India plays host to a series of top motorsport series after almost a decade, when Formula E comes to town in the form of the Hyderabad E-Prix on 11 February.
Here’s everything you need to know about the show event:
Wait, what is an E-prix?
The electrical equivalent of a Formula 1 race. It’s… simplifying things. This is essentially the pinnacle of electric racing, with Hyderabad now becoming the 30th venue to host the E-Prix.
��️ February 11, 2023
�� Formula E launched in India�� 2023 @GreenkoIndia #HyderabadEPrix
– ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (@FIAFormulaE) February 8, 2023
Don’t we already have a Grand Prix in India?
That’s right, the ill-fated Indian Grand Prix (and that’s to put it mildly) took place from 2011 to 2013 at the Buddh International Circuit in Delhi. However, we got to see Sebastian Vettel make donuts, en route to winning a fourth straight championship.
So how is it different from Formula 1?
There are two main differences.
One, it’s in the name. The ‘E’ in Formula E stands for electric – with the entire racing car running on batteries. Formula 1 introduced a hybrid engine in 2014 and in an effort to ‘go green’ it targets carbon-neutral synthetic fuels from 2026. But F1 remains essentially a sport that doesn’t use it. electricity.
With the world moving towards electric vehicles, this explains the wave of carmakers entering Formula E, as any innovation in the sport is likely to reflect in the performance. production on their way.
The other big difference is that Formula E has one spec common to all teams and drivers – the same chassis and battery. There’s no ‘It Was tHe CaR’ meme about Lewis Hamilton’s dominance here – every team has the same hardware to work with, with superiority coming from driver lineups, setup of the day and even even… software.
It led to a race series with wheel-to-wheel action and a highly unpredictable race day – every Formula E season since its inception has been decided into the final race of the season. Season 8 featured 9 different winners in 16 races, with eventual champion Stoffel Vandoorne winning just one race.
Does this mean we don’t know who will win in Hyderabad?
It’s still pretty early in Season 9, with only three rounds completed. Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche) and Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) have competed to win every race to date, with the former topping the leaderboard after winning both races heading into the top. dual in Diriyah. NEOM McLaren and Jaguar TCS Racing have also started the season at a fast pace and are able to make significant leaps in performance as the season progresses.
Okay… any Indians to cheer for?
Jehan Daruvala is in the paddock, but as a reserve driver for Mahindra Racing (apart from his duties in Formula 2). However, the India team had a spot on the podium, with Lucas di Grassi finishing third in this season’s opening race – teammate Oliver Rowland was yet to score a point. There’s also the Tata-owned Jaguar TCS Racing team, so even if there aren’t any Indians involved – there are teams to support.
How is the Hyderabad racetrack?
Formula E prides itself on running in city centers as a setup primarily for street racing, but that is also a function of its ‘shortcomings’. The battery technology of previous seasons couldn’t exist in a purpose-built circuit, with the awkward sight of drivers swapping cars mid-race (yes, really). However, there is no such thing with the Gen 3 cars of the series.
They will fly over the 2.83km Hyderabad track along Hussain Sagar Lake and NTR Gardens, with 18 turns designed to take advantage of Formula E’s enhanced regenerative braking system.
Who is ready to go green in India!? ����
Your First Look at Hyderabad Street Racetrack ��@GreenkoIndia #HyderabadEPrix pic.twitter.com/YrtOUPDfPw
– ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (@FIAFormulaE) February 6, 2023
The cars look pretty, eh?
Looks can be divisive, with Formula E’s current specs modeled after a fighter jet, but speed is undeniably fast. From Gen 1 cars launched in 2014 (power 200 kW, top speed 225 km/h) to Gen 3 cars used this season (350 kW capacity, top speed 322 km/h), Formula E electric cars have come a long way.
But… the sound
Well, there is no way out of it. Formula E assumes this is intentional, but the EV silence simply means that the roar of the engine is replaced by the high-pitched whine of the electric motor and the squeal of tires. It takes some getting used to, but given the excitement on the track, it’s an acceptable trade-off.
How is the weekend laid out?
In contrast to Formula 1’s three-day weekend, Formula E’s pop-up nature (can’t let the city centers of Paris and its associates endure too long a traffic disruption or there will be a revolution) means they usually finish things up in a day or two. There’s Free Workout 1 on Saturday night (4:25pm), then crowded Sunday – FP2 at 8:05am, followed by Qualifiers at 10:40am (more on that later on) ), and then the race from 3pm onwards.
How to qualify for work? Is it a straight shootout?
Are not. Formula E has a history of gimmicks (seriously, FanBoost?) but their qualifying formula crosses the thin line between gimmicks and pure achievement. The grid was divided into two groups based on their rankings – odd and even numbers – and each group ran at full speed for 10 minutes, trying to establish a fast lap time.
The top four from each group will then enter a ‘duels’ – such as the fastest person from Group A, facing the fourth fastest from Group B in a knockout match in the quarterfinals. end (A1 vs B4, etc.). by a final shootout between the winners of the semi-final, who sat in the front row, with the timing of the rounds deciding the quarter-final losers by a score of 5-8. If the video player is from Group B, then the fifth highest time in Group B is ranked 9th and his equivalent in Group A is ranked 10th…and so on.
It’s simpler when you see it, promise.
���� @Pascal_Wehrlein‘s Diriyah double
⭐ @JakeDennis19passing the main class
�� @Sebastien_BuemiPole balance record of ‘s
�� @JakeHughesRace extreme maidenWhat is your moment of the day? #DiriyahEPrix? ��
– ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (@FIAFormulaE) February 1, 2023
The race is a shootout, sure?
Hey…
That is. Most of. There is no wrinkle of a pit stop, but to ensure it is not a checkered procession, Formula E has the concept of ‘Attack Mode’ – where the cars can use their full power. 350 kW for a limited time (they usually run at 300 kW during the race). However, to activate ‘Attack Mode’, drivers must move off the track in a designated area on the track – this often results in cars following closely behind them passing them.
Other than that, it’s a head-to-head gunfight – but riders have to make sure their batteries last the race distance. Mahindra Racing has a reputation for losing wins to battery drain in previous seasons – with their riders racing towards the line without power after the last corner only to lose their victory at the finish line.
Let’s hope it doesn’t happen in Hyderabad.
Hyderabad E-Prix (Qualifiers and Races) will be streamed live on Disney+ Hotstar and broadcast on Star Sports Network, with the Free Practices streamed live on the Formula E YouTube channel.
