Formula E 2023

The Mexico race didn`t do it for me either... these cars are a huge departure from the previous ones so they will take some time to get the full potential out. Oliver Rowland has said they are too fragile. Hits that were twice as hard in the Gen2 cars caused little to no damage but apparently a light tap is causing these to break. Maybe he was just complaining because he was so far back... I mean when have drivers ever been at fault?!

I still prefer the Gen2 to the Gen3 but they are not as bad as I had originally felt.

Things might get interesting when they enable fast charging.

I personally see absolutely no sense in drifting and only marginally in drag racing. Drifiting in particular seems like a huge waste of resources. Yes, it shows talent in car control but what racing doesn`t?

Once you see the episode where the original Top Gear guys get their mothers to learn to do donuts and drift you kind of don`t see it so much as a "sport"...
I also have a problem where too much subjectivity is applied, i.e. scoring.
Drag racing I tolerate because the engineering involved is bonkers and the stresses and adrenaline rush kind of make up for it.

I will stay committed to Formula E as I don`t see it being any better or worse to any other series.

conti_rowland said:

Maybe I am wrong but I thought Gen 3 were Gen 2 with some of the parts removed?

I too watch because I love open wheel racing.

I too can't quite get excited...

Andi

Click to expand...

They are completely different cars. They have 3 motors, different battery and electric management. Higher power, lower weight, more regen capability.

They also have new much harder Hankook tires that don`t wear as much... that also means they have less grip until up to temp and overall different characteristics.

They are supposed to have rapid charging which I hope will take the energy management part a little more out of the equation. While it is kind of interesting seeing them cross the line with 0.1% power it can become a problem (see Valencia last year).

Drivers do say off the record the cars are very hard to drive ....

I always wonder why people say they can`t "get into" a type of motorsport. Part of me figures it is just like picking out your life partner: Lots of factors go into that and many of them simply cannot be quantified.

Like I said I am not a fan of drifting and have a fairly clear reasoning as to why.

Even though I grew up near Michigan International Speedway and went to qualifying and practice alost every weekend I was not a huge NASCAR fan until I drove one in 2003. Higher Power have mercy... when I figure there could be as many as 4 racers on either side and in front or behind me at those speeds I get it....

If you have a problem with the sound I can get that. Personally I see sound as wasted energy so it doesn`t bother me.

Otherwise though racing in circles has always been the same more or less.
At least with Formula E the racing is fairly close and can sometimes be frantic. The tracks are no narrower than any street course, say in WTCR or the other formula series. Personally I am not a fan of city course. Macau and Pau don`t do it for me. I would also admit that the Temeplhof track looks a little silly but when you realize there were tons of tracks on airfields back in the 50`s it kind of makes sense.

When you look at Formula 1 two or three seasons ago that was basically a Mercedes procession you can`t argue that was more exciting.

Formula 1 is starting to get interesting again but I usually only watch the highlights myself.

For pure racing I really like BTCC to be honest. I also like most GT3 and endurance racing. Something about a machine getting a beating for up to 24 hours straight intrigues me...
Unfortunately my favorite GT3 series: ADAC GT Masters has merged with DTM which has become a GT3 rseries as well... Tickets will likely triple or quadruple in price so I guess 2021 was the last time I visited that...

Trying to put my finger on why it's annoying.. (but remember I do watch every race)...
1. The commentators.
They clearly think that them being excited will make for a better spectacle. This isn't the case at all. I need very knowledgeable commentators, preferably ex drivers. The best by far are David Coulthard and Mark Webber with close second. They know what is happening and pick things up that I cannot see. Instead with formula e I know what is happening more than they see it seems...
2. The energy management.
Is clearly all done for effect. The cars don't stop when they reach 0% and they get fan boost and the drive through boost thingy, without stopping to recharge.
It's nonsense.
If they reach 0% they should stop and there shouldn't be any in-race boosts.
I know all racing has fuel management but clearly this is staged and stops a lot of the racing....
3. The circuits should allow more diving rather than following. Just widden it out and people would be passing ALL the time. Since the energy is so close between cars and the is no aero or tyre strategy the cars are very close together which I like. So just widen the track and it would be mayhem... Or not... Maybe we'd really see who can drive.

There, 3 discussion points to start.

I have no issue with noise, tyres, parking lot circuit locations... Couldn't care less, but want to see drivers going to the max.
Andi

Wankel Ickx said:

Anyhoo, I swear I saw a trailer for Mexico where in the animation it appeared as though they were going to parachute the cars into the venue.

Which would have been nice.

Click to expand...

Yes... it was the trailer for the race... a but weird but 1000 times better than last year's where the two leading cars hit a wall, the drivers jump out, run through the infield, through a market, steal a horse jump on the track and then run on foot across the finish line beating the rest of the cars...
The tagline was "No Holding Back" or "No Turning Back"...
I pointed out to them that anyone with a microgram of a modicum of understanding about motorsport will see that you are faster on foot than these cars on track.... Not sure that is the message they really were going for...
I suggested a video where the lead car has some sort of trouble and the team tells him to come in and they do some sort of "never give up! Never surrender!" type deal and he pulls out in time to chase the leaders and crosses the line 3 abreast or something...
They never called back.. :-D