Some of you who have watched a single race or all of them, will undoubtedly have your own opinion about the inaugural Formula E season. In the end, if enough fans enjoyed it, the sport could have a future. Personally, I find myself teetering on the proverbial fence.
I find the series was hastily introduced by the FIA, whose president may have felt some pressures to do something to show its awareness for “Greener Racing”. The truth is, Formula E is not green racing. The costs involved in shipping two cars per driver to each race on a global stage are neither cheap nor green. Some may argue that it might have been best to hold off one more year to work out some of the finer details. However, having said that, if we consider season one to be a dry run, then its mission was successfully accomplished. We the fans, teams, drivers, governing body, promoters, circuits, hosts and media all learned a lot about what the series did extraordinarily well, and where it failed.
Formula E engaged fans with its social media campaign via its FANBOOST feature. Perhaps great in theory to increase involvement and awareness but many felt it was unfair and unsporting. Its online presence in the way of streaming live video with the option of different feeds was certainly a global success.
Attracting some talented and highly skilled drivers also played into any success the series enjoyed. The racing was tight, exciting and downright mad at times. On a world stage, there was good media coverage and even a slight feel of fanfare and occasion. Of all the things Formula E did well, there were things it could have done better…
The sound is certainly different than what most Motorsport fans are accustomed to. A better job of microphone placement is needed for season two. I was expecting to hear something similar to a Star Wars battle royal between two X-Wing fighters, instead, once the novelty wore off, the cars sounded like Harrison Ford using a lightsaber as a cane as he leisurely strolled though Battersea Park. I also found there to be far too much mechanical and tyre squeaking and squawking. At first it was interesting, but it was just too much of it. It might just be me.
The car swap scenarios were clumsy, not very well covered and provided no element of excitement. I found this aspect of the series to be as annoying as the penalties handed out to drivers for exceeding maximum power usage. In its inaugural season, any series should be very simple for fans to follow and these two elements specifically caused some confusion and worse, disinterest. Surely they can make a product that lasts the entire race and limit the power so drivers can race and not manage power usage. Similar arguments are made for tyre and fuel management in Formula One. Fans have voiced their opinions about wanting flat out racing even if it is understood that there will always be some element of car and component management.
Each of us can pull out different aspects that we believed worked well or need tweaking. The series will evolve and will improve. As I mentioned, many things were learned and if the sport is to succeed, it must not only learn how to improve but also implement the changes that will help make it a better product AND sustain itself.
So as I teeter on this fence and struggle to determine if season one was really a success or not, I cannot ignore one very clear fact. Once we brush aside the teething pains, (which will be addressed in the season to come and beyond), we (I) must admit I found myself entertained and intrigued by the wheel to wheel battles and great racing. Motorsport fans will overlook the sound (as they did in F1) and the looks (as they did in F1). They know the proposed charging lanes will do away with the mid-race car swap which will be one of the many changes coming. They know that the introduction of constructors will add yet another element of excitement and competitiveness. And while the TV coverage exposed the cars to be slow (as they were in wide angle shots), more on-board camera feeds and tighter shots will address this until the speed comes… and it will come. So I shall stay and observe while this series finds its feet.
My verdict? I may be critical but I’m not cynical. In the end, I do believe Formula E can rival any series if it can sustain itself while truly being aligned with what fans really want. And for its first season, given the circumstances, it did well enough for me to consider it a success. Because good racing is good entertainment for Motorsport fans and we'll take it... green or not.