Formula E started its 2024 season pointing to the uncompetitive nature of Formula One as a comparison point to draw new fans in.
While chief executive Jeff Dodds’ US$250,000 bet that Max Verstappen would win the championship proved correct, it was anything but a foregone conclusion. In fact, Formula One had one of its most competitive seasons of all time.
So, how will Formula E ensure that the conversation this year focuses on the good things it can offer without drawing unnecessary comparisons? For starters, this will be the first full season under new majority shareholder Liberty Global.
By the time Formula One rolls out for its first race of the 2025 season in Australia, Formula E will be four races deep into its own schedule. With many other major motorsport series in their off-seasons, the timing could draw in more casual fans.
Formula E’s 2024/25 season includes a switch to Miami in the US after racing in Portland for the past two years. There will also be a new venue in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, which hosts the first doubleheader of the season in February.
Monaco and Tokyo will host doubleheader weekends for the first time, while Jakarta is set to return after the Indonesian round dropped off the schedule last season. A provisional race slot on 8th March that was included in the original announcement appears to have been dropped.
Last season, Formula E’s global TV audience grew 35 per cent to 491 million. But, the all-electric series needs to ensure that it can carry the momentum from its off-season start through the season when other more popular motorsport series are vying for viewers’ attention.
Five of the six automotive manufacturers that compete in Formula E have been convinced enough of this momentum to sign on for the series’ Gen4 era – Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan, Maserati, and Lola will all race in Formula E until at least 2030.
Of course, the latter has done so before even making its debut in the series having taken over Abt’s license from this year in a technical partnership with Yamaha. Cupra Kiro are the other new team for the 2024/25 season after the ERT Formula E team was acquired by investment firm Forest Road.
Looking to the future, Formula E ran a landmark all-female test session in November to provide more opportunities for women, the first session of its kind in all of motorsport.
Formula E bought the IP rights to the defunct WSeries earlier this year, too, so there could be potential developments there. The Girls on Track programme will also return with even more race-day activations at every round of this season’s championship.
This year, the series enters its Gen3 Evo era, which is an enhanced version of the current iteration. Simply put, it’s the fastest Formula E car ever with a top speed of 200mph and it will be the first car to offer all-wheel drive in the series.
Technical achievements are one thing but ensuring the on-track action entices and retains fans is another.
Editor’s note: Updated 4th December 2024