6 things you should know about Formula E

If you’re keen to get into motorsport’s most forward-thinking series, read on to discover just some of the reasons why Formula E is well worth a watch...

1. The illustrious field

If you’ve watched any Formula One over the past decade and a half, you may well recognise a few of the names in the Formula E field. Leading stars include former Toro Rosso driver Sébastian Buemi, former McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne and two-time Formula E World Champion Jean-Éric Vergne.

Another former F1 star on the grid is Pascal Wehrlein, racing for the Vodafone-sponsored TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. And in terms of British interest, there’s plenty to write home about, with half a dozen drivers flying the flag including experienced racers Oliver Turvey and title contender Sam Bird.

2. Driving innovation

As Official Communications Partner of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, Vodafone is committed to bringing about a greener future, with some of the most ambitious global, science-based climate targets in its industry. Vodafone UK is working to eliminate all carbon emissions from its entire operations, and significantly reduce emissions from its supply chain, by 2027. All the electricity it uses comes from renewable sources and its transitioning to a fully electric car and van fleet.

Participation in Formula E enables Porsche and Vodafone to test and develop road-relevant technologies and sustainable travel solutions, thereby acting as a catalyst to refine the design of electric vehicles, while enhancing the driving experience for everyday road car users.

And if you’re looking for something away from the track, Vodafone has also developed a world first, multiplayer, motor racing, Web AR game, Take the Wheel. You can put yourself in the driver’s seat of the Porsche 99x Electric vehicle and test your skills against your friends at home via https://takethewheel.vodafone.co.uk/

3. Competition like no other

Compared to traditional motorsport racing series, Formula E provides all teams with the vehicle chassis and the standard battery. All drive components, on the other hand, are developed by the manufacturers themselves. This allowed the engineers to do their own thing when developing the powertrain. These include the electric motor, converter, brake-by-wire system, transmission, differential, drive shafts, the load-bearing structure and the associated chassis parts on the rear axle, as well as the cooling system and control unit. All of this ensures incredibly tight race finals and an exciting championship.

4. You can have your say

Formula E races, or E-Prix as they’re officially known, see bags of overtaking, prangs and passion, with the lead often changing hands several times over the course of a race. That’s thanks in part to exciting innovations like ATTACK MODE, where a driver deviates from the usual line and goes through an Activation Zone, providing their battery an extra 35kW of power to use for the next few laps, for when they want to time their strategy to perfection and steal a march on the field.

Then there’s perhaps the most interactive element of any racing Formula in the world: FANBOOST. In the lead up to a race, fans can vote online for their favourite driver to receive an additional power boost during the race for extra overtaking ability. So, if you’re new to Formula E, why not nail your colours to the mast and vote to give the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’s Pascal Wehrlein or André Lotterer a boost?

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5. Street fights

The bulk of the Formula E calendar is hosted by some of the most exhilarating street circuits in the world. This means you can see these futuristic machines going at it hammer and tong in scenic city settings such as Rome, Berlin and New York, as well as the automotive capital of glitz and glamour, Monaco.

Perhaps most excitingly, Formula E is the only way to see wheel-to-wheel action on the streets of London. On 24 and 25 July this year, after a year’s enforced hiatus, we’ll once again see racing in the unique setting of the ExCel arena and surrounding area. As the penultimate race weekend of the season, there’s sure to be history-defining moments and unforgettable drama in the capital.

6. Free to watch

Formula E prides itself on being interactive and accessible, which is why it’s such great news for UK motor racing fans that races are shown across BBC TV and online services, including Red Button, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website. And that’s not all. You can also find plenty of behind-the-scenes content, legacy highlights and compilations of Formula E’s most thrilling moments on its official YouTube channel – if you’re a fan of high-octane racing action, be prepared to spend quite a bit of time there.

Want to find out more about Vodafone’s involvement in Formula E? Discover here