Formula E, the premier electric single-seater race series is set to hold its first-ever E-Prix in India tomorrow at Hyderabad in a race that sees the country return to the racing calendar for the first time since 2013’s F1 Indian GP.
So just what is Formula E? And why is it so important that India is hosting a race after a decade away from the premier international racing world? Let’s talk about that, shall we…
So What is Formula E?
Formula E is the premier single-seater racing series for battery-powered EVs. Look at it like Formula 1 but with EVs instead of dino-burning ICE engines.
Like F1, Formula E races in countries across the world but unlike its more famous ICE sibling, Formula E is quite a newcomer in the top-tier world of single-seater racing, having been started in 2014, 3 years after it was first conceptualized by the then FIA president Jean Todt and Spanish businessman, Alejandro Agag.
While at first, it was viewed as a niche racing series with funny bits like car changes in the middle of the race, Formula E is now the premier motorsports series for those with a green conscious. Now in its 9th season, Formula E has 12 teams (with 2 drivers each) competing for the top honours in 14 races across the year.
Formula E primary races on street circuits inside city centres and has attracted major manufacturers including the likes of Jaguar, McLaren, Porsche, Maserati, Nissan, Cupra, DS and India’s own Mahindra.
And What is An E-Prix? And How Does It Work?
An E-Prix is what Formula E calls its race weekend. In the case of Hyderabad, Free Practice 1 will be held today evening, kicking off at 4:25 p.m. local time for a 50-minute time period. Race day itself will start with Free Practice 2 kicking off at 8 in the morning tomorrow for another period of 50 minutes. The actual race time during these practice sessions where drivers can use their car’s full 350kW output is 30 minutes.
The second session on the second day of the weekend (10:40 local time in Hyderabad, tomorrow) will be qualifying. The first stage of qualifying sees two sets of 11 drivers (classified by their Drivers’ World Championship position) fight it out with the power limited to 300kW in a 10-minute session.
The fastest four from each group then progress into the quarter-finals which sees the beginning of the Duels with power raised to the max output of 350kW. The fastest drivers of each group then slug it out in the quarter and semi-finals before the final sees the last remaining driver from each group clash for pole position and the three points that come with it.
The semi-finalists take up the next two spots on the grid with the quarterfinalists taking up the next four slots. All these positions are determined by the lap times set by the driver.
The drivers who did not qualify for the duels then take their spots on the grid. The 7 remaining drivers that were part of the pole position holder’s group take up the remaining odd-numbered slots on the grid, while the other group takes up the even-numbered slots (positions are determined by lap times during the group stage).
The final event of the day is the race itself, which will kick off at 3:03 p.m. local time tomorrow in Hyderabad. This is what is actually known as the E-Prix and it begins with a standing start on the grid. The races see the cars run at 300kW though drivers can raise that to 350kW twice in the race by activating the mandatory Attack Mode.
At the end of the race, the winner takes home 25 points, 2nd takes 18 and 3rd takes 15 points. The fourth-place finisher gets 12 and this continues dropping by 2 points till the 9th-spot racer who gets two points. The racer who takes 10th gets the final point of the day. Again like Formula 1, if a driver drives the fastest lap of the race and finishes in the top 10, he gets an additional point for his championship tally.
Thoughts About Formula E and The Hyderabad E-Prix
So there you have it, your in-depth guide to Formula E and the Hyderabad E-Prix that kicks off today evening. Make sure to watch this space for more coverage of the race at DriveSpark.
Keyword: Formula E Hyderabad E-Prix: Here's Everything You Need To Know