Formula E Starts tomorrow

[Jericoke]

I'm trying to figure out if I can watch the race (Canada has 12+ dedicated sports channels, but considering watching IndyCar on any one of them is difficult, and Non Cup NASCAR is impossible... even races run in Canada... I don't have high hopes)

It's in Beijing, at a circuit around the Bird's Next Stadium famous from the Olympics.

Trying to get more info, but the Formula E website doesn't work.

[Scott]

Hilarious eh?  Day before the inaugural race and the website is toast.  The Wikipedia page says it will be on Fox Sports 1 for North America...not sure if Canada is really in North America as far as TV goes.  For the UK it should be on ITV4.

I'm sure it will remind me of the indoor karting we did as a short GPW function a few years ago 

I turned on the TV to set it to record and you'll never believe what was on ITV4 ... Kojak!  Telly and his lollypop.  Hilarious. 

[Scott]

ITV's got a half decent F-e section, though mostly just youtube clips

http://www.itv.com/formula-e

[Jericoke]

Hilarious eh?  Day before the inaugural race and the website is toast.  The Wikipedia page says it will be on Fox Sports 1 for North America...not sure if Canada is really in North America as far as TV goes.  For the UK it should be on ITV4.

I'm sure it will remind me of the indoor karting we did as a short GPW function a few years ago 

I turned on the TV to set it to record and you'll never believe what was on ITV4 ... Kojak!  Telly and his lollypop.  Hilarious.

Fox Sports 1 used to be Speed Channel, which used to be Speedvision.

Canada does not allow foreign 'general content' cable channels.  So a 'sports' channel from the USA is not allowed in Canada, but a foreign channel only about 'racing' is not allowed in Canada (if there were still such a thing).

Long story short:  we don't have Fox Sports 1 in Canada.

[Scott]

Hmmm, they say otherwise:

http://www.fiaformulae.com/media/250489/canada.pdf

Says it will be on Speed at 3:30am on Saturday.

[Scott]

A few notes...

Renault, Williams and Mclaren all have big parts in Formula e.  Michelin is providing low profile tires ... might be interesting to see how they hold up. 

Only nine races, makes me wonder how that'll go.  Still tickets on sale for the Chinese race tomorrow (mind you most of the stands in China are empty for F1 as well).

Race is not quite an hour...I suppose it's limited by battery life.  Minimum weight is almost 900kg, more than a third of which is the batteries.

Top speed is 150mph, while acceleration is 0-62mph in a respectable 3sec.

The sound of the cars at speed will be around 80db.

A number of ex F1 drivers will be on the grid, including Sato, Montagny, Pic, Piquet, Buemi, Chandhok, Bruno Senna, Alguersuari, Trulli and Heidfeld (aren't those two a bit old?)

Some familiar team owners as well, Aguri Suzuki, Michael Andretti, Hans-Jurgen Abt (he and his son Daniel stayed with us once about 6 years ago), Jay Penske, Alain Prost, Jarno Trulli, Leonardo DiCaprio (what the heck??).

Anyhow, I'm going to tape it and watch it, and look forward to it.  Hope a few of you do too.

[cosworth151]

Don't feel bad, Jeri. Most of us here in the States can't get Fox Sports 1 either.

I like the idea, but they've thrown in some real "jump the shark" features, like Fan Boost. 

I like the drivers and teams. I don't like many of the circuits, changing cars mid-race or the Indycar style fenders.

Here's Autoweek's guide to it:

http://autoweek.com/article/racing/exclusive-guide-formula-e-andretti-autosports-kyle-moyer-analyzes-series-ahead

[Scott]

Man, the race is now live, but the website sporadic at best.  BIG fan apology needed and someone should be fired.

[Dare]

from PlnaetF1

Lucas di Grassi took the chequered flag in the first-ever Formula E race which ended in controversy in Beijing.

Di Grassi started the race second on the grid in his electric-powered Spark-Renault SRT_01E.

Down to third place as the race entered its final lap, the Brazilian jumped into the lead when Nicolas Prost and Nick Heidfeld clashed at the very last corner.

Heidfeld had closed in on Prost with four laps to go and on the final lap made his move for the victory.

Closing on the pole-sitter down the straight and into the final corner, Heidfeld drew alongside the Frenchman only for Prost to turn in on him.

The impact sent Heidfeld's car into a kerb that launched him into the air. The Venturi driver hit the wall, the fence and rolled before landing upside down. Thankfully he was not hurt.

Heidfeld later stated: "I placed it perfectly for the last corner and I guess the TV pictures show quite clearly I was alongside, Nico pulled alongside me.

"We spoke after the incident and he obviously has a different opinion than I do. Maybe he [will] change his mind when he watches the tape. I'm sure it is possible to overtake there. It is disappointing, but I'm not mad at him. This is racing."

The crash saw Di Grassi nip into the lead and claimed the inaugural win while Franck Montagny, driving for the Andretti team, finished second ahead of Daniel Abt.

Abt, though, was relegated to tenth for failing to take a drive-through penalty, putting Sam Bird up onto the podium.

Result
01 Lucas di Grassi Audi Sport ABT 52:23.413
02 Franck Montagny Andretti Autosport +2.867
03 Sam Bird Virgin Racing +6.559
04 Charles Pic Andretti Autosport +19.301
05 Karun Chandhok Mahindra Racing +23.952
06 Jerome d'Ambrosio Dragon Racing +31.664
07 Oriol Servia Dragon Racing +41.968
08 Nelson Piquet jr. China Racing +43.896
09 Stéphane Sarrazin VENTURI +43.975
10 Daniel Abt Audi Sport ABT +1:02.507
11 Jaime Alguersuari Virgin Racing +2:00.613
12 Nicolas Prost Team e.dams Renault +1 lap
13 Nick Heidfeld VENTURI +1 lap
14 Michela Cerruti Trulli +1 lap
15 Katherine Legge Amlin Aguri +1 lap
16 Ho Pin Tung China Racing +2 laps
Not Classified
Takuma Sato Amlin Aguri +4 laps
Sebastien Buemi Team e.dams Renault +11 laps
Jarno Trulli Trulli +23 laps
Bruno Senna Mahindra Racing +25 laps

[Ian]

Not overly impressed, tech might be top rate but not for me. 

[Dare]

race highlights from youtube.Looks like Prost hit
Nick on purpose tome or he wasn't paying attention.

[Scott]

Not overly impressed, tech might be top rate but not for me. 

I'm with you Ian.  I wasn't impressed with the speed, the spectacle, the cars or the racing.  The bit at the end was exciting, but to be honest I ended up fast forwarding through almost the whole thing. 

[John S]

Not overly impressed, tech might be top rate but not for me. 

I'm with you Ian.  I wasn't impressed with the speed, the spectacle, the cars or the racing.  The bit at the end was exciting, but to be honest I ended up fast forwarding through almost the whole thing.

Good to know F1 is off the hook for a couple of years at least from your assessments.    

Haven't watched any of it myself, except of course the stupid coming together when Prost jnr sent poor old Nick Heidfeld flying.

Seems young Prost unfortunately has the more modern interpretation of defending a racing position,  seems he's trying the Senna approach more than his father's. 

[cosworth151]

Bland, basically unsafe street circuit. Who's brilliant idea was it to put a launch ramp aimed straight at the corner of a barrier?

With some changes (like ditching the Fan Boost) it might make a nice support race series.

The great irony is that the entire purpose of Formula E seems to be proving the practicality of electric cars. The fact that they have to use two complete cars to finish one race just proves how impractical they still are.

[Scott]

I can change out the batteries in a remote in a matter of seconds...surely a race team with the latest tech could figure out a way to change out even an engine battery in less than a minute.  Even if it does weigh 300kg.