FIA Formula E Championship 2014-15

[jondownunder]

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

Looks like a dw indycar, is that a good thing!?

Exactly my thoughts when I first saw the images. It's only saved from being quite as hideous as the DW12 by leaving out the 'bumpers' behind the rear wheels.

[Mekola]

The car could have been nicer... Very similar to Indycar one indeed.
BTW, I'm interested in the concept of the series...

[ivanalesi]

I kind of like it because it's futuristic and for Dallara's standards it's great. Besides the F308 and the old GP3, I've never ever liked the looks of any Dallara! So with low expectation you'll like it
It will be interesting to see some onboard lap, because the electric motor has so much torque early on that Di Grassi probably used little throttle to light up the rears.

[jondownunder]

Funny how tastes differ. I actually prefer the 'new' Dallara F312 to the F308, and also slightly prefer the revised GP3 car to the rather weedy looking old one. I quite liked the clean lines of the GP2/05 too, before they got successively uglier in my opinion, moving closer to F1 looks - not a series you want to look up to for aesthetics. But I think my favourite Dallara was the first generation F.Renault 3.5 car. I wish Lola were still around designing single seaters - I almost always found their cars attractive, at least from the spec F3000 era onwards.

[bella]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

But I think my favourite Dallara was the first generation F.Renault 3.5 car.

off topic and i've slapped myself for it, but you don't like the new one? the more i see that car the more it's growing on me, it looks as business-like as the superleague car did. and THAT was a single seater and a half.

i think making the car look ubermodern and futuristic is part of selling the story to people. electric cars are *meant* to be the future for us road users, and by selling it as part of a stylish, aspirational package then they're creating an image that people can aim for, if not buy into for a few years. by putting it into something that looks too current they'd just be pegging it back, though i suppose there's an arguement that it would be saying "look, it's the same as what you have now and it's just as quick and good fun to watch". i suppose they're more keen on selling to a new market like the passive f1 fans rather than convert the purists. and they, of course, will be far harder to sell to.

edit: thinking about it a bit, they're not just selling it to the public. they're selling it to the media too. well, by having spanky city venues they're doing that very nicely. they're selling it to the industry, which i think by making it completely different to yer average circuit single seater series they're doing. and that generates interest at manufacturer level, and positive, enthusiastic pr on social and traditional media. all part of generating enthusiasm and positive noises about a concept, which itself is trying to sell this ~vision of the future to us.

and sell us more renaults too

[Mekola]

I'm considering a Formula E TWPC prediction competition for 2014. Stay tuned...

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by bella

off topic and i've slapped myself for it, but you don't like the new one? the more i see that car the more it's growing on me, it looks as business-like as the superleague car did. and THAT was a single seater and a half.

i think making the car look ubermodern and futuristic is part of selling the story to people. electric cars are *meant* to be the future for us road users, and by selling it as part of a stylish, aspirational package then they're creating an image that people can aim for, if not buy into for a few years. by putting it into something that looks too current they'd just be pegging it back, though i suppose there's an arguement that it would be saying "look, it's the same as what you have now and it's just as quick and good fun to watch". i suppose they're more keen on selling to a new market like the passive f1 fans rather than convert the purists. and they, of course, will be far harder to sell to.

edit: thinking about it a bit, they're not just selling it to the public. they're selling it to the media too. well, by having spanky city venues they're doing that very nicely. they're selling it to the industry, which i think by making it completely different to yer average circuit single seater series they're doing. and that generates interest at manufacturer level, and positive, enthusiastic pr on social and traditional media. all part of generating enthusiasm and positive noises about a concept, which itself is trying to sell this ~vision of the future to us.

and sell us more renaults too

It's all about the image, IMO. Having a futuristic-looking open wheel series with high-caliber drivers racing through glimmering super-cities certainly gives a good impression. There's always a bit of marketing cynic behind anything.

[ptclaus98]

I like the look of the new car. Of course I'm one of the handful that watches indycar racing

[jondownunder]

Originally Posted by bella

off topic and i've slapped myself for it, but you don't like the new one? the more i see that car the more it's growing on me, it looks as business-like as the superleague car did. and THAT was a single seater and a half.

I do quite like the new car, certainly more so than the current GP2 chassis. But I'm stuck in my ways, so anything with sleek lines reminiscent of late 80s/early 90s F1 does it for me! You're right about the Superleague car, that was a purposeful machine. As was the car it was based on, the last proper IndyCar in my eyes.

[ivanalesi]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

Funny how tastes differ. I actually prefer the 'new' Dallara F312 to the F308, and also slightly prefer the revised GP3 car to the rather weedy looking old one. I quite liked the clean lines of the GP2/05 too, before they got successively uglier in my opinion, moving closer to F1 looks - not a series you want to look up to for aesthetics. But I think my favourite Dallara was the first generation F.Renault 3.5 car. I wish Lola were still around designing single seaters - I almost always found their cars attractive, at least from the spec F3000 era onwards.

LOL, Good point! I liked the Superleague and DP01, but don't like the current FR3.5, GP2 and GP3(this nose!).

[Marcus666]

In my opinion, the GP2/08 and the FN09 chassis are the finest designed open wheel cars since the MP4-20/MP4-21...

[Beetle]

Bangkok has just been confirmed as the 9th city for the Formula E Championship in 2014. http://formula-e-news.com/bangkok-re...-championship/

Only one to go!!!

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by kipper

In some respects, putting on an 'environmentally friendly' race in Beijing may help to promote the championships given the problems that pollution causes in the city.

I think that's what this article is trying to say...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmi...-beijing-race/

[Juntos]

Originally Posted by Beetle

Bangkok has just been confirmed as the 9th city for the Formula E Championship in 2014. http://formula-e-news.com/bangkok-re...-championship/

F1 was banned from Bangkok not so long time ago. Fortunately, misery loves company.

[kipper]

Originally Posted by Juntos

F1 was banned from Bangkok not so long time ago

The ban only applies to racing in the historic core of Bangkok.

[cerdic]

Apparently it is not 2 drivers sharing a car as mentioned above, but each driver gets two cars.

The idea is that they drive half the race in one car until the battery goes flat, and then jump into the second car for the second half of the race.

It may be just me, but doesn't this format just draw attention to the one big problem with electric cars? Odd marketing strategy....

[Go_For_Pole]

Much in the manner that refueling emphasize that traditional cars have a finite fuel tank?

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by cerdic

Apparently it is not 2 drivers sharing a car as mentioned above, but each driver gets two cars.

The idea is that they drive half the race in one car until the battery goes flat, and then jump into the second car for the second half of the race.

It may be just me, but doesn't this format just draw attention to the one big problem with electric cars? Odd marketing strategy....

Never thought about that... and I'm sure they didn't either!

Another odd thing: the Formula E website and wiki page states that tracks will be between 2.5-3.0 kilometers long. That's quite a short track for 42 cars, especially on narrow city streets. Plus that's quite a narrow bit of wiggle room.

[Mekola]

But the series stated that 20 cars will be used. The other 20 will be on garages, since each driver will use two cars.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Mekola

But the series stated that 20 cars will be used. The other 20 will be on garages, since each driver will use two cars.

Oh, my bad. But still... those are awfully short racing tracks. That would mean that the Long Beach GP circuit would actually be too LONG... :/

[Beetle]

According to this link and the Wikipedia page, the inaugural Formula E season will be from September 2014 to June 2015, just like A1GP. Also, with a maximum of twelve races. The official schedule along with regulations will be presented at the World Motor Sport Council September meeting.

[Metzo]

according to this link (in german) Formula E will race in Berlin. there will be a announcement on thursday.

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by Metzo

according to this link (in german) Formula E will race in Berlin. there will be a announcement on thursday.

Cheers, Metzo!

[NaBUru38]

Thank god it's circuit racing rather than drag racing. If that was the case, the Berlin race would be called Elektroformelbeschleunigungsrennenweltmeisterschaftsrennen-Berlin !!! :P

[Beetle]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Thank god it's circuit racing rather than drag racing. If that was the case, the Berlin race would be called Elektroformelbeschleunigungsrennenweltmeisterschaftsrennen-Berlin !!! :P

Yes, but the circuit doesn't look very promising...

http://motorblog.com/2013/07/10/gree...lin-tempelhof/

It'll be held in front of the main terminal of Berlin-Tempelhof. I believe it'll sort of be like DTM in Munich.