RE: Jaguar in Formula E - official!

[c_seven]

Impasse said:

I thought this was announced a while ago? Wasn't there a fancy launch do at The Shard some time back?

Yep December 2015.... New news anyone?

[RacerMike]

Ultimately, such shame they chose this over GT3. Just can't get excited about Formula E. Seems like yet another excellent marketing scam played out by a bunch of motorsport characters who want to be the next Bernie. I just don't see how it's going to be sustainable as a series given that virtually no one has anything positive to say about it. The tracks are Mickey Mouse, the cars are slow, the overtaking is contrived and the sound. Oh god the sound. It actually hurts my brain.

I've got nothing against HEVs and BEVs. But please....make something interesting like a Hybrid GT3 car or LMP1. That would actually have been cool and watchable.

[Fire99]

I've tried to watch a few races of Formula E but it still feels little more than a kids fairground dodgem race just with bigger names and bigger cars.
It appears a novelty act with its 'fan boost' and swapping cars with a minimum swap over time etc.. Its incredibly sanitised and gimmicky.

I'd guess Jaguar doesn't need to invest vast amounts of money into this to get its branding circulated and I guess they can make a claim to be relevant with modern electric tech. Perhaps it's a further move to shrug off the old 'pipe n slippers' old school reputation of the brand.

However, from a motorsport perspective, this is a bit half-hearted.

[AnotherClarkey]

They are getting quicker - only a second off the Donington Park F3 lap record (GP circuit) and on treaded tyres rather than slicks.

[big_rob_sydney]

AnotherClarkey said:

They are getting quicker - only a second off the Donington Park F3 lap record (GP circuit) and on treaded tyres rather than slicks.

Out of curiosity, what kind of benefit would slicks give at Donington? I'm curious to know how the outright pace would stack up to an ICE "slicked" car.

[mylesmcd]

Young Carroll is a fantastic driver, Sky did a piece about him being lost talent a while back, really good read too. He has the talent to win in anything.

[The Hypno-Toad]

Note to the F1 teams; that's what you call a proper paint scheme, something that the fans can buy into. Not just a bunch of stickers slapped onto a black or silver car. I think you'll find that might help with the marketing.

So now you have Audi, Jaguar, Citroen and Renault committing large budgets to Formula E & Bernie has just sold F1. Interesting.

[The Hypno-Toad]

The Hypno-Toad said:

So now you have Audi, Jaguar, Citroen and Renault committing large budgets to Formula E.

& now add BMW & Mercedes for 2018 as well.

For that season onwards it will become a 'one car' Formula with no mid-race car swops and with the grids expanded to 24 cars. 10 teams have now been confirmed with Mercedes about to sign for number 11. Number 12 is rumoured to be either Volvo, Porsche or Nissan.

[RacerMike]

The Hypno-Toad said:

The Hypno-Toad said:

So now you have Audi, Jaguar, Citroen and Renault committing large budgets to Formula E.

& now add BMW & Mercedes for 2018 as well.

For that season onwards it will become a 'one car' Formula with no mid-race car swops and with the grids expanded to 24 cars. 10 teams have now been confirmed with Mercedes about to sign for number 11. Number 12 is rumoured to be either Volvo, Porsche or Nissan.

Which is clearly great news for the series, but I still don't understand who watches it. I have even less interest in watching it than F1, and my interest in that is dwindling. I just have zero interest in seeing a fairly slow, electric single seater bounce around a series of stop start chicanes in a city. The only redeeming feature of many city street circuits is the ludicrous spectacle of an un-silenced V8 at full chat between some buildings.