Formula E, 100 race milestone “8 years ago everyone was laughing at us”[F1-Gate.com]

-Formula E bids farewell to its Gen2 era as it reaches the milestone of 100 races at this weekend’s final round doubleheader in South Korea.

Formula E will celebrate its 100th race this weekend since it debuted in 2014 on a special track built around the Beijing Olympic stadium. The season finale marks the end of the Gen2 era, and next season will feature a new generation of Gen3 cars that are faster, lighter and more efficient than anything seen so far.

Formula E co-founder Alberto Longo says the city-based electric single-seater championship has proven critics wrong and will continue to exist.

“Eight years ago, everyone was basically laughing at electric cars and their limited range,” Alberto Longo told reporters.

“When we launched the championship, even the motorsport people were saying, ‘Well, okay, we need two cars to finish the race’.

Gen2 cars have doubled the battery capacity and eliminated the need for pit stops to swap cars. In Gen3, the car becomes even more racey.

“If someone said that we would be successful in such a short time, they would probably be a little crazy. In reality, we are only showing the tip of the iceberg,” said Alberto Longo. said.

“We have a lot to learn and a lot to grow. We know we are still the little brothers of Formula 1, but we are definitely on a faster track than any other motorsport championship. , will definitely stay here”

“I remember when we started with the idea, the big names in F1 said ‘we’ll never make it to the first race’… It was a big challenge, but we knew we were going to That’s a big reason why I’m so proud of it.”

Next season’s Formula E will feature an 18-race calendar in 13 cities around the world, including new rounds in the Indian city of Hyderabad and São Paulo, Brazil.

Mercedes will sell the team to McLaren and exit, while Maserati will enter as a partner in Venturi’s team.

Brazilian ex-F1 driver Lucas Di Grassi, who has competed in every race so far, becomes the first Formula E driver to reach 100 races. Sam Bird also had a 100% record, but missed the weekend after breaking his left hand in the previous round in London.