tight street circuits though.
 
How much do you guys think that the USA race tickets will sell for? I'm interested in going to one of them
 
So it is Battersea Park for London then.
Only 1 year to wait for the closest thing to a 'London Grand Prix' then - provided of course something stupid doesn't happen, such as, say, health and safety, come in and say that actually all the drivers have to go home because of...oh, I dunno, barriers. Or that the crazy environmentalists suddenly find that actually the racing could harm snails in the area and will protest.

But all the tracks are what I'm interested in for this. Not all the tracks shown are that inventive but, to me, the idea of racing in more of the world's many cities is just lovely. Even if two tracks on the calendar already exist.
 
I'm not too bothered by how fast they are, only that the racing is entertaining to watch. F1 may be fast but I'd much rather watch BTCC, personally.
 
GOTMAXPOWER
I had a look on Forix to compare todays testing times to other cars on the same layout:

1:16.796 AutoGP - Narain Karthikeyan, 2012
1:22.590 Formula 3 - Jack Harvey, 2012
1:30.795 BRDC F4 - Jake Hughes, 2013
1:31.589 Formula Ford - Eric Lichtenstein, 2012 (Old car)
1:31.973 Formula E - Lucas di Grassi, today
1:34.427 Intersteps (FBMW) - Jake Dennis, 2011

They will look quicker on tight street circuits though.
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Was about to post di Grassi's time, almost 4 seconds quicker than Buemi on Thursday after they took the chicane out after old hairpin. I still think personally there will be more to come, maybe as much as 2-3 seconds on Donington. Think how much the 2014 F1 times dropped through the tests, it's the same thing with these brand new cars.
 
neema_t
I'm not too bothered by how fast they are, only that the racing is entertaining to watch. F1 may be fast but I'd much rather watch BTCC, personally.
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Open wheel cars can't take the sort of punishment a BTCC car can; the racing will space out because drivers will want to keep their under-powered, high-downforce, high-drag Formula car from being even more high-drag.


(Note: I'm saying "high-drag" because it's a Formula car, which by definition implies having lots of wings and things, Formula Ford/Formula Vee notwithstanding.)
 
ITCC_Andrew
Open wheel cars can't take the sort of punishment a BTCC car can; the racing will space out because drivers will want to keep their under-powered, high-downforce, high-drag Formula car from being even more high-drag.
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Oh gee, I wonder how much horsepower a F3 car has. :rolleyes:
 
DK
Oh gee, I wonder how much horsepower a F3 car has. :rolleyes:
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Irrelevant, mainly; F3 cars don't have to be changed half-way through a race, and the races are shorter. In other words, damage in a long race can spell disaster, while damage in a short race is a fair gamble for positions gained.
 
ITCC_Andrew
Open wheel cars can't take the sort of punishment a BTCC car can; the racing will space out because drivers will want to keep their under-powered, high-downforce, high-drag Formula car from being even more high-drag.


(Note: I'm saying "high-drag" because it's a Formula car, which by definition implies having lots of wings and things, Formula Ford/Formula Vee notwithstanding.)
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Which makes the racing less exciting to watch.
 
The most interesting thing that's kinda got my attention is the fact that these electric cars have gearboxes, which is...very different from the electric car norm (that I know of). Kinda glad to know these won't have CVT, though its odd already hearing them go through gears without the traditional note of a combustion engine accompanying it. Sure ought to be the easiest car to get the sound right if it ends up in a game :lol:

ECGadget
My opinion: I shan't watch it, I shan't follow it, or support it in anyway. I shan't even acknowledge it as a form of racing. I hate electric cars, and I will hate this with a passion.
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I know I'm at least 2 years behind on this, but does anyone else find that part slightly ironic given this whole thread? Just wanted to put that out there.
 
JohnBM01
Your thoughts?
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Voting for power boosts?

I like audience participation as much as the next guy, but, come on... that's ridiculous.

I am not opposed to gimmicks, per se. Mushroom powerups, maybe? Turtle shells? Supercharger strips in the concrete, a la F-Zero?

Actually, having supercharger strips would be awesome. :lol:
 
JohnBM01
Is Formula E the future of motorsport? Agree or disagree at will after reading this article from motorsport.com:

http://www.motorsport.com/formula-e/news/is-formula-e-truly-the-future-of-motorsport/

Your thoughts?
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This was one of the comments below the article :D:
High performance golf cart I give the series 2 years max! It was funny as hell seeing and hearing the standing start practice. People go to the races for the speed and SOUND!! The only way it sticks around longer is if people with money to burn keep funding it
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Peasantslayer
If they went ahead with the idea of voting for power boosts every team would be hiring the Bangladeshi click farms to boost their votes.
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Nice to see they are already making their own Mickey Mouse rules to compete with F1...
 
prisonermonkeys
The UK parliament has passed a law allowing racing on closed street circuits. People are getting carried away with the idea that this could pave the way for a London Grand Prix, but it's there for the Formula E race in Battersea Park.
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Here in Birmingham there's been a few mentions of the revival of the Birmingham SuperPrix.

I'm sort of getting hyped for this, I'd love to see Formula E and its tracks in GT6 - that Battersea Park circuit would easily beat the pitiful London Circuit already in GT6.
 
DK
Here in Birmingham there's been a few mentions of the revival of the Birmingham SuperPrix.

I'm sort of getting hyped for this, I'd love to see Formula E and its tracks in GT6 - that Battersea Park circuit would easily beat the pitiful London Circuit already in GT6.
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I wonder how the licensing would work with that. I hope it's not sold to code masters just to keep the market closed by them. I'd enjoy a few electric cars going around a few street tracks and a proper championship.
 
Formula E will be going to a game, just unknown as to which ones, they cant miss that marketing opportunity.
 
Lucas di Grassi onboard from the test, looks plenty fast from onboard. Hard to believe they almost raced F1 here, that would have been mental:

On a side note, this is probably the best positioned "driver's eye" camera view I've ever seen. It seems spot on.
 
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Interestingly, the lack of engine noise does give off a fairly audible idea of how the air around the car flows relative to its speed.
 
aarror
Lucas di Grassi onboard from the test, looks plenty fast from onboard. Hard to believe they almost raced F1 here, that would have been mental:

On a side note, this is probably the best positioned "driver's eye" camera view I've ever seen. It seems spot on.
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F1 2015 on PS4 :lol:
 

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