FIA
Latest
Formula E will trial a 30-second quick charging stop in some races next season
Formula E will test a quick charge stop that delivers a dose of energy in 30 seconds.
Formula 1 will use a VAR-style virtual control room to avoid controversy
Formula is implementing a VAR-like 'Virtual Race Control Room' to prevent a repeat of the messy 2021 season ending.
Formula E is a great cure for F1 withdrawal
The F1 offseason can be brutal for the newly indoctrinated. Formula E's earlier start has certainly helped.
FIA launches 'groundbreaking' electric GT category
The FIA has unveiled a new electric GT motorsports category with the aim of pushing manufacturers to develop battery, charging and other tech for high-performance road cars.
F1 engine makers are testing sustainable fuel
F1 aims to hit net zero carbon emissions within 10 years.
Formula E returns August 5th with six races around an old Berlin airport
The Formula E season will resume -- and end -- with a six-race series around a Berlin airport starting August 5th.
Formula E season suspended due to coronavirus fears
FIA, the organizing body behind motor sport and Formula E have decided to suspend this year's racing season for up to two months. In response to concerns about managing the spread of COVID-19, the organizations have said that pausing the season was the "most responsible course of action." The direct result of this is the cancellation of planned races in Paris, Seoul, while the Jakarta E-Prix was cancelled two days prior.
Formula E will be elevated to World Championship status for 2020
As much as Formula E has grown, it still plays second fiddle to Formula 1. It's about to get more legitimacy going forward, though. The FIA is granting World Championship status to the electric racing league starting with the 2020-2021 season, making it the only FIA single-seat competition beyond Formula 1 to receive that distinction. It'll now be known as the (lengthily-worded) ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, and the driver who wins will be deemed a world champion. There's no mention of Formula E getting practical benefits from the title, but it does show that the race series is important in the FIA's eyes -- it's not just a sideshow next to the main event.
Formula 1's underdogs struggle with the technical challenges of the sport
As Renault approached the French Grand Prix, a lot was at stake. The race was on the team's home turf, at a make-or-break point in the season. Nobody was panicking. Yet. Despite having won twice in 2018 with Red Bull, new driver Daniel Ricciardo knew what he'd signed up for with Renault. The team was ready: It came in with both engine and chassis changes. But the Paul Ricard circuit at Castellet in France was not the best test for Renault, given the high speeds and the team's continuing aerodynamic issues. The changes to the chassis and motor didn't help, a fact confirmed in qualifying on Saturday. Ricciardo was on the fourth row in eighth place and Nico Hulkenberg in 13th -- not the results Renault was looking for.
Mercedes unveils its first Formula E race car
Mercedes-Benz said it would participate in Formula E this year, and now you know what it'll bring to the track. The tri-star badge has unveiled its first racer for the all-electric league, the EQ Silver Arrow 01 (no real relation to the Silver Arrow concept), and it's clear it will at least be competitive. The machine will pump out up to 340HP during qualifiers and in FanBoost mode (272HP in normal racing, 306HP in attack mode), and hit 62MPH in a brisk 2.8 seconds. There's a 52kWh battery to keep it humming throughout the entire race.
BBC will broadcast every Formula E race this season
The BBC may have lost Formula 1 coverage years ago due to budget limits, but it's making up for that in style. The broadcaster has reached a deal to air every race of Formula E's 2018-2019 season in the UK, starting with the December 15th race in Saudi Arabia. In other words, it'll be very easy to follow the electric racing league if you live in the country. This is also important for exposure -- availability on a free-to-air TV network could introduce Formula E to people who otherwise wouldn't know it exists.
Twitter's new shows include Formula 1 and SportsCenter Live
Twitter wasn't kidding when it promised a flurry of video. The social network has announced more than 30 video deals, including a slew of live shows. To begin with, Twitter has landed a Formula 1 deal: The @f1 account will stream a live post-race show (sorry, no live races) with both key interviews and panel discussions with luminaries like Nico Rosberg. The first of ten shows will premiere after the Spanish Grand Prix on May 13th, and you'll also find on-demand race highlight clips.
Netflix will release a Formula 1 documentary series
Netflix is continuing its streak of scoring major sports originals. The streaming service has unveiled plans for a 10-episode documentary of Formula 1's 10-episode season with Senna's James Gay-Rees as one of the executive producers. The series will have "exclusive" access to drivers, team leadership and the league's own management, giving you a peek at the drama beyond the track. It should premiere sometime in early 2019.
Fernando Alonso is the first F1 driver with an eSports team
You've seen basketball and soccer (aka football) teams dive into eSports, and now it's the turn for individual Formula One drivers to get in on the action. McLaren Honda driver Fernando Alonso has launched an eSports team in partnership with Logitech, with Alonso serving as a team principal. The FA Racing G2 Logitech G team -- yes, it's a mouthful -- will compete in a slew of games across multiple platforms, and has already enlisted F1 eSports league finalist Cem Bolukbasi.
Jaguar plans a production EV racing series for 2018
To date, watching a full-fledged EV racing series has meant watching custom-built Formula E race cars. They're great to watch, but not exactly reflective of what you can drive on the road. Jaguar aims to fix that. It's launching the first production-based electric vehicle race series, the I-Pace eTrophy, as a support series for Formula E in late 2018. It'll run on the same tracks as Formula E, but it'll rely on (what else?) a track-optimized version of the upcoming I-Pace SUV. Up to 20 drivers will take part in each race in an "arrive and drive" package -- they'll need an international racing license, but Jaguar and the FIA will take care of vehicles and support.
Porsche takes its racing heritage to Formula E
Porsche is well aware of the performance potential of EVs, having committed in 2015 to the Mission E sports car and, more recently to a high-powered charging network. That now applies to the motorsports side, the company announced that it's forsaking pistons to join the Formula E racing circuit starting in the 2019/20 seaso. "Entering Formula E and achieving success in this category are the logical outcomes of our Mission E road car program," Porsche AG's Michael Steiner said in a statement.
Fox broadcasts Formula E's historic NYC races starting July 15th
Formula E is about to make history by bringing racing back to New York City, and you'll have plenty of chances to tune in... though it's not always live. Fox Sports (the league's official broadcaster) has detailed a coverage schedule for the two Brooklyn races on the weekend, including the pre-race build-up. Everything starts on July 15th at 6:30PM, when FS2 and SDD will rebroadcast the round 9 race's qualifying results. You'll see the race itself an hour later, at 7:30PM. Round 10 qualifying will air 11AM on July 16th. The real fireworks start at 12:30PM on the 16th -- that's when the pre-race (and half an hour later, the race itself) broadcasts live on TV. Both races will livestream online through Fox Sports Go, though you'll need a TV subscription to take advantage of internet viewing.
Formula E's next-generation cars get their first concept shots
The all-electric Formula E race series is set to make some high-profile moves this season. With a big race in Brooklyn and at least one major entrant ditching the fossil-fueled Le Mans races, electric racing is gaining more and more credibility as the sport progresses. To keep the vehicles at the center of it all progressing as well, Spark Racing Technologies has unveiled its plans for next season's official Formula E cars.
Audi drops Le Mans in favor of Formula E
Here's an unusual turn of events: Audi is dropping its best-known presence in motorsports. The car maker is terminating its FIA World Endurance Championship commitment, which includes 24-hour Le Mans races, in favor of a Formula E factory-backed team. If you ask executives, it's about reflecting long-term goals. Audi's regular cars are going electric in ever-larger numbers -- when its race cars are "technological spearheads," they have to go electric as well. The company already has a partnership in the league, but it'll have technical involvement from 2017 onward.
ICYMI: Far away haptic hello, birthing robot mom and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-3569{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-3569, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-3569{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-3569").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The Haptoclone allows users to touch and interact with distant objects, in a way you have to see to understand. But basically, long-distance makeouts over Skype are coming. Cambridge University researchers designed a robot that can make it's own 'children,' then test them for the strongest features, to then incorporate for the following generation. And the FIA Formula E Championship (the E is for electricity-based power) just showcased its new cars for the start of its second official season.
