Thursday 27th June 2019

Mercedes amps up Formula E racer

High speed testing underway in the new EQ Silver Arrow, which will face Porsche, Audi et al in November

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Mercedes might be the team to beat in F1, but in Formula E, it’s the new kid on the block. From the start of the new season in November, the German marque will face the likes of Audi, BMW and Nissan, as well as Jaguar and fellow newcomer Porsche, in the most manufacturer-populated single seater series on the planet. This is a place Mercedes has not yet competed, so with five months before the first race it has to make up a six-year development deficit to the most established teams in the field – which is going to be no easy task, given the rivals it faces.

During two days of running at the Varano circuit in Italy, two-time DTM champ Gary Paffett and former F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne split testing duties for the new EQ Silver Arrow 01, with – remarkably – no problems to report. Although Formula E regulations dictate that a control chassis is used, manufacturers get to develop their own powertrains, meaning there’s no prior data with which to compare the gubbins propelling the new single-seater. Even Mercedes must be over the moon at completing a pair of trouble-free days this early on.

Paffet, who has plenty of single seater experience to call upon with a year in FE and his time as a former McLaren test driver, said of the new car: “It’s obviously different from any Mercedes I have driven before” – no surprise given that he's mostly raced with V8s – “but it has been a fantastic test. I think that the professionalism and the skill of the engineering within the team is exceptional”. Vandoorne echoed the enthusiasm, stating that “the basics are right”, even this early on.

So there you have it, the might of Mercedes taking on an all-new challenge with no real understanding of where it’ll be come race one. Didn’t think we’d be writing that anytime soon…

[Rugbyman]

This could be shaping up to be more watchable than F1

fingers crossed

[fushion julz]

It already is (more watchable than F1)

[AaronD891]

You make it sound as though it's totally different to anything Paffett has driven before... when he races in FE this season with HWA!! The same HWA which, by the way, will be running the Mercedes FE team... so it's not really totally new to them at all!

[Pericoloso]

Rugbyman said:

This could be shaping up to be more watchable than F1

fingers crossed

I can't get enthused by either of them.

At least I can watch FE live and not wait for highlights later ,sometimes when there are none the race is so dull ,re French GP.

I still can't get my head around "fan boost".

"Text to this number for your favourite driver"

[anonymous-user]

fushion julz said:

It already is (more watchable than F1)

It's like watching green paint dry instead of white.

[Superdavros]

I’m pretty sure HWA are located right next door to AMG in Affalterbach too, so they were clearly testing the water, prior to unleashing the branded car, after a year of testing....

[Nerdherder]

fblm said:

fushion julz said:

It already is (more watchable than F1)

It's like watching green paint dry instead of white.

Hahahaha, likely the comment of the day.

[ArnageWRC]

fushion julz said:

It already is (more watchable than F1)

Almost every series is more watchable than F1......

[Maldini35]

fblm said:

fushion julz said:

It already is (more watchable than F1)

It's like watching green paint dry instead of white.

Brilliant!!!!

[hypermark]

I'd like to see them race on a proper, wider F1 style circuit that offers more opportunity for overtaking.

[kambites]

hypermark said:

I'd like to see them race on a proper, wider F1 style circuit that offers more opportunity for overtaking.

Right now they're too slow and battery limited for that to work, really. Even on tight street circuits with lots of hard stops to 90 degree corners, they have to do some power management. On an F1 type circuit with long straights and sweeping corners with less opportunity to regeneratively brake, they'd have a hopeless range.

I'm not sure you'd want to make overtaking too much easier anyway or you'd simply end up with the cars strung out in performance order for most of the race. Part of the reason FE's weird qualifying format works so well is that it's moderately difficult but not impossible for the championship leaders, who tend to start at or near the back, to pass.

Edited by kambites on Friday 28th June 10:56

[tubs]

I must admit i find formula e unwatchable. It is really quite slow and the tracks aren't interesting enough...but the worst bit is it just sounds absolutely dreadful!! It's just constant screeching and squeaking.

[Pericoloso]

kambites said:

Right now they're too slow and battery limited for that to work, really. Even on tight street circuits with lots of hard stops to 90 degree corners, they have to do some power management. On an F1 type circuit with long straights and sweeping corners with less opportunity to regeneratively brake, they'd have a hopeless range.

I'm not sure you'd want to make overtaking too much easier anyway or you'd simply end up with the cars strung out in performance order for most of the race. Part of the reason FE's weird qualifying format works so well is that it's moderately difficult but not impossible for the championship leaders, who tend to start at or near the back, to pass.

Edited by kambites on Friday 28th June 10:56

What about a shorter proper circuit,like Brands Indy ?

[anonymous-user]

tubs said:

I must admit i find formula e unwatchable. It is really quite slow and the tracks aren't interesting enough...but the worst bit is it just sounds absolutely dreadful!! It's just constant screeching and squeaking.

I agree. It's not that it doesn't sound great like most ICE motorsport, it's that it sounds offensively bad.

[kambites]

Pericoloso said:

What about a shorter proper circuit,like Brands Indy ?

I still don't think the cars could do the 45 minute distance without a lot of energy saving. I guess they could shorten the race.

[kambites]

fblm said:

I agree. It's not that it doesn't sound great like most ICE motorsport, it's that it sounds offensively bad.

Each to their own I suppose. I can't say I like the sounds the cars make personally but I don't find it offensive. I do find it quite interesting being able to actually hear the levels of grip, especially during the on-boards.

[Chris944_S2]

Maldini35 said:

fblm said:

fushion julz said:

It already is (more watchable than F1)

It's like watching green paint dry instead of white.

Brilliant!!!!

I prefer matte

[big_rob_sydney]

fushion julz said:

It already is (more watchable than F1)

I don't watch F1 anymore because I think it's only on pay TV? Also, it's as boring as bat st when only one car (Mercedes) wins. You basically have a race where the world champion is only going to be one of the two drivers from that one team. How is that a world drivers championship?

[EDLT]

This year has been very entertaining at times. The Monaco race was surprisingly good, especially when everyone else says it's impossible to overtake there. I think it could be improved by making the cars more robust, the races reward aggressive overtaking while the tracks are lined with concrete walls, something like a stock car design seems more appropriate to me.