Agag predicts F1 will 'feel the heat' from Formula E
- Published on 01 Oct 2018 17:41
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- By: Fergal Walsh
Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag is confident that Formula 1 will be feeling the pressure from Formula E to remain as the world's leading racing series in five years' time.
Formula E is currently the leading all-electric series and will enter its fifth season this December. The series has attracted some high-end names throughout its brief history, with F1 veteran Felipe Massa joining Venturi for the 2018/19 season.
A series of former F1 drivers have succeeded in the series, with its champions (Nelson Piquet Jr., Sebastian Buemi, Lucas di Grassi and Jean-Eric Vergne) all joining the series following stints in Formula 1. And Agag thinks that drivers will favour racing in Formula E rather than Formula 1 in the future.
"I think in five years they are going to start feeling a lot the heat," Agag said in 2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg's podcast titled 'Beyond Victory'. "I think in 10 years it's going to be very difficult that they don't switch to electric. But they can't. But they will really feel the pressure to switch to electric.
"In 10 years electric cars will go as fast as combustion cars. So when you have these cars going as fast, what is the reason to stick to an old technology? You should move to a new technology. I think when the industry is electric, Formula E will happen to be the main motorsport in the world."
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Replies (6)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Sure, from about a hundred miles away. Really, there are just too many other decent options out there, so there is little reason for us to watch FE. I did give it a legit shot, it didnt shine. You only have one release, FE botched it's launch, and no matter how much you'll try, that is your one moment in the spotlight. FE has been hemorraghing views these last 2 years, can they really recover those, I wonder?
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Top racing for me is part racing part show. As a show FE is doing amazing, better than F1 in some ways. Their who infrastructure was built for the modern digital world. The racing? It's still lacking for me. The cars are still too slow and the tracks to narrow and small. But I am looking forward to FE improving. It's not either or for me. I would be delighted to have one more category of racing to watch. One thing that FE has managed to do incredibly well is attract top talent and brands. Their level of sponsorship is reminiscent of F1 circa 2002.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Well yes, thats why I like Super GT. They have their own interesting... and pretty Japanese... quirks on the show, while also providing me with good racing. Super Formula has some rad action, WEC is mostly great, DTM used to be nice, rally rallies viewers and so on. FE has potential, but no matter how much support they get from drivers and companies, it feels like fans hasnt sorta caught on. And once the bleeding starts, its hard to stop. Furthermore, the lack of support from some greater tracks probably dont help their case. I might have to give it ago again in 2019 to see if I can stay true to my stance, but currently its no sale for me.
f1dave
Posts: 782
"A series of former F1 drivers have succeeded in the series" Surely a joke, it's a place where failed drivers go, much like the legendary elephants graveyard.
Freguz
Posts: 160
FE is still in beta testing I think. But in 2-4 years it will for sure be a threat to F1.
talktohenry
Posts: 362
It might be the current trend, but what a load of bull, it will never attract petrol heads like me and the rest who are real Motorsport fans, it's god zero spectacle when you see it live, and the more road cars use battery technology in real life, then the more people will want to see petrol engines racing. Engines are what make F1 and batteries will never replace that and once the novelty of Formula E dies down, it's back to F1.