The Formula E Thread

by Backmarker Sun Jun 08, 2014 7:20 pm

This thread will cover all aspects of the upcoming Formula E series.

The first shakedown test for the series was held today at Donington Park. Notably, two of the previously confirmed teams apparently were not present: Drayson Racing and Dragon Racing. Jarno Trulli showed up with a team of his own, and may be taking over Drayson.

Here's a recap of the grid so far:

China Racing
TBA
TBA

Andretti Autosport
Frank Montagny
TBA

e.dams
TBA
TBA

Super Aguri
TBA
TBA

Audi Sport Abt
Lucas di Grassi
Daniel Abt

Mahindra Racing
Karun Chandhok
Bruno Senna

Virgin Racing
Sam Bird
Jamie Alguersuari

Venturi Grand Prix
TBA
TBA

TrulliGP
Jarno Trulli
TBA

Dragon Racing
TBA
TBA

Unsigned drivers:
Nathanael Berthon
Alex Brundle
Dani Clos
JR Hildebrand
Jon Lancaster
Nicolas Minassian
Adrian Quaife-Hobbs
Oriol Servia
Christijan Albers
Sebstien Buemi
Ben Collins
Robert Doornbos
Ryo Hirakawa
Katherine Legge
Juan Manuel Lopez
Andy Soucek
Marco Bonanomi
Adam Carroll
Conor Daly
Kuba Giermaziak
Narain Karthikeyan
Vitantonio Liuzzi
Giorgio Pantano
Takuma Sato
Adrien Tambay
Marco Andretti
Sebastien Bourdais
Jerome d'Ambrosio
Nick Heidfeld
Christian Klein
Ma Qing Hua
Agustin Paya

This list will be updated as more signings are made.

by f1fan12 Mon Jun 09, 2014 2:46 pm

Decent group of guys so far in this series! Is it televised in the US?

by Backmarker Mon Jun 09, 2014 2:51 pm

f1fan12 wrote:Decent group of guys so far in this series! Is it televised in the US?

Yes, Fox Sports 1.

by Sparkz47 Mon Jun 09, 2014 3:45 pm

NeverNeutral wrote:
f1fan12 wrote:Decent group of guys so far in this series! Is it televised in the US?
Yes, Fox Sports 1.

A racing series that isn't NASCAR on a network I have access to?

The Formula E Thread 1189310

by Milan655 Mon Jun 09, 2014 4:04 pm

These are the drivers who tested for the teams (courtesy of @Current_E)

- Sam Bird and Jaime Alguersuari for Virgin
- Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna for Mahindra
- Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi for ABT – only Abt was driving
- Franck Montagny for Andretti
- Nico Prost for e.dams (the team co-founded by Alain Prost)
- Kevin Korjus and Antonio Felix da Costa for Super Aguri
- Nick Heidfeld for Venturi
- Jean-Karl Vernay for Drayson

Katherine Legge was spotted too.

by Backmarker Thu Jun 19, 2014 10:17 am

Jarno Trulli's team will officially take Drayson Racing's spot on the grid.

http://www.motorsport.com/formula-e/news/jarno-trulli-to-race-in-formula-e-with-own-trulligp-team/

by RyanB06 Thu Jun 19, 2014 12:05 pm

All aboard the Trulli Train!

by BWard Fri Jun 27, 2014 3:11 am

Nick Heidfeld and Stephane Sarrazin have both been signed up to drive for Venturi Racing for the first season of Formula E.

by navycook75 Fri Jun 27, 2014 6:55 am

http://current-e.com/chatter/super-aguri-changes-name-and-signs-legge/

Super Aguri changes name to Amlin Aguri, signs on Katherine Legge, and changes livery.

by f1fan12 Mon Jun 30, 2014 3:57 pm

Nick Heidfeld and Stephane Sarrazin will race for Venturi GP

by BBoy Tue Jul 01, 2014 2:32 am

e.dams has announced their drivers, former F1 driver Sebastien Buemi and Nicolas Prost, son of the F1 legend Alain. A 2nd female driver is now entered with TrulliGP, that being Michela Cerruti.

The series is under fire from their announcement of drivers getting a power boost which will allow the top 3 drivers voted via Twitter to get one 90hp boost.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/114733

by **crl** Tue Jul 01, 2014 4:11 am

Giving the three most popular drivers a 90hp boost before each race? Nah, there's no way you can screw around with this at all.

by bsoyuz Tue Jul 01, 2014 4:18 am

crl wrote:Giving the three most popular drivers a 90hp boost before each race? Nah, there's no way you can screw around with this at all.

There's no way that this is not gonna end well at all.

by **crl** Tue Jul 01, 2014 4:26 am

bsoyuz wrote:
crl wrote:Giving the three most popular drivers a 90hp boost before each race? Nah, there's no way you can screw around with this at all.

There's no way that this is not gonna end well at all.

Forget NASCAR; it sounds like F1 and FE are trying to out-gimmick each other.

by Milan655 Tue Jul 01, 2014 3:09 pm

Ignoring the obviously shit idea with the 90hp boost, this is quite nice:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/114732

20 minute walk from my work and in one of the best looking areas in London.

by **crl** Wed Jul 02, 2014 5:38 am

Dario Franchitti will be a part of the World Feed commentary team. That should be interesting.

by pennst24 Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:37 pm

Scott Speed is testing for Andretti Autosport.

How does this guy have a ride in anything

by Alta Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:59 pm

pennst24 wrote:Scott Speed is testing for Andretti Autosport.

How does this guy have a ride in anything

Someone could make the argument that this is the washed up F1 drivers series, Speed would fit that mold to a tee.

Also he's dominating in Global Rallycross right now, although the legitimacy of that series is always in question.

by bsoyuz Wed Jul 02, 2014 4:01 pm

GRC is the playground for NASCAR Rejects and spedboxes.

by BBoy Wed Jul 02, 2014 4:57 pm

More drivers announcements have come in today.

Mike Conway was announced as the first of the Dragon Racing drivers and Antonio Felix da Costa was confirmed to the 2nd Amlin Aguri car.

by navycook75 Thu Aug 21, 2014 4:52 am

Nelson Piquet, Jr is going to drive for China Racing, second one still unconfirmed.

by Alta Sat Aug 23, 2014 1:08 am

So as the the start of Formula E draws ever so near and we have a good idea of the field and the rules of the series are, Any Expectations, Predictions, Thoughts, etc. on what the season will bring?

by RACECAR Sat Aug 23, 2014 4:34 am

bsoyuz wrote:GRC is the playground for NASCAR Rejects and spedboxes.

Didn't realize having only 3 former NASCAR drivers (two of them former F1 drivers as well) out of a 12 driver grid automatically made it a "playground" for NASCAR Rejects.

by bsoyuz Sat Aug 23, 2014 6:24 am

RACECAR wrote:
bsoyuz wrote:GRC is the playground for NASCAR Rejects and spedboxes.

Didn't realize having only 3 former NASCAR drivers (two of them former F1 drivers as well) out of a 12 driver grid automatically made it a "playground" for NASCAR Rejects.

Piquet Jr.
Scott Sped
Pastrana not that much because I liked him

The rest are speds, well, at least some, just like Formula E is the place for F1 Rejects and a couple of speds.

by BWard Sat Sep 06, 2014 4:24 am

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115720

Mike Conway has stepped out of his ride at Dragon Racing to focus on his Sportscar Programme, with Orial Servia taking his place.

by Alta Sat Sep 06, 2014 4:34 am

So who gets the Andretti seat?

by **crl** Sat Sep 06, 2014 4:42 am

bsoyuz wrote:
RACECAR wrote:
bsoyuz wrote:GRC is the playground for NASCAR Rejects and spedboxes.

Didn't realize having only 3 former NASCAR drivers (two of them former F1 drivers as well) out of a 12 driver grid automatically made it a "playground" for NASCAR Rejects.

Piquet Jr.
Scott Sped
Pastrana not that much because I liked him

The rest are speds, well, at least some, just like Formula E is the place for F1 Rejects and a couple of speds.

The most accomplished F1 driver in Formula E is easily Heidfeld.

by f1fan12 Sat Sep 06, 2014 10:52 am

BWardboy88 wrote:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115720

Mike Conway has stepped out of his ride at Dragon Racing to focus on his Sportscar Programme, with Orial Servia taking his place.

I have no respect for that idiot. He has screwed over too many owners in his time of racing!

by Spannerhead29 (Nelson) Sat Sep 06, 2014 11:01 am

Alta wrote:So who gets the Andretti seat?

I hope Mario enters himself.

by Backmarker Sat Sep 06, 2014 2:01 pm

Alta wrote:So who gets the Andretti seat?

Charles Pic. Pacman

by BWard Sat Sep 06, 2014 2:15 pm

Alta wrote:So who gets the Andretti seat?

JR Hildebrand?

by Backmarker Sat Sep 06, 2014 3:15 pm

NeverNeutral wrote:
Alta wrote:So who gets the Andretti seat?
Charles Pic.

That was a serious answer, by the way. The team just announced it.

by Alpineopossum Sat Sep 06, 2014 4:14 pm

Beijing Entry List

2 - Sam Bird (GBR) - Virgin Racing
3 - Jaime Algersuari (E) - Virgin Racing
5 - Karun Chandhok (IND) - Mahindra Racing Team
6 - Oriol Servia (E) - Dragon Racing
7 - Jerome d'Ambrosio (B) - Dragon Racing
8 - Nicolas Prost (F) - e.dams
9 - Sebastien Buemi (CHE) - e.dams
10 - Jarno Trulli (I) - Trulli GP (Drayson)
11 - Lucas di Grassi (BRA) - Audi Sport Abt
18 - Michaela Cerruti (I) - Trulli GP (Drayson)
21 - Bruno Senna (BRA) - Mahindra Racing Team
23 - Nick Heidfeld (D) - Venturi Formula E Team
27 - Franck Montagny (F) - Andretti Autosport
28 - Charles Pic (F) - Andretti Autosport
30 - Stephane Sarrazin (F) - Venturi Formula E Team
55 - Fabio Leimer (CHE) - Amlin Super Aguri
66 - Daniel Abt (D) - Audi Sport Abt
77 - Katherine Legge (GBR) - Amlin Super Aguri
88 - Ho Pin Tung (CHN) - China Racing
99 - Nelson Piquet Jr. (BRA) - China Racing

Quite a nice group of drivers I think. There are quite a few guys who got left behind by F1 that are getting a new lease of life.

by bsoyuz Sat Sep 06, 2014 4:39 pm

SO......MANY......F1......REJECTS

(except for Trulli, Prost, D'Ambrosio?, Servia, Cerruti, Heidfeld, Montagny, Sarrazin, Leimer, Abt, Legge and Tung)

by Milan655 Sat Sep 06, 2014 5:05 pm

bsoyuz wrote:SO......MANY......F1......REJECTS

D'Ambrosio, Buemi, di Grassi, Senna, Montagny, Pic and Sarrazin all qualify as F1 Rejects, not too many

by RetrogradeRenegade Sat Sep 06, 2014 7:42 pm

The stated goal of the series was to have a driver lineup made up of drivers who were able to compete at an F1 or near-F1 level, so not too surprising to see so many F1 rejects and drivers who didn't fail by much to make the cut in the first place on the entry list.

by **crl** Sat Sep 06, 2014 8:39 pm

crl wrote:
bsoyuz wrote:
RACECAR wrote:
bsoyuz wrote:GRC is the playground for NASCAR Rejects and spedboxes.

Didn't realize having only 3 former NASCAR drivers (two of them former F1 drivers as well) out of a 12 driver grid automatically made it a "playground" for NASCAR Rejects.

Piquet Jr.
Scott Sped
Pastrana not that much because I liked him

The rest are speds, well, at least some, just like Formula E is the place for F1 Rejects and a couple of speds.

The most accomplished F1 driver in Formula E is easily Heidfeld.

Whoops. I forgot about Trulli. Winning Monaco > 13 podiums with no wins.

by Alpineopossum Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:55 pm

I wonder if there's going to be some crossover between Formula E and other series. Franck Montagny already ran the Indy GP for Andretti and I wouldn't be surprised if he does it again next year. And if your a GP2 guy, you options are pretty much a season with Caterham or a season with Marussia at best because the top teams are looking at Formula Renault 3.5 for their talent. It would be more worth it to build a lasting career in Formula E or in IndyCar or somewhere else than to have one mediocre F1 season.

by Milan655 Wed Sep 10, 2014 12:25 pm

http://fanboost.fiaformulae.com/

Can begin to vote for your driver to receive the fan boost. Shit decision to keep the vote but will vote Senna in any case.

by bsoyuz Wed Sep 10, 2014 12:53 pm

Jarno Trulli > all

by Backmarker Wed Sep 10, 2014 2:35 pm

So I've been thinking about how NASCAR and other sanctioning bodies want to bring in new and younger fans, and I think I know what new fans are looking for: radical, futuristic concepts. Formula E's been getting a cobsiderable amount of attention from media, including hip, young-adult aimed publications- specifically, I saw a two page spread in Wired on all the technology in the car.It's people like Wired's audience that I think motorsports needs more of and are the key to its future.

That's when I realized the biggest problem with The Chase: Brian France wants to win over football and other stick-and-ball fans, and those sports have the same demographic as NASCAR: older, white, blue-collar men. Anyone whom NASCAR is trying to draw in with the Chase is either already going to be a fan or still not interested in motorsports.

Maybe it's time for NASCAR to begin taking some cues from the FIA.

by Alta Wed Sep 10, 2014 2:59 pm

Went with Nick Heidfeld. #hairydoods

by f1fan12 Wed Sep 10, 2014 3:10 pm

Trulli all the way!

by navycook75 Wed Sep 10, 2014 4:20 pm

I think Oriol Deservias the vote.

(I voted for him just to make the pun hehehehehe)

by Sparkz47 Wed Sep 10, 2014 9:33 pm

I hate to be a Debbie-downer here, but I just can't take any racing series that lets a Twitter vote determine driver advantages seriously at all.

by Alta Wed Sep 10, 2014 10:14 pm

Sparkz47 wrote:I hate to be a Debbie-downer here, but I just can't take any racing series that lets a Twitter vote determine driver advantages seriously at all.

My argument to this is we watch Nascar and it' point system is a convoluted mess. At least with Formula E's gimmick they're aiming towards as NeverNeutral said a younger audience and i honestly think the gimmick could be fun..Imagine people stuffing the votes for the guys that's been at the back the whole race. (Plus there isn't really a majorly popular driver among the field unless their popularity is flying over my head)

by Sparkz47 Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:31 pm

Alta wrote:
Sparkz47 wrote:I hate to be a Debbie-downer here, but I just can't take any racing series that lets a Twitter vote determine driver advantages seriously at all.
My argument to this is we watch Nascar and it' point system is a convoluted mess. At least with Formula E's gimmick they're aiming towards as NeverNeutral said a younger audience and i honestly think the gimmick could be fun..Imagine people stuffing the votes for the guys that's been at the back the whole race. (Plus there isn't really a majorly popular driver among the field unless their popularity is flying over my head)

Well, yeah, NASCAR's point system is another example of that kind of thing. I'm not saying I won't watch FE, I'm just saying it's losing a ton of legitimacy in my eyes (and many others', I'm sure) with this rule, along with some other aspects.

by Alta Thu Sep 11, 2014 12:57 am

Sparkz47 wrote:
Alta wrote:
Sparkz47 wrote:I hate to be a Debbie-downer here, but I just can't take any racing series that lets a Twitter vote determine driver advantages seriously at all.
My argument to this is we watch Nascar and it' point system is a convoluted mess. At least with Formula E's gimmick they're aiming towards as NeverNeutral said a younger audience and i honestly think the gimmick could be fun..Imagine people stuffing the votes for the guys that's been at the back the whole race. (Plus there isn't really a majorly popular driver among the field unless their popularity is flying over my head)

Well, yeah, NASCAR's point system is another example of that kind of thing. I'm not saying I won't watch FE, I'm just saying it's losing a ton of legitimacy in my eyes (and many others', I'm sure) with this rule, along with some other aspects.

You gotta get out there somehow, While it looks alienating to most of us racing purists to someone outside it might look like something interesting that they can get on-board with.

We'll see how everything plays out in the first races since we have no idea what to expect yet.

by BBoy Thu Sep 11, 2014 3:06 am

Driver change for the inaugural Formula E race. Takuma Sato will be in the place of Antonio Felix da Costa.

by Spannerhead29 (Nelson) Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:06 am

Alta wrote:
Sparkz47 wrote:I hate to be a Debbie-downer here, but I just can't take any racing series that lets a Twitter vote determine driver advantages seriously at all.
My argument to this is we watch Nascar and it' point system is a convoluted mess. At least with Formula E's gimmick they're aiming towards as NeverNeutral said a younger audience and i honestly think the gimmick could be fun..Imagine people stuffing the votes for the guys that's been at the back the whole race. (Plus there isn't really a majorly popular driver among the field unless their popularity is flying over my head)

Ho Pin Tung and Chandork will get a billion votes just because they're Chinese and Indian.

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