[954Stealth]

Welcome to the Official Formula E Championship thread for the inaugural season! The racing starts in a couple of months but the first official test is in about a day and a half. This will be very devisive, I know...some will love it some will hate it. Whatever side you chose, it should be fun to discuss.


"Formula E is a breath of fresh air and F1 has to worry that fans will believe so" - Jarno Trulli


FIA book on Fe: http://current-e.com/wp-content/uplo...2/fe-specs.pdf

Here is the season schedule:
•Round 1: Beijing, People’s Republic of China - 09/13/14
•Round 2: Putrajaya, Malaysia - 10/18/14

•Round 3: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 11/15/14

•Round 4: Punta del Este, Uruguay - 12/13/14
•Round 5: Buenos Aires, Argentina - 01/10/15
•Round 6: Los Angeles, USA - 02/14/15

•Round 7: Miami, USA - 03/14/15
•Round 8: Monte Carlo, Monaco - 05/09/15
•Round 9: Berlin, Germany - 05/30/2015
•Round 10: London, UK - 06/27/2015
--The races will not be called Grand Prixs but will be referred to as ePrix races.--

F1 vs Fe

"Williams Advanced Engineering announced in June 2013 that it will partner with Spark Racing Technology to design and assemble a battery system for the 42 cars that will be used in the FIA Formula E Championship." -- this is the same Williams as in F1
http://www.williamsf1.com/AdvancedEn...ies/Formula-E/




Overview:
•10 international teams, each with two drivers. Each driver will have 2 cars.
•Races will take place on 10 city-centre venues around the world
•Circuits will be from 2.5km to 3 km in length
•Cars will accelerate from 0- 100Km/h in 2.9 seconds, with a maximum speed of 225Km/h
•The cars will still produce sound at around 80 decibels (more than a road car travelling at 70mph)

Event:
•Practice, qualifying and the race will all take place in one day (Saturday) in order to minimise disruption to the city.
•Practice will last one hour with cars taking to the track as they please.
•Qualifying will see cars taking to the track in groups in order to avoid congestion with each driver having a set number of laps in order to set their fastest time.
•Races will be one hour in length with each driver required to make two mandatory pit stops to change cars. Tyres will not be changed.
•Points will be awarded to the top 10 finishers in accordance with other FIA championships: 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1

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Each driver will pilot two cars during the hour-long race. No, you didn’t read that wrong. Twice each race, as per the rules, a driver must pit to “refuel” by jumping into a car with a fully charged battery. This isn’t going to be like Le Mans in the ’60s, where drivers would roar off without being fully belted. The cars must be stopped in the pits for a minimum of 30 seconds to ensure that all the safety equipment is properly engaged before reentering the race. While the practice of using two vehicles in one race may seem laughable, it’s commonplace in MotoGP, where riders change bikes if something mechanical goes wrong. Tires, however, must last the entire stint. A tire puncture is the lone exception to that rule.
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The FIA has posted the tech regulations book here: http://www.fia.com/sites/default/fil...A9c.2013_0.pdf

Some specs on the Spark-Renault SRT_01E as it relates to the above
•Max power (limited): 200kw, equivalent to 270bhp
•Race mode (power-saving): 133kw, equivalent to 180bhp
•'Push-to-Pass': 67kw
•Acceleration: 0 - 100 km/h (0-62mph) in 3s - Estimated
•Maximum speed: 225 km/h (FIA limited) - Estimated
•MGU by McLaren
•Maximum of two MGU's allowed
•MGU's must be linked only to the rear axle
• USe a RESS (rechargeable Energy Storage System)
•The use of traction control is forbidden
•McLaren Electronics ECU/GCU including data logging system
•Power supply management unit
•CAN data acquisition pre-equipment
•FIA Marshalling system
•Beacon receiver
•Telemetry is not permitted
•Non assisted rack and pinion steering system (power assistance is allowed)
•Steering wheel with dashboard, marshalling display, gear change and clutch paddles













Here is the website:
www.fiaformulae.com

They have something called a "fan boost" where you can vote:
http://fanboost.fiaformulae.com/
"The three drivers with the most votes will each receive one 2.5-second ‘power boost’, temporarily increasing their car’s power from 133kw (180bhp) to 200kw (270bhp)."


http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/teams.aspx:
"The inaugural season will see 10 teams, each with two drivers, competing in the 2014/2015 FIA Formula E Championship. All teams - coming from a variety of top, global championships - have now been confirmed and approved by the FIA.

It will be down to the individual teams to select their drivers. To date, 14 of the 20 drivers have been announced including Lucas di Grassi, Daniel Abt, Jaime Alguersuari, Sam Bird, Karun Chandhok, Bruno Senna, Franck Montagny, Jarno Trulli, Nick Heidfeld, Stéphane Sarrazin, Katherine Legge, Sebastien Buemi, Nicolas Prost and Michela Cerruti.

For the inaugural season, each team will run four Spark-Renault SRT_01E Formula E cars, two per driver, with the cars/teams based at a purpose built central workshop at Donington Park in the UK - part of a number of steps to reduce overall running costs.

From season two, Formula E will become an 'open championship' allowing teams to design and develop their own cars - in accordance to the technical specifications set out by the FIA - and showcasing their electrical energy innovations in a competitive, racing environment.




Related News:
BMW to become official vehicle supplier
"The agreement would see BMW supply a fleet of its highly advanced fully-electric and hybrid vehicles to be used as course, medical and VIP cars at all race events. Two of the manufacturer’s vehicles – the all-electric BMW i3 and the hybrid BMW i8 - which will be used at the events were also unveiled to guests at the Roundhouse in London."


Jörg Reimann, Vice President BMW Brand Experience: “We have watched with great interest the continued growth of the new FIA Formula E Championship and the potential it has to significantly increase the interest in sustainable mobility. As a global manufacturer at the forefront of innovation and technology, BMW regards Formula E as a great platform in which to showcase our range of fully-electric and hybrid vehicles and to align our common goals. We are working on an agreement to finalise this partnership.”



ESPN calls Fe 'the future of motorsport"
Story: http://en.espnf1.com/fia/motorsport/story/164787.html

Renault ups sponsorship and involvement in Fe
Renault has stepped up it's involvement in Fe by backing the Seb Prost and Nicolas Buemi squad for e.dams. It is now e.dams-Renault.

Is this a killer for the series? We'll see!





So let's hear it!! I want to hear your opinion: What do you think? Any news you want to share? Who is near one of the scheduled venues?
-- I will be going to the Miami event. You may be apprehensive about this series but - come on! - anything racing through down town has got to be fun.
Why this is good for Miami: http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarw...ents/70553.pdf

[GTB/ZR-1]

I think the concept is cool & all, but I'm not sure I can get too excited abt 1/1 scale RC cars going at it...
Racing, to me at least, is visceral & having cars whirring by doesn't do anything for me--just yet...

Shoot, I'm having a tough enough time with the new V6 turbo F1 cars & their flatulent sound lol. Gosh, do I miss the NA shriek...

My .02

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by GTB/ZR-1

I think the concept is cool & all, but I'm not sure I can get too excited abt 1/1 scale RC cars going at it...
Racing, to me at least, is visceral & having cars whirring by doesn't do anything for me--just yet...

Shoot, I'm having a tough enough time with the new V6 turbo F1 cars & their flatulent sound lol. Gosh, do I miss the NA shriek...

My .02

It definitely sounds jarringly different than what we're used to. Skip to about 1:20

[954Stealth]

More on the fanboost:

Formula E cars to get mid-race power boost via Twitter

Formula E organisers have announced that certain teams will get an on-track power advantage during the race if they receive positive fan activity on social media services.


Drivers will get 'fanboost' push-to-pass help from Twitter activity
The driver who receives the most ‘@’ mentions on Twitter during the race will get an extra boost on the last lap. The power advantage will be race-specific, so there’s no counting the fan activity cumulatively over the season. You can vote here.

The move is possible as all Formula E will be restricted to 85 per cent power. Those who receive the additional 15 per cent power advantage should find overtaking easier, although given that all Formula E races will take place on tight street circuits, anyone attempting an overtake will need all the help they can get.

The purists at the FIA were somewhat bamboozled by the initial suggestions but Formula E organisers have been resolute about the integration of such technology. There have also been suggestions of virtual races, where pre-registered fans will race live with the drivers in each city, but details have yet to be confirmed.

http://recombu.com/cars/articles/new...-twitter-power

[954Stealth]

MEET THE TEAMS:

[954Stealth]

Official Test Schedule at Donington Park, the home of the FIA Formula E championship HQ.:

"Beginning on July 3rd, the 10 Formula E teams will be given five full test days with every one open to the public free of charge, allowing fans who pre-register below unprecedented access to see and hear the 200kw (270bhp) Spark-Renault SRT_01E single-seaters in action."

July 3rd
July 4th
July 9th
July 10th
August 19th
The remaining tests at the Leicestershire circuit will take place on July 4th, 9th and 10th with the final session on August 19th – three weeks before the season opener in Beijing on September 13th.



http://www.donington-park.co.uk/even...ula-e-testing/

[954Stealth]

Catching up with Bruno Senna:

For Mahindra Racing drivers Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok the run up to the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship has been a period of excitement, intrigue and preparation. Both drivers have already been working hard with the team as the first round in Beijing draws ever closer. With new technology, as well as unknown city street circuits to contend with we caught up with Senna to get his thoughts about the championship, the technology and his team mate, Chandhok.


How was your experience in India with the official Mahindra press conference?
It was good fun because everyone was very keen on the project and interested in the concept of Formula E. The commitment of the Mahindra factory and the key personnel has been very inspirational for us; to come to a new championship and see that everyone behind the scenes are completely on board and want to win as much as you do is great. As a driver you go into every championship wanting to win so seeing the same attitude in the garage and in Mahindra’s top personnel fills you with confidence.

As a driver is that what sways you when deciding which team to drive for?
That is exactly what I came to Mahindra in the first place – I spoke with a few other teams before speaking with Dilbagh [Gill, Team Principle] and he told me all about the project and who was running the team as well as how it was structured. This all together gave me so much confidence to sign up with Mahindra and work with them. We know we’re going in the right direction and seeing everyone together makes me happy as we head into the next stage of the season.

It’s a brand new championship and the first fully electric one, what is it that appeals to you about it?
There are a few things that excite me. First off, I love driving single seater race cars so that’s definitely a very big pull for more alongside the venues where we will have the opportunity to race – street circuits always throw up some fantastic racing. But it’s also very important to be involved in a championship which is developing technology which could potentially be used in the road cars of the future in order to make lives more sustainable. It’s certainly a pioneering enterprise and something I’m very interested in as well as the fantastic technology surrounding it.

As well as the new technology there’s a new format to the race weekend with all the action in one day, do you think this will be a challenge for drivers?
I think it will be a very interesting for everyone. Of course there are times when if you’ve had a bad qualifying, it’s nice to have the time to go away and get a good night’s sleep before the next session. So yes, it will be more demanding but I think we’ll just get used to it because this is the format and it’s the same for everyone. A lot of homework will have to be done before each event in preparation to make sure that we know as much as we can to maximise our time on track.

It’s well known that you and Karun [Chandhok] have been team mates in the past, does this help?
We have a good relationship off the track and were both clever guys so are able to collaborate really well together. Obviously we both want to beat each other on track but we know that especially at the beginning the team needs team work and we will have to share everything to make sure we optimise our performance. It’s nice to have the relationship like this and I think it will benefit both of us and also the rest of the team.

What has the reaction been back in Brazil?
There has been a nice bit of interest in Formula E back in Brazil especially when I was announced and it’s definitely building and growing as time goes on. I think that Brazil will be a very good market to Formula E and I’m hoping that all the fans get together in support of the Fan Boost which will be a great interaction during the races.

Obviously you have Formula One experience, how much do you think this will help?
I had two years driving the Formula 1 car with KERS so I understood that aspect of the car and hopefully this will be good experience in Formula E. It is different but there are always aspects that you can take with you and work on. Formula E is an efficiency race so the more I know the better. I’m aiming to get as much homework done before the season so that I can maximise our potential and get the extra knowledge.

Where are you most looking forward to racing?
Monaco. That’s the biggest thing I miss about racing in Formula One so racing back there will be very cool and I’m sure it will draw big crowds. In fact I think there will be big crowds at all the rounds because the calendar is going to some fantastic cities where the support and atmosphere will be amazing.

It’s a different concept in motor racing. Do you think it will take a while for fans to embrace Formula E?
I think that there are a few ways to look at it. You will probably never convert the hard-core Formula One fans – they like their screaming engines. However for general motorsport fans who enjoy single seaters, touring cars and endurance racing all together I think they’ll be more open to it because it’s another great motorsport series.

But I think the big draw for the Championship is that the visual aspect of the racing is going to be incredible – the cars racing around streets of cities will have such an impact that you will concentrate only on the spectacular sight on track.

If we had started Formula One with electric motors and suddenly changed to a combustion engine the shock would be the same. It’s just a case of getting used to the differences and embracing them.

[954Stealth]

**IndyCar driver Mike Conway joining Dragon and Formula E
Jay Penske's Dragon Racing names its first driver

**Scott Speed and Gil de Ferran to test with Andretti Formula E
Scott Speed and Gil de Ferran will both have the opportunity to test Andretti's Spark-Renault SRT-01E on the Donington Park circuit.


**Amlin Aguri Formula E Team adds Antonio Felix da Costa to lineup and joins driver Katherine Legge

Felix da Costa will participate in Thursday’s first public test for the squad before linking up on Friday with the Infiniti Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Team where he will continue as the team’s reserve driver at the British Grand Prix this weekend.

The 22-year-old is no stranger to the Spark-Renault SRT_01E Formula E car having driven for the outfit during a shakedown held in early June at the Donington Park Racing Circuit.

Antonio Felix da Costa said: “I am delighted to compete in the Formula E inaugural season and I am proud to have been chosen by Amlin Aguri. I am thrilled by what I believe is the championship of the future. With Formula E we see history being made and I’m excited to be right at the heart of this new project. I have no doubt we’ll see this championship drive real innovation and advances in technology. What’s special about our team is the expertise from Amlin. They have core skills in analysing complex data and we’ll be using these skills to produce strategies that will help drivers like me win these races. That’s really important for this new format where the circuits are on city streets and the technology means new team skills are needed. I am confident Amlin Aguri will be out there at the front right from the start.”


FIA Formula E Championship – Confirmed drivers (to date):

Amlin Aguri Formula E Team: Antonio Felix da Costa Katherine Legge

Andretti Autosport Formula E Team: Franck Montagny TBC

Audi Sport Abt Formula E Team: Lucas di Grassi Daniel Abt

China Racing Formula E Team: TBC TBC

Dragon Racing Formula E Team: Mike Conway TBC

e.dams-Renault Formula E Team: Sebastien Buemi Nicolas Prost

Mahindra Racing Formula E Team: Bruno Senna Karun Chandhok

Trulli Formula E Team: Jarno Trulli Michela Cerruti

Venturi Formula E Team: Nick Heidfeld Stephane Sarrazin

Virgin Racing Formula E Team: Sam Bird Jaime Alguersuari

[954Stealth]

Courtesy of motorsport.com:

"LEICESTERSHIRE, UK (July 3 2014): E.dams-Renault’s Sebastien Buemi set the fastest time during today’s maiden official test for the new FIA Formula E Championship at Donington Park, as fans got their first glimpse of the new all-electric series."

[ashtaron14]

FanPowerBoost LOL

Will there be a FanSelfDestruct?

[954Stealth]

Here is the the Leo DiCaprio and Richard Branson backed Virgin Racing Team

[954Stealth]

PistonHeads.Com:
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/defa...?storyId=30307

Formula E test day - so what's it really like?

"Because at the heart of the championship is something interesting and something new that is genuinely curious, thought-provoking and unusual to watch"

"The Formula E machines sounds like giant remote control cars because, in terms of the powertrain, they effectively are"

"For me, it'll never be a direct replacement for the low frequencies of a Corvette C7.R that reverberate around your chest cavity or the high notes of an old 2.4-litre F1 engine that send my stomach into bouts of excited somersaults, but as a complementary series showcasing future technology, I think it has a place.

And if, as the championship enters its second year and development rules open up, the trickle down of technology reaches road cars, as drivers and enthusiasts we'll be better for it."

"That's just three tenths shy of the Formula 4 lap record, set in a 185hp slicks-and-wings car weighing just 470kg."

"The signs are mostly positive though, and seeing really is believing for Formula E. Add this to the city backdrops and it could be pretty spectacular. Try it yourself. I'm not afraid to admit I was a sceptic and that my attitude is changing - but there are two important caveats"

[954Stealth]

IndyCar legend Gil de Ferran:
“It was a fun day in many ways,” he said. “Driving an electric racing car for the first time is fantastic. Genuinely speaking I'm a little rusty - I've been retired now for six years, and I haven't driven anything seriously, but I felt good enough to give it a go.

“I really enjoyed driving the car - the torque characteristics of the electric motor - it's a very interesting thing to deal with, you don't use the engine and the gearbox in the same way you use them in a normal racing car so that was very interesting. It was a good day and I enjoyed it.”

“I think it's going to be very interesting,” he said. “I think there is going to be quite a bit of fighting because everyone is using the same car, but it's going to be a bit of an intellectual chess match - how you drive, how you use your energy, how you regenerate your energy, how my you can do it and how fast you can go in the most efficient way? I think it's going to be a really interesting race from a smarts perspective.”


Ex-Formula 1 racer Christian Danner
“I was very pleasantly surprised because you have a certain amount of prejudice: is it going to work? What will it be like?

“But once you actually get your arse into the car you realise that, number one, it's just a racing car. It does have a lot of grip from the tyres, which was a big surprise because when you look at them that appears impossible.
“I love racing whether it's an electric motor or a combustion engine, I don't care, for me it's a racing car. And this is a very good way to get to hook up with a lot of people who weren't interested [in racing] before.”

[954Stealth]

FORMULA E PARTNERS WITH PRINCE ALBERT II OF MONACO FOUNDATION
http://www.fpa2.com/details_actualite.php?idactu=1489

http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2...oundation.aspx

MONACO (July 8 2014) – Organisers of the FIA Formula E Championship have today announced a joint partnership with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, showing their support for the environmental actions led by the Foundation and helping to raise funds for future projects.

The Foundation, created by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco in 2006, is dedicated to the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development. The Foundation’s efforts focus on three main sectors: climate change and clean energies, biodiversity, and integrated and sustainable water management.

Beginning this September in Beijing, Formula E is the FIA’s global motorsport championship featuring fully- electric open-wheel cars racing around 10 of the world’s leading cities including London, Miami and Monaco. The debut of Formula E ushers in an innovative age where a race on the world stage has become the platform to showcase and promote sustainable technology for the environment.

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation joins previously announced ONE DROP as one of the official Formula E founding charity partners.

During each race weekend, Formula E will be hosting activities to help raise funds to be distributed between each official charity, along with projects across the country and other schemes in the local area.

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation stated: “Formula E is a perfect illustration of what can be achieved in terms of clean mobility with electric vehicles. The move towards a low-carbon economy is one of the key challenges of this century on which global climate change and the level of adverse consequences for the planet's population will greatly depend. The development of a series of spectacular and exciting races will certainly be a key factor for raising awareness of these crucial issues and we are both pleased and proud that the organisers, recognising the action implemented by my Foundation, have chosen to make it part of their commitment.”

Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E, said: “We are great supporters of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and their commitment to sustainability and green initiatives, which ties in with the ethos of the FIA Formula E Championship. We share many core beliefs and the goals associated with both companies are very similar: to raise awareness of environmental concerns and in turn promote renewable energy sources.”

Formula E is scheduled to race around the streets of the Principality on May 9 2015 and will be Round 8 of the 2014/2015 FIA Formula E Championship. Routes for the race are currently being finalised but as with all Formula E events, it will take place through the city streets, incorporating the historic Monaco harbour backdrop.

For more information on Formula E visit www.fiaformulae.com

[954Stealth]

Wait a minute...that's not a Formula E car on the right. What is that?
It is Rimac Automobili's Concept_One Supercar. It will be used by the Race Director, for track inspections and to drive spectators and guests around the track.

Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E, added: “We’re very excited to be working with such an innovative company like Rimac Automobili. The Concept_One is a fantastic piece of modern technology and we’re looking forward to showcasing this to Formula E fans at race events to show them the true potential of electric cars and the possibilities for the future.”

"The Rimac Concept_One of course features four-in-wheel electric motors which combine to instantly deliver 1,600 Nm of torque and 1,073 hp. Consequently, the car can reportedly sprint to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds!"









New Video from the Donington Park test days. It's the first time the cars
have all come off the line together. That sound...

[954Stealth]

Donington Park Test Day Photos

[954Stealth]

Andretti Autosport on the Fe testing day 4:

Scott Speed, No. 28:
(He recorded 48 laps)
"I think that the test went pretty well. Franck (Montagny) and I obviously have a lot of experience between us, and I think that we work and communicate well together. All these Formula E cars are brand new and the teams are still trying to figure them out, but I feel that Andretti is definitely ahead of the average, maybe not the best out there yet, but it's an exciting time. This series is development in its purest form, and I feel really good about how the whole team's working together."

Franck Montagny, No. 27:
(He recorded 50 laps)
"Today we worked quite a lot on the race pace and found some interesting new things, so I am quite happy about that. We are still learning about the car and all the new technology, so we are still at the beginning of our journey. I am happy with the pace we had during the long runs; we still suffered the mechanical failure from yesterday which caused us some problems with the tires, but apart from that everything is fine. The team is doing well and it is going to get even better!"

*****************************
Buemi was still on top even after day 4

FIA Formula E Championship – Day 4, Donington Park – Test results (Combined times):

1. Sebastien Buemi, e.dams-Renault, 1:31.083s
2. Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport ABT, 1:31.282s
3. Jerome d’Ambrosio, China Racing, 1:31.651s
4. Scott Speed, Andretti Autosport, 1:31.810s
5. Sam Bird, Virgin Racing, 1:31.895s
6. Daniel Abt, Audi Sport ABT, 1:32.080s
7. Nicolas Prost, e.dams-Renault, 1:32.124s
8. Nick Heidfeld, Venturi, 1:32.126s
9. Jarno Trulli, Trulli, 1:32.479s
10. Bruno Senna, Mahindra Racing, 1:32.506s
11. Franck Montagny, Andretti Autosport, 1:32.512s
12. Jaime Alguersuari, Virgin Racing, 1:32.583s
13. Karun Chandhok, Mahindra Racing, 1:33.019s
14. Oriol Servia, Dragon Racing, 1:33.083s
15. Juan Manuel Lopez, China Racing, 1:33.425s
16. Michela Cerruti, Trulli, 1:33.544s
17. Mike Conway, Dragon Racing, 1:33.692s
18. Katherine Legge, Amlin Aguri, 1:33.778s
19. Fabio Leimer, Amlin Aguri, 1:38.988s

[954Stealth]

INSIGHT: Formula E pre-season testing
http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2...n-testing.aspx

The sign on the pit entrance was clear – ‘Today’s event is noise limited to 98dBA’.




The sign on the pit entrance was clear – ‘Today’s event is noise limited to 98dBA’.

But there would be no need to call the noise police – motorsport’s quiet revolution was in town.

For four days over two consecutive weeks, the 10 Formula E teams put their new cars to the test and the gates were opened for the public to come in and witness the nascent steps of the first all-electric single-seater championship.

The weather gods played along too, and while the wind meant there was an occasional nip in the air, there was only a brief period at the end of day two when it was a brolly rather than sun block the crowd required.

New faces

The only previous time the teams had run their cars on track – the shakedown in June – most were still in plain carbonfibre black, and only a small percentage of the drivers had officially been confirmed.

But with the series global launch taking place at the beginning of the week ahead of the first test, a flurry of driver announcements were made, and when the cars took their place in the Roundhouse theatre, all bar the new Trulli team – which had taken over the Drayson entry – had their liveries on display.


This meant it was a much more colourful sight when the cars hit the track on the morning of Thursday July 3. Up and down the pitlane many drivers were having their first test of an electric racing car, while Mike Conway had the honour of completing the first-ever Formula E lap for Dragon Racing, the US-based team having missed the private shakedown.

In the time between the shakedown and the test, the second batch of Spark-Renaults had arrived, and that meant half of the chassis were conducting their very first installation runs in the public eye. Unsurprisingly, this resulted in a few teething troubles, which saw a number of red flags as the session was halted and the stricken cars recovered.

“This is why we go testing,” became the mantra for the day.

There were also a couple of familiar faces in paddock as double IndyCar champ Gil de Ferran and ex-F1 racer Christian Danner dug out their crash helmet for a taste of the future.

De Ferran had a run out for Andretti Autosport, while DHL ambassador Danner drove the Formula E test car. Both were visibly pushing, locking brakes at the Melbourne Hairpin and getting the rear out as the power kicked in.

“Racing cars cannot be driven at slow speeds,” Danner explained, “they have to be driven at proper speeds and proper speeds means that you lock a wheel or you get a little sideways, that's normal, that's how it should be otherwise you don't feel the car.”

With the sessions being interrupted, there were plenty of opportunities for a tea break. But with electrical power at a premium, Mahindra driver – and tea lover - Karun Chandhok was told he couldn’t plug in the kettle! Luckily there’s a great bon homie among the teams and the Venturi boys offered the Indian a spare socket so he could make a brew.


The teams also concentrated on understanding how using the various power modes affected the life of the battery and the performance of the car rather than setting outright times, but for the record Buemi set the fastest time of the day.

However, there was still one final treat in store for the fans who stayed around to the end as seven of the cars made their way around to the grid for the first-ever Formula E standing start. Jaime Alguersuari sprinted to the front of the queue to bag an unofficial pole, but it was Chandhok who made the best start, slicing through the row ahead of him on the run down to Redgate.

Chicanery

Testing continued to be a start/stop affair on the second day, and although some of this was due to mechanical problems, a significant amount of running time was lost to the after effects of contact with the tyre chicane.

The fast flowing corners of Donington, and the billiard table-smooth track surface, means the circuit bears little resemblance to the tight and twisty, and almost certainly bumpy, street venues the series will visit.

To create something slightly representative of the tracks on the calendar, a tight tyre chicane was erected on the exit of Old Hairpin. While it may have simulated threading the car through a first-gear series of corners, it also took a bit of a walloping at times, and following one last hefty contact the decision was made to remove it all together.

Instantly the lap times tumbled by more than four seconds, and when the session finally came to a conclusion it was ABT’s Lucas di Grassi who was fastest.

Feel the power tailored

Just five days after the first official test finished the cars, and fans, were back for Donington for another run-out. Following the lessons learned the first time out, the cars ran much more reliably, but unfortunately the increased running meant more charging and this tipped the circuit’s power supply over the edge.

A number of electrical blackouts meant the cars were occasionally literally powerless to leave the pits, but there’s a great spirit among the Formula E teams and while there was frustration there was an acceptance that it was just one of those things and they made the best of it.

There was one unfortunate casualty of the need to take the load off leccy supply, and the music soundtrack that had underscored the high-pitched whirr of the cars had to be switched off. It had generally gone down well among the fans in the grandstand, many of whom were used to the ear-splitting noise traditional internal-combustion engine race cars produce and were still getting used to being able to have conversations while the cars blasted by!

Having had a pretty much trouble-free day, Buemi was once again the fastest.

Mr Blue Sky

Most people were expecting rain for the final day of testing, so the gorgeous clear blue skies of Thursday morning were a very pleasant surprise – although the Pit Stop shop will surely be ruing not bulk buying some factor 30…



In the pitlane there was a small amount of commotion as a camera crew jockeyed to get a nice shot of the car. And then from the garage emerged some genuine British TV royalty – Angela Rippon – kitted out in a race suit too. The One Show presenter was in Donington filming a piece for the prime time BBC1 show. After interviewing Virgin team principal Alex Tai, Rippon had a long chat with Trulli’s Michela Cerruti. The piece will be aired on Friday (July 11) at 7pm – or if you’re reading this after that, look for it on the BBC iPlayer (UK residents only).

Some overnight tweaks to the power distribution meant Donington was no longer doing an impression of Britain during the winter of discontent, and the cars hit the track more frequently and for longer than on any of the three previous test days, which was welcome news as more fans had turned than before too.

With teams and drivers now able to think about setting times rather than solely concentrating on understanding the dynamics of the car, by the end of the morning session di Grassi had set a new standard, recording a 1m31.2s lap.

During the final hour most of the drivers had a crack at lowering their times and for the third time in four test days it was Buemi who set the standard, establishing a new unofficial Formula E lap record at Donington of 1m31.083s.

[954Stealth]

[954Stealth]

Buenos Aires ePrix layout has been revealed

Slowely, the other ePrix tracks are coming to light, Miami and LA included






"Looking at the track, you have to say it’s got a good combination of corners. There’s a chicane, some high-speed turns with a change of direction and slow-speed as well. It’s impossible to tell from the map about undulation, but I think that it could make for an interesting race and it will be fun to drive. I think the main overtaking point will be into Turn 1 under braking, or maybe into T4 or even T5. T7 is a possible passing point too, so it does lend itself to some potential overtakes, but we’ll have to see when we get there."
--Bruno Senna , Mahindra Racing



I might as well put up the other tracks so far.


Beijing, China:



Putrajaya, Malaysia:


Punta del Este, Uruguay:


Long Beach, CA USA:



Miami:
TBA - Will post track layout when released

Berlin:
TBA - Will post track layout when released


London:
TBA - Will post track layout when released


TBA: - Will post location when released
TBA - Will post track layout when released

[954Stealth]

Round 2 was pushed back to November due to Malaysian City officials having other commitments but wanting to attend the race...


Here is the revised 2014-'15 calendar:

September 13 2014 Beijing (CN)
November 22 2014 Putrajaya (MAL)
December 13 2014 Punta del Este (UY)
January 10 2015 Buenos Aires (RA)
February 14 2015 TBA
March 14 2015 Miami, Fla.
April 4 2015 Long Beach, Calif.
May 9 2015 Monte Carlo (MC)
May 30 2015 Berlin (D)
June 27 2015 London (GB)

[ddk632]

Subscribed.

I've been reading about this over the past few months, never heard of it before. Have been really interested in the new BMW i cars, which has got me kind of excited about the whole electric - hybrid thing.

You've posted a wealth of info here. I have seen/read some of it but will definitely give the prior posts all a good read.

I see you even got the announcement in there that BMW will be the official sponsor!

That is pretty awesome. Maybe they will field a team in future seasons,

The i3 and i8 will be at all events for medical/support service as well as VIP service, and it is likely from what the articles state, though not official, that the i8 might be the pace car! Now that I want to see!

Official news announcement, June 30, 2014 on FIA Formula E website:
http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2...-supplier.aspx

Article about the launch party which also has the BMW bit in there. There was an i8 there as well, at the party.
http://www.autovolt-magazine.com/201...-launch-event/

Following on from this, BMW was announced as official support vehicle sponsor, providing both a hybrid i8 and electric i3 vehicles. The obvious suggestion is the BMW i8 will act as pace car during the championship and the i3 as general support. The accompaniment of BMW to Formula E came as a bit of a surprise as previously there had been no sign of BMW joining in on the fun, despite Audi Sport ABT being one of the other teams. It is of course possible, and speculative, that BMW may enter into the second season in order to enhance promotion of their electrified vehicle range, BMWi.

And linky to a thread I made on the i8 forum on this topic:
http://bmwi.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1019373

Personally not only am I excited that a world class electric racing series will be underway soon to push the technology past its current limits, but it will be accessible in 2 US cities from the get-go, as already mentioned in prior posts.

The Long Beach round will be free to the public, which is awesome.

And, of course, I will plan to attend the Miami round on March 14, 2015 with my DSLR gear ready to go!