Longo: Formula E considering longer races to increase battery life challenges

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Longo: Formula E considering longer races to increase battery life challenges

Alberto Longo, co-founder and Chief Championship Officer of Formula E, revealed that the all-electric series is looking at extending the duration of races in the 2019/20 season, to increase the level of battery management during races.

Longo: Formula E considering longer races to increase battery life challenges

The 2018/19 season ended a couple of weeks ago with two major races in New York. This also closed a complete season of timed races (45 minutes plus one lap), in contrast to previous seasons where races consisted of a set number of laps.

For the 2019/20 campaign, which kicks off with a double-header in Saudi Arabia November 22 and 23, the timed race system will be kept, although Longo revealed that they are looking at the possibility of extending the time.

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"We're going to stick with a 45-minute race. We might extend it a bit to put the uncertainty about battery management back in, because in the end, energy management is what should prevail in our championship and it's true that 45 minutes might be cutting it a bit short," he said.

The implementation of timed races coincided with the debut of the Gen2 car in Formula E, which spots a battery that lasts the entire race without the need to change vehicles, as was previously the case with the Gen1 cars.

"We wanted to be conservative and now we know where the limit is and we can be a bit more aggressive, so maybe we will increase the number of laps, but this is a first," Longo added.