What it takes to prep an electric race car for Formula E battle
- While the rules and regulations are obviously different, Formula E race cars are also nothing like the ones that make all the noise in Formula One.
Formula E came calling to India for the first time ever earlier this month with the street circuit in Hyderabad playing host to a riveting contest. Still relatively new for many across the world, Formula E pits all-electric race cars against each other in a speed and skill battle that, many say, is even more intense than Formula One.
While the rules and regulations are obviously different, Formula E race cars are also nothing like the ones that make all the noise in Formula One. In the ongoing season, Gen 3 electric race cars are being driven which offer better range and performance. But varying conditions across the world can throw up varying challenges for both man and machine.
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The Hyderabad edition, for instance, was mostly about heat management. Although held in February, track and ambient temperatures were still high compared to other venues like Berlin, London and Rome. Formula E is also held in locations like in Mexico City, Saudi Arabia's Diriyah and Jakarta where heat and/or humidity can be a big factor. “When temperatures near 30 degree Celsius, all factors are taken into consideration. How demanding will the track be, how will the tyres cope, how are we going to cope as drivers," Mitch Evans of Jaguar TCS Racing told HT Auto on the sidelines of the event. The 28-year-old Kiwi was involved in a collision with his teammate Sam Bird in the Hyderabad edition, an unfortunate end to what was otherwise a dominant show for most parts from both.
But even as Evans and Bird look to bounce back this weekend for round five in Cape Town, the emphasis will still be on the larger message revolving around sustainability. “The racing is for the thrill but there is a bigger purpose, beyond entertainment. It is sustainibility which other championships do not have. Compared to F1, our fan base is still very young. But it is changing big time and there are some very high quality driving teams around," explained Evans.
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