The FIA Formula E Championship is the world’s first all-electric single-seater racing series. But what do those words actually mean, how does the technology work, and who are the key players behind the scenes?
Read on to find out more…
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TAG-Heuer
Renowned watch maker TAG Heuer is the Official Timekeeping Partner of Formula E.
TECHEETAH
The most recent addition to Formula E’s roster of teams is TECHEETAH. The team was brought into life after Chinese sports management company SECA purchased the assets of Team Aguri. Its first race was in Hong Kong, while Jean-Eric Vergne scored its maiden podium in Buenos Aires.
Todt, Jean
FIA President Jean Todt had the vision to create a form of motorsport that would showcase the technologies relevant to the road cars of tomorrow, which became Formula E. Todt has a long and illustrious motorsport CV, which includes being a world title winning rally co-driver, masterminding Peugeot’s first Le Mans 24 Hours win and four WRC titles as Director of Peugeot Talbot Sport and perhaps most famously of all, presiding over the most successful period in Ferrari’s Formula 1 history, including a record-breaking five consecutive drivers’ titles with Michael Schumacher.
He became FIA President in 2009 and in 2015 he was appointed by the Secretary General of the United Nations as his Special Envoy for Road Safety.
Trulli
The Trulli Formula E team was the last of the original 10 entrants to be confirmed in the series, with ex-F1 star Jarno Trulli taking over the slot previously assigned to Drayson Racing. Trulli himself was the team’s lead driver and he delivered its sole pole position in Berlin and also its best result, fourth place in Punta del Este. When the team’s partnership with Motomatica failed to yield a suitable powertrain for Season 2, it withdrew from the championship, opening up a vacancy that allowed Panasonic Jaguar Racing into the series.
Trulli, Jarno
Jarno Trulli was one of the first high-profile drivers to try the Formula E development car as the championship was gearing up for the first season. He liked the experience so much that when the opportunity presented itself for him to have his own team in the series he took it and ran the whole of Season 1, scoring 15 points courtesy of his Berlin pole and fourth in Punta.
Tung, Ho-Pin
Ho-Pin Tung was one of the original 20 Formula E drivers, lining up for China Racing in Beijing. In total he made three starts for the team, twice finishing in 11th place. This season he is the reserve driver for Panasonic Jaguar Racing.
Turvey, Oliver
Oliver Turvey made his Formula E debut at the London ePrix double header that drew Season 1 to a close. He did an impressive job for China Racing, finishing ninth in both races, which lead to a full-time drive with the team as it morphed into NextEV for Season 2. This season he scored his maiden Julius Baer Pole Position in Mexico City.
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United Nations
Ahead of the Paris ePrix, Formula E joined forces with the United Nations in a global partnership that aims to improve inner-city air quality, boost the profile of alternative energy solutions and increase the usage of electric vehicles.
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Varsha, Bob
Veteran US sports broadcaster joined Dario Franchitti and Jack Nicholls as part of the world feed commentary team for Season 3. Varsha had previously been following the series through his role at Fox Sports, during which time he got to experience the Formula E car first hand around the Miami Homestead circuit.
Venturi
Monaco-based Venturi is a pioneer of electric vehicles, with its Formula E programme complementing its land speed recording breaking projects as well as its Antarctic Research support work.
Nick Heidfeld scored the team’s first podium in the Season 1 Moscow race, while Stephane Sarrazin added the first pole in the second of the two London races that brought the season to an end.
Vergne, Jean-Eric
Jean-Eric Vergne made an immediate impression on his Formula E debut, by setting a stunning pole position for Andretti in the Season 1 Punta del Este race. He switched to DS Virgin Racing for Season 2, and when he signed for the new TECHEETAH team for Season 3, he became the first driver to race for three different Formula E outfits.
Villeneuve, Jacques
The 1997 Formula 1 World Champion took part in the opening three races of Season 2 for Venturi. He was 11th in Putrajaya.
Virgin
Virgin Racing was the ninth team to confirm its entry into Formula E. It was the second motorsport project to bear the name of Sir Richard Branson’s famous company and it took just two races for Sam Bird to register its first win. For Season 2 it teamed up with French luxury car manufacturer DS, and DS Virgin Racing was born.
Virtual Reality
Formula E always aims to be at the cutting edge of technology and with Virtual Reality set to be the next big thing in broadcasting, it will come as no surprise that we have a full compliment of ‘VR’ assets.
Courtesy of Virtually Live, fans can re-live the Season 3 races in VR, which gives them the opportunity to switch between cars at the swish of a finger. In fact, the potential of this burgeoning technology was utilised to add another dimension in the analysis of the crash between Nelson Piquet Jr and Jean-Eric Vergne in Monaco.
Click here to download the Virtually Live app
Visa
Visa is the Official Payment Partner of Formula E. During that time it has undertaken a number of Formula E-based activations, including organising a ‘boosted by Bolt’ sprint race in Battersea, that was won by Loic Duval, and supporting the ground-breaking Visa Vegas eRace.
Visa Fastest Lap
The Visa Fastest Lap is awarded to the driver who sets the fastest lap of the race. The award only applies to lap times set during the race itself, not any of the other official timed sessions. In Seasons 1 and 2, the Visa Fastest Lap was worth two points, but for Season 3, the reward was reduced to a single point.
Sebastien Buemi has recorded the most Visa Fastest Laps, with a grand total of seven.
Visa Vegas eRace
The Visa Vegas eRace was the richest motor racing eSport event in history, with the 20 Formula E drivers and the 10 professional sim racers who qualified for the race, battling for a prize fund of one million dollars.
The event took place at CES in Las Vegas, Nevada in January this year. The 10 sim racers were selected through the Road to Vegas qualification process and they acquitted themselves with distinction, filling four of the top five places, with Dutchman Bono Huis scooping the grand prize of $200,000.