It’s this balance of genuine intent versus the brand advertising benefits which is precisely why we need the comparative minnows to stay in the sport.
The Formula E cost caps have not and will not entirely limit the performance gap that materialise between the big boys and the independent teams as that undermines the development race in Formula E, but we need to keep the larger teams in check.
More than any other series, the focus is on the road as much as it is on the race track. As the motorsport cliché goes: ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ - albeit FE races are staged on a Saturday, but the sentiment holds true.
Nonetheless, can Formula E allow itself become a 140mph billboard that companies can bandy around as a veil to show that they are environmentally conscious?
Perhaps, the economic appeal would be too much for Formula E to turn-down a full grid of works teams. Perhaps, the budget and the facilities of the manufacturer-led teams will lead to a point where success for the independent teams is too hard to come by and so they fall away from the sport on their own terms.
What with ZF teaming up with Venturi and by looking at the Techeetah model, perhaps FE has already largely moved beyond true independents altogether.
I am loathed to compare FE to Formula 1, but I acknowledge that the all-electric series is far more orientated towards the automotive market than F1.
Manufacturer involvement is therefore of greater importance to the sport, but regardless, the sport would do well to retain a number of the truly independent teams and the innovation and genuine intent that they bring.
Images: Richard Washbrooke Photography