Marshal at the Formula E Race in London

[Duracell]

I have been watching the coverage of the Formula E today, was wondering who to contact to volunteer to Marshal the British round of the championship due to take place next year?

Thanks

[roys1]

It has not yet been decided which organising club will be running it yet.. I suspect the information to be out mid January ...

[thepits!]

Originally Posted by Duracell

I have been watching the coverage of the Formula E today, was wondering who to contact to volunteer to Marshal the British round of the championship due to take place next year?

Thanks

Sorry? Speak up. I can't hear you over the tannoy musak!

[Mark Mitchell]

Being a former DJ - I'm volunteering for the Startline disco booth! Give me a flag and I'll multitask

[thepits!]

Originally Posted by Mark Mitchell

Being a former DJ - I'm volunteering for the Startline disco booth! Give me a flag and I'll multitask

Multitask? Is that your feminine side coming out?

[Guinness2702]

Originally Posted by Mark Mitchell

Being a former DJ - I'm volunteering for the Startline disco booth! Give me a flag and I'll multitask

I used to be a lighting technician at gigs and discos, so I'll rewire the flag system for some appropriate disco lighting

[SouthportFC Fan]

All this extra power usage may result in the drivers having to use three cars each in the race.

[thepits!]

Originally Posted by SouthportFC Fan

All this extra power usage may result in the drivers having to use three cars each in the race.

which will result in bringing down the national grid

[Clive]

So do I bring the acoustic or the electric guitar?

[SouthportFC Fan]

Originally Posted by Clive

So do I bring the acoustic or the electric guitar?

To misquote a long finished TV series 'Tonight Clive will you be Don Mclean or Jimmy Page ?'

[Clive]

Probably Don Page!

[bauble]

Originally Posted by Clive

So do I bring the acoustic or the electric guitar?

Preferably neither..

[Clive]

Jealousy does not suit you Sir!

[M Greenslade]

Marshal at the Formula E Race in London

Question why?

Bladders

[Guinness2702]

Originally Posted by M Greenslade

Marshal at the Formula E Race in London

Question why?

Because trying to do so in Winchester will give the impression of a disappointing grid size?

[Rob29]

Perhaps someone can explain those past few posts? sorry I an not a marshal-no means of transport to circuits,but now have a girl friend interested in seeing this event.Need details of grandstands and where to apply for tickets.

[Richard Duvall]

Originally Posted by M Greenslade

Marshal at the Formula E Race in London

Question why?

Bladders

For me, the "why" would be to get a close look at these things. They may not be very fast but from what I've seen on TV they have some close racing, often too close! Got to keep an open mind as electric and hybrid are almost certainly the future of motoring and thus motorsport. Relatively early days for all-electric but battery technology is developing at a very fast rate.

Not sure if I like the way they are packaging this series, maybe it would be better to include it within a normal race meeting rather than the razamataz of their city centre disco style.

[SouthportFC Fan]

Originally Posted by Richard Duvall

Not sure if I like the way they are packaging this series, maybe it would be better to include it within a normal race meeting rather than the razamataz of their city centre disco style.

Marketing, getting the fact that 'motorsport is green' over to the general public, TV, etc., etc.

What size crowd and what amount of TV coverage would be achieved by sticking these races into a MSVR meeting at a 'bone fide' circuit rather than a temporary circuit around a city centre park ?

Those are a couple of reasons why this type of racing won't be included in a 'proper' meeting.

Not that interested in this racing yet, not watched it yet on TV. I could be flippant and say that if I wanted to watch 'man size' Scalextrix, then I'll wait until James May makes a program about making two cars, making the track and the hand controllers.

[The Fat Clerk]

Not that interested in this racing yet, not watched it yet on TV. I could be flippant and say that if I wanted to watch 'man size' Scalextrix, then I'll wait until James May makes a program about making two cars, making the track and the hand controllers.[/QUOTE]

Couldn't agree more.

[bauble]

It is of course, an ideal dumping ground for ex- and failed Formula 1 drivers!

Bauble.

[Greem]

It's different, it's new, it's on a non-permanent circuit, it has international live telly coverage, the drivers & teams are largely pretty well known, a number of Donington regulars are members of the travelling circus as the extrication & safety team, it's based in the UK, using UK designed & built technology.

It's racing. What more do you want?

I'm all for people having opinions based on having actually *been* to an event, but knocking it down on the basis that it's a bit different is pretty poor. Nothing new would ever happen in the world if we keep looking backwards.

It might not last very long - but on the flip side, it might, and we might be looking back on the first event in 20 or so years with the same joy and rapture some regulars have over the Birmingham Superprix.

Let's get it done, first, and if it deserves a knock it'll get a knock.

I'm certainly hoping to do it, that's for sure.

[Mike Kelly 1]

Well said Greem.

[Guinness2702]

Originally Posted by Greem

It's racing. What more do you want?

Originally Posted by Greem

I'm all for people having opinions based on having actually *been* to an event, but knocking it down on the basis that it's a bit different is pretty poor. Nothing new would ever happen in the world if we keep looking backwards.

Yep, I'm definitely keen to go along and have a look at it. Maybe I like it, maybe I don't .... but I'm gonna find out.

[thepits!]

Originally Posted by bauble

It is of course, an ideal dumping ground for ex- and failed Formula 1 drivers! Bauble.

Hard, but true

OT[ish] can anyone give me a rational explanation why Electric cars are so "Planet Friendly"?

They need to be recharged, so one 'assumes' they are plugged into the mains to use the electricity from the grid, and where does that come from?

And don't start me on their energy cells, un-recyclable, into land fill for 1000's of years

Now, if someone produced a Hydrogen race-car I might be interested

over

[Greem]

Originally Posted by thepits!

Hard, but true

OT[ish] can anyone give me a rational explanation why Electric cars are so "Planet Friendly"?

They need to be recharged, so one 'assumes' they are plugged into the mains to use the electricity from the grid, and where does that come from?

And don't start me on their energy cells, un-recyclable, into land fill for 1000's of years

Now, if someone produced a Hydrogen race-car I might be interested

over

Thermal efficiency/thermodynamic limit. Most ICE engines run at between 15-25% efficiency (yes, a wide range and yes, depending on fuel and the environment they're driven in); large power stations approach between 40-60% depending on how they're designed. Even with transmission losses (which aren't that high) an electric motor in a car is still more efficient in terms over end-to-end energy conversion than conventional petrol or diesel - say the generation os 50% efficient, transmission 90% (so we're at 45% overall now) and the vehicle is 80% efficient we get around 40% efficiency. Y'know, about twice that of a conventional car.

Pretty sure someone will correct that based on Wikipedia, but I've aggregated a few sources there to present a pragmatist's view.

As for the batteries/cells, they're worth a lot even when they're dead. The lead, lithium and other metals are recycled into new units.

That would be an interesting question to ask of Williams, actually. What are they doing with dead units?

In other news, my office is upstairs from a major research effort into hydrogen fuel cell technology. There are usually a couple of H2-fuelled London taxis parked downstairs in the courtyard, along with a hydrogen motorbike. Yet their first real commercial public device is a hydrogen fuel-cell phone charger...