Why Formula E hasn't managed to grab enough attention after 9 seasons

For starters, there was a car swap in the initial years which was hilarious.

BHPian Omkar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This year Formula E will enter its 10th season and to be honest, the first 9 seasons haven’t been able to grab a lot of attention. Yes, there is an interest around the sport as it happens all around the world on city roads, but not outright fandom. Even when I attended the Formula E race in Hyderabad last year, it wasn’t like the stands were empty. A lot of people attended the event just because something exciting was happening in the city. Unfortunately, we won’t be having the Hyderabad E-Prix this year. But overall, if you ask motorsport enthusiasts, the sport hasn’t managed to grab anyone’s attention even after 9 seasons. Here are some of the reasons why I think that the sport hasn’t picked up.

Comparison with Formula 1:

It’s called 'Formula E', so comparisons will be made to the long-running traditional Formula 1. And as long as you compare it with Formula 1, Formula E will always feel underwhelming because of the lack of spectacle and the lack of strategic involvement of the team. There are no pitstops anymore, so no significant tyre disadvantage or chances of a slow pitstop. Formula E cars are also significantly slower than Formula 1 cars which isn't very exciting.

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Too many experiments:

Technological advances will lead to the evolution of race cars and that’s inevitable. Formula E cars are in their 3rd generation, but there have been a lot of rule changes through the years and it feels more like an arcade game rather than a serious racing competition. For starters, there was a car swap in the initial years which was hilarious. Then there was also a rule where the audience would vote for their favourite driver and that driver would get a ‘FanBoost’ which was a temporary power boost in his car. Then there’s an attack mode which is still a thing in the current seasons where the drivers have to go offline to get an extra dose of power for a limited time. This adds to a bit of action but feels very Mario Kart-like.

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Too much contact:

Again in comparison with F1, there is a lot more contact in Formula E. One of the reasons why F1 feels a lot more exciting is that drivers are extremely careful with their cars. A slight damage can cost them time every lap and that’s why drivers have to overtake purely based on skill. In comparison, you will see a lot more contact in Formula E races which seems borderline reckless even. There was a race where a driver lost a major part of his front wing and still ended up driving at the same pace as before and even finishing in the same place.

Not all is lost though. The sport is growing and while it may not attract a lot of traditional fans, it does have some new fans who are environmentally conscious. Also, the fact is that Formula E has an exclusive license to host a FIA-sanctioned electric championship through 2039. All the other motorsports have gained popularity over the years, be it 24 Hours of Le Mans, the WRC, the Dakar Rally or even GT car racing. And while Formula E is still comparatively new, 2039 isn’t very far. Formula E will have to find ways to get some good traction and more audience and that too very quickly. IMO, at this point, it is Formula E that is Driving to Survive.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

It's very b-o-r-i-n-g, Omkar.

Formula 1 itself is struggling to get my attention race-after-race (although latest season has been good). But Formula E? There is no noise, no drama, teams are leaving, no differentiator. It looks like toy cars racing against each other.

Not to forget, the poor marketing & image building. How many drivers have you heard of from the 2024 grid? https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/...mula-e-in-2024. We have to admit that Max, Hamilton, Alonso, Perez, Leclerc, Norris etc. add a "face" and personality to Formula 1. Back in the day, I watched F1 because of Schumacher, Hakkinen, Senna as much as for the on-track action.

They need more iconic tracks too

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