Just hours after touching down in São Paulo, talk quickly turns to the David and Goliath battle between Formula E and Formula One. We all know which one is Goliath, but just like the classic tale, the underdog has a few tricks up its sleeve to level the playing field.
Formula E is not a sport on everyone’s radar – it was once mocked by Bernie Ecclestone as ‘like driving electric lawnmowers around a car park’ – but as the world creeps towards making electric cars the norm, it soon will be.
FE has a contract to race with such vehicles until 2036. Their time in the sun is coming and people are starting to sit up and take notice. The fact that ex-Formula One chief Ecclestone was a VIP guest at this weekend’s race, won by Sam Bird, is a testament to that.
’10 years ago, I thought the first race would be the last,’ he said in the paddock. ‘So I’m very pleased to see it’s something quite super – technically it’s at Formula 1 levels.’
Technical performance aside, central to everything powering Formula E’s rise is its drive for sustainability. The organisation’s entire carbon footprint – including fan travel – is less than that of one Formula 1 team. They power all their events using renewable energy, resulting in a 90 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared to ordinary diesel.
Formula E’s continued rise is being driven by the sport’s efforts to achieved sustainability
Formula E events are powered by renewable energy resulting in a 90 per cent drop in emissions
Around half of Formula E’s fans is reportedly female with the sport boasting a young fanbase
They’ve also saved 1,348 tons of greenhouse gases by transporting the majority of their freight and equipment to races by road and sea.
These efforts have won them a legion of supporters and that fanbase is evolving at a surging rate. CEO Jeff Dodds says this gives him ‘grade A confidence’ that Formula E can not just grow exponentially, but one day even usurp the titans of Formula One.
‘We are a baby, but we’re a baby that already has 400 million fans around the world,’ Dodds said in Brazil. ‘We are already 40 per cent of the size of F1 and we’re only nine years old, whereas F1 has been around for 75 years. That gives us A-grade confidence that there’s a growth available to us.
‘We’re also delivering a different kind of fanbase. Roughly half of our fanbase are female – unheard of in motorsport. Roughly half of our fanbase is under the age of 40. Unheard of in motorsport. And about 85 per cent of our fans say they will pay a premium to buy from a brand that will focus on the environment and sustainability. We are talking to a different group of people.’
Their firm grip on the electric car racing scene also gives Dodds cause to believe that his sport could soon become the ‘pre-imminent sport in the world’. As car manufacturers begin transitioning away to electric, it won’t be long before FE comes to the table with a formidable hand, he says.
‘When Formula One was founded, it wasn’t as a sustainability platform. Now they’re trying to reverse engineer themselves into something more sustainable,’ he said.
‘Battery electric vehicles are growing at around 20 per cent around the world. When I look at what’s going to happen, our cars are only going one way – they’re getting faster and faster.
‘When I put that all together, I can sit there and say that our ambition has to be the biggest, maybe we don’t get there, but is has to be the pre-imminent racing series in the world.’
Bosses say the sport has 400 million fans worldwide and can one day usurp Formula One
Around 70 per cent of cars at the same for each team to make for an exciting Championship
Reigning Formula E champion Jake Dennis agreed with Dodds – he thinks the sky is the limit.
‘I don’t think it’s a stupid claim, he said. ‘I don’t think it will happen in my lifetime, but the gaps are only going to get closer and closer. F1 is going to get closer to becoming completely electric – we’re going to grow more and more to the public eye.
‘What Formula One is doing right now is unsustainable. It’s making changes in 2026 to come towards electric, but it doesn’t beat what we can do.’
It would be foolish to suggest that FE had any chance of toppling F1 as the premier motorsport any time soon. It can’t come close to competing with its resources, its profile, it’s glitz and glamour, it’s fanbase or its catalogue of star drivers.
Instead, Formula E has focused on making the most exciting championship possible. Around 70 per cent of a Formula E car is effectively the same for every team. That means that when it comes to race day, picking a winner is becoming increasingly difficult. Dennis won the first of two races in last month’s Saudi Arabian event. In the second, he finished in 12th.
Another thing helping to side things up is an innovative feature In qualifying, where drivers are split into ‘duels’ as they contest a quarter-final, semi-final and final to determine who starts on pole.
A particular bugbear of Formula One fans has been the lack of a consistent, strong rival to Max Verstappen – who has reigned as world champion for three years and has already claimed the first two races of the F1 season.
‘When you have some of the best drivers in the world, then the availability for a team to differentiate using software only, it guarantees high competition,’ Dodds added. ‘If you look at last year, coming into the last championship you had three teams who could win.
Formula E believes F1 is currently unsustainable and will make changes as it moves to electric
Britain’s Sam Bird celebrated victory at the fourth round of the Formula E series in Sao Paulo
‘When competitiveness goes, fanbase starts to disappear. For Max Verstappen, the question is: will he win all 24 races? We do not want to be that sport.’
Chris Lynch, events experience director at Formula E, is fuelling the organisation’s constant desire to keep pushing the throttle on excitement levels.
‘I always say I want someone to become a fan for life – not just for a day,’ he told Mail Sport. ‘I want people to come and be blown away by it so they tell their friends and bring them next time.
‘That’s the ethos of my team. We try to get them as close to the drivers and the sport as possible. We do autograph sessions in the pit lanes, while fans are treated to driving simulators and podium ceremonies in the fan village.’
But with F1 now doing glitzy shows in Vegas, is there pressure to compete? Quite the opposite. Lynch instead claims F1 are the ones copying them.
‘I don’t think we have pressure from F1, I think F1 are trying to keep up with us,’ he continued. ‘We did a pre-race show – inspired by the Super Bowl half time show – with the singer Raye in London. After that, Formula One started doing their pre-race stuff and copying us, as well as special effects on our podium.
‘Because we’re a small, agile company, we can do things very quickly. It takes F1 longer to get in step with the trends. Our fanbase is nowhere near F1’s but I think we’re more innovative and exciting. Eventually it is realistic [to overtake F1].’
Organisers believe they can be more innovative and exciting in Formula E than in F1
Drivers can pick up extra power by driving over designated areas of the track during races
The São Paulo event exhibited what’s possible in this sport as X fans descended on the track in full voice to create a carnival atmosphere – while dancers dressed head to toe in colourful feathers and sequins parading up and down the grid.
The Brazilians were in great spirits as they cheered and chanted throughout while going crazy for special guest – their countryman, former F1 and FE driver Felipe Massa.
Bird capped off a frantic race full of overtakes galore – 212 to be precise – as he saw off Mitch Evans and Oliver Rowland to edge across the finish line.
I was lucky enough to watch part of the race from inside Andretti’s garage as they looked to drive their star driver Dennis to a strong finish.
Rather than debating DRS and pit stops regularly seen in F1, the main strategy was to guide Dennis on where to consolidate and conserve his energy reserves.
In Formula E, drivers can pick up extra power by driving over designated areas of the track that send a signal to their car, providing it with a boost of electricity – adding another element of competitiveness.
Formula E star Jake Dennis believes the sport needs more exposure to propel it further forward
Bird capped off a frantic race which featured a total of 212 overtakes to secure victory in Brazil
Dennis is a test driver for Formula One so he knows the differences between the two cars better than anyone – and comes away with a poignant statement.
‘F1 has more power, it’s a simple as that,’ he added. ‘We can make these cars go five seconds faster, but FE isn’t trying to achieve the fastest lap time or the highest top speed, he added. ‘We’re trying to achieve the best net zero racing series.’
So while FE has a need for speed when it comes to its trajectory, being faster isn’t what will what will propel it forwards. So what will?
‘We need a Drive to Survive!’ Dennis says – referencing the hit Netflix show showcasing the F1 world. ‘Formula E needs that one moment. There’s nothing wrong with it in terms of quality, it’s just the exposure [that’s lacking].’
