History of Formula E

Welcome to the story of the ABB FIA Formula Eastward World Championship

What started equally nothing more than than a shared dream between Formula East Founder Alejandro Agag and FIA President Jean Todt, noted on the dorsum of a napkin back in 2011, has developed into the fastest growing motorsport series on the planet. Ahead of the 2020/21 season, Formula Due east gains Globe Championship status to become the ABB FIA Formula E Earth Championship.

The idea for an all-electric street racing series started out equally nothing more than a collection of notes on a napkin.

On the evening of March three, 2011, FIA President Jean Todt and Castilian businessman, Formula Eastward Chairman Alejandro Agag, met in a Paris eating place and gathered their thoughts in just a few words on what would become the globe's showtime all-electric international unmarried-seater championship.

Formula E's founding mission was for its race through the streets of the well-nigh iconic cities in the world - with a grid full of the best racing drivers and teams effectually - to show just what sustainable mobility was capable of, driving electric vehicles to the fore in the race for a better, cleaner future.

Since making its debut in the grounds of the Olympic Park in Beijing in 2014, Formula E has grown into a global entertainment make with motorsport at its centre. Now, with 12 teams and 24 drivers on the grid, the title has become a destination for the world'southward all-time motorsport teams and racing talent.

Season i - 2014/15

In just three years, Formula E made it from concept to reality - through prototypes, innovative EV technology for the race rail and on to Gen1, with the first race taking place six years agone on the series' global debut in the grounds of the Olympic Park in Beijing.

Concept to reality in less than a year. The Formulec prototype laid the background for Gen1 in 2012.

Formula E ushered in a revolution when the all-electrical open-wheel Gen1 car - a first of its kind in motorsport - was unveiled. 150kW of power on tap in race trim and a 0-60mph time of just under three seconds.

The Gen1 automobile harboured battery-electrical technology that had never been tried on a race track, and set the precedent for Formula E's blueprint, pushing the envelope of what is possible with cutting-edge EV tech. Two cars per commuter counterbalanced the need for battery chapters and speed, for the best possible racing on-track.

Since the very start Due east-Prix, BMW i has been involved as Formula Eastward's Official Vehicle Partner. With the BMW i8 acting as Safety Car, the i3 every bit the Race Director car and a 530e iPerformance as the Medical Automobile.

The inaugural agenda brought Formula E to fourteen countries and racing in the middle of major cities effectually the earth including London, Miami, Beijing and Berlin.

Formula E kicked off the electric street racing revolution at the 2014 Beijing E-Prix on September 13 2014 and after 25 laps of racing, it all came down to the terminal corner of the final lap. Lucas Di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT) stamped his name into the history books by becoming the kickoff race winner in Formula E.

On the final corner of the concluding lap in Beijing, race leader Nicolas Prost (e.dams Renault) and Nick Heidfeld (Venturi) collided spectacularly. Both drivers were able to walk abroad completely unscathed.

Formula Eastward likewise bankrupt new footing with its regulations. Round 1 saw the inflow of FANBOOST, a first in sport that allows fans to play an active role in the race past voting to award their favourite an actress boost of power during the race.

Founding Partners DHL, Julius Baer, Michelin, BMW, TAG Heuer joined Formula E to accelerate the vision to demonstrate the potential of sustainable mobility and help create a amend, cleaner world.

Flavor 1 saw seven winners representing six unlike teams. Buemi topped the pile with three wins, with Sam Bird (Virgin Racing) and Nelson Piquet Jr. (NEXTEV) the merely other drivers to accept more one victory.

Nelson Piquet Jr. took to the peak pace twice for Mainland china Racing/NEXTEV TCR to merits the starting time Formula E Drivers' title. He clinched the crown by just one point from Sebastien Buemi (Renault e.dams), with Di Grassi 3rd, after all three headed to the finale with a run a risk of coming out on elevation.

Flavour 2 - 2015/xvi

The 2015/16 agenda saw ten races in nine dissimilar cities and Formula East welcomed seven new manufacturers into the fold. Regulations were opened upwards to allow teams to design their own motors, inverters, gearboxes and rear suspension, with power also bumped to 170kW (230bhp).

Afterward a spin in qualifying, Sebastien Buemi started the Buenos Aires East-Prix at the back of the filigree. Thanks to a series of impressive overtakes, some belatedly braking and absolute conclusion, the Renault due east.dams driver sliced by his rivals to take an incredible 2d place in 1 of the all-time great Formula E performances.

FIA President, Jean Todt fulfiled his ambition to see international motor racing in Paris' streets: "I've always dreamt of a race in Paris. We accept accomplished that with Formula Due east." It was a celebrated moment for the FIA and Formula E, with the urban center now a longstanding fixture on the calendar.

Buemi and Di Grassi headed to the concluding race of the season in London level on points. The Swiss qualified on pole whilst Di Grassi managed tertiary, with Buemi'southward teammate, Nico Prost, in-between. In the turn one melee the title battle took all the same another turn as the standings' top two collided.

Buemi sealed the Drivers' Championship by simply two points from Di Grassi thanks to setting the fastest lap, having been forced into taking his second car. Renault east.dams retained the Teams' crown.

Lucas di Grassi drives the Formula E machine on an Arctic ice shelf in Greenland to raise awareness of the warmest yr on record and the amount of sea ice breaking abroad from the Arctic reaching celebrated new levels.

Season 3 - 2016/17

Season iii featured a pregnant calendar shake-up, with the championship'due south inaugural trip to Hong Kong and a starting time trip to Africa, in Marrakesh, the return of the Monaco Eastward-Prix, Berlin'southward move back to the Tempelhof Airport Excursion later a year in Karl-Marx-Allee and finally, a double-header in New York Metropolis – the first time a motor race had been held in the Big Apple since 1896.

Jaguar fabricated its render as a manufacturer in motorsport for the first fourth dimension in 12 years every bit the legendary British marque took to the Formula E filigree alongside the newly-christened TECHEETAH outfit whilst ABT partnered with Audi to create the Audi Sport 'manufactory' team. U.s. racing giants Andretti entered a technical partnership with BMW, laying the groundwork for the German marque's impending entry in Flavor v.

A mid-life refresh for Gen1 introduced a redesigned and stronger forepart wing to meliorate cope with the rigours of street racing and regen saw a 50 pct improvement in efficiency cheers to a major battery tech upgrade. Official Tyre Supplier Michelin introduced an improved version of its all-weather tyre with less rolling resistance and lower weight.

The get-go outing in Hong Kong proved a state of war of attrition with drivers getting to grips with the new circuit, Sebastien Buemi (Renault e.dams) picked his way through the pack and others' issues to win.

Buemi overcame qualifying demotion, after a leak caused his fire extinguisher to report underweight, with win number two of the season and the first winner of an African Due east-Prix in the series' history, at Marrakesh.

Freerunner, gymnast and Hollywood stuntman Damien Walters, with movie credits including Captain America and Skyfall, is no stranger to danger. He proposed his dream stunt to Formula Due east - the perfect synchronisation of highly-tuned human being and auto: The Bound Of Faith.

Buemi became the first driver to win three in a row when he followed up with victory in Buenos Aires.

Lucas di Grassi battled from the back despite damage, equally he made the most of the rubber car's appearances to claw his mode through the pack and seal the win in Mexico – drawing to within five points of Drivers' standings leader Buemi.

Buemi fended off di Grassi in a spicy come across effectually the iconic streets of Monte Carlo, and afterward his fifth victory in Paris, his lead of 43 points looked mighty.

Drama at Tempelhof saw Buemi butterfingers from Round 8, with di Grassi notching a podium behind Felix Rosenqvist (Mahindra Racing) – a maiden winner. The Swiss followed up with victory in Round 9, and impairment limitation as di Grassi closed in.

Equally Formula E headed to Due north America and New York, the Brazilian capitalised as Buemi missed the double-header whilst Sam Bird became the start driver to win a motor race in New York Metropolis, and he tallied another for skilful mensurate in Round 10.

The title fight would again come downward to the final rounds with arch-rivals Buemi and di Grassi facing-off in Montreal. Disqualification in the opening race of the double header saw Buemi'due south title tilt crumble, with di Grassi in that location to mop up and win the Drivers' Championship – his beginning, whilst Renault eastward.dams scored a third Teams' championship in-a-row.

Season 4 - 2017/18

Season iv welcomed ABB as championship partner of Formula East, equally the global technology company and the title came together to drive progress at the forefront of electrification and sustainable applied science.

The Gen2 Formula E automobile was unveiled to the public, with the promise of more than speed, more efficiency and a spring so significant that races would no longer include car swaps. The Gen1 car would get out at maximum capacity, as power was increased from 170kW to 180kW (240bhp)

A total of nine manufacturers were now on lath, including Jaguar, Nissan, BMW, Audi, DS and Mahindra, vindicating Formula E as a competitive platform for global automobile manufacturers and mobility providers to test and develop road-relevant technologies.

The swansong flavor for the Spark-Renault SRT 01E, Gen1, Formula East car saw Jean-Eric Vergne take Drivers' Title victory, edging out incumbent champ Lucas di Grassi – though Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler did take Teams' honours ahead of TECHEETAH.

Formula E car vs Cheetah: What happened when a Formula E machine and one of nature's fastest animals went head-to-head? Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne took on the challenge, in a video that has surpassed well over 30 million views on YouTube.

Sam Bird flew out of the blocks for victory on the return to Hong Kong in the opener, whilst Felix Rosenqvist added a pair of wins to his tally for Mahindra Racing in Round ii from the city-state, earlier making the summit stride in Round 3 from Marrakesh.

Reigning champion di Grassi struggled early on, with retirements in Marrakesh and Santiago, whilst Bird, Buemi and Vergne all stretched their legs. The Frenchman took victory in Uruguay and in Chile - where he and squad-mate Lotterer came together, but did manage to secure Formula E's first 1-two stop.

Audi's first victory came in Mexico City, at the easily of High german commuter Daniel Abt and he would add some other in spectacular fashion on home soil in Berlin with the triple crown of Julius Baer Pole Position, race win and fastest lap – a first in Formula E.

Vergne secured win number three of the flavor, around his lawn in Paris. Bird, meanwhile, dragged his severely wounded car over the line on three wheels in spectacular fashion.

A tardily charge from Lucas di Grassi, with the Brazilian storming to wins in Zurich and New York City wasn't enough to halt Vergne'due south charge – the Frenchman having the final say with victory in Round 12 from the Big Apple tree, handing him the title, though di Grassi and Abt's consistency saw Audi take Teams' honours

Season v - 2018/19

Season v was the dawn of a bold new era for the all-electric street racing series.

The kickoff significant change was the introduction of the new Gen2 car. With dramatic Batmobile-esque styling, information technology had more than power with a new lightweight battery now pumping out 250kW (225bhp) for a top speed of 280km/h (174mph). An increment in battery capacity as well put an terminate to pitstops, with technological advancements now meaning ane auto could fulfil the new format of 45 minutes plus one lap at racing speeds.

Bringing a new tactical element to the races, Formula E reinvented racing again with ATTACK Fashion. A claiming for the teams and drivers; leave the racing line to burn down up Assault MODE but be rewarded with a timed power heave and gain an edge for a few laps.

Led past Formula 1 legend Felipe Massa at Venturi Racing, a host of new faces joined the grid, Belgian fan-favourite Stoffel Vandoorne lined upwardly alongside DTM legend Gary Paffett in the new HWA Racelab team. There was also promising young talent in the course of Pascal Wehrlein at Mahindra Racing and Oliver Rowland joining former champion Sebastien Buemi at Nissan e.dams, as the Japanese manufacturer entered the fray aslope German marque BMW.

Unpredictability reigned supreme for another flavour of unforgettable racing.

Introducing a new era and a new automobile. The Gen2 racer had double the free energy storage capacity of the outgoing Gen1 car, so no more mid-race motorcar swaps. Faster, more activity on-rail and just one car per driver - one wrong movement could now testify always more costly.

Formula E took a trip down memory lane - the Channel Tunnel in this case - to celebrate some of Gen1'southward defining moments every bit it bowed out and fabricated mode for Gen2.

The Jaguar I-Pace eTROPHY joined Formula E every bit an official support series and is the world's first all-electric product based international race series, with drivers piloting race-spec versions of Jaguar's offset all-electric road car, the I-PACE. The serial came to an end in 2020, but the British marque took learnings from the eTROPHY to boost the range of the road-going I-Stride.

Heineken joined forces with Formula E, aligning their sustainability strategy for 'Brewing a Better World' to the all-electric racing series.

A new season and the new Gen2 automobile called for a new destination equally Formula East fabricated its debut in Sauda Arabia with the opening circular in the historic city of Diriyah. SAUDIA became the series' Official Airline Partner and launched the start of the long-term human relationship with a special Formula E-liveried Boeing 777.

In a challenge set by fans, Felipe Massa and the Gen2 car went up confronting a peregrine falcon in a straight elevate race to outrun the fastest beast on the planet.

The final corner at Mexico City delivered i of the almost incredible overtakes in the history of Formula E. Mahindra Racing's Pascal Wehrlein led for the majority and looked sure to merits his beginning win, but he ran out of energy just moments from the flag and glory was unbelievably snatched from his hands at the finish line by Lucas di Grassi

From zero to the fastest growing motorsport serial in the earth, Formula E celebrated its 50th race in Hong Kong, and the drivers delivered an absolute barnstormer. Sam Bird hounded Andre Lotterer (DS TECHEETAH) for the lead in the closing moments of the race, only a controversial motility resulted in a DNF for the German, a penalty for Bird and the promotion of Edoardo Mortara (Venturi) to the top step of the podium.

The streets around the iconic Les Invalides in Paris gave the Formula E drivers a new challenge in 2019. Battling the elements - including heavy rain and fifty-fifty hailstones. Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing) held off the challengers, and mastered his Michelin all-weather tyres in the slippery atmospheric condition to win the first-always moisture race in Formula Due east's history.

'The Streak' captivated headlines, with the start eight races seeing viii different winners: Antonio Felix da Costa, Jerome D'Ambrosio, Sam Bird, Lucas di Grassi, Edoardo Mortara, Jean-Eric Vergne, Mitch Evans and Robin Frijns. Vergne finally broke the streak in Monaco.

Jean-Eric Vergne has risen to be 1 of the key protagonists in Formula E. The Frenchman'southward stats read like that of a growing legend with a wealth of wins, podiums and poles. It was his performance in the 2018/xix season that set him autonomously from the rest of the pack. A rollercoaster flavour, the DS TECHEETAH driver bounced dorsum from a rough start with a series of wins to clinch his second championship and become the first-ever back-to-dorsum champion.

The hotly-anticipated documentary 'And We Go Green' premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The film delved backside the scenes and uncovered the drivers backside the visors, whilst highlighting Formula E's race against climate change. Sentinel the flick in full.

Season 6 - 2019/20

Post-obit a stunning year of racing, fans waited with aside jiff for Flavor half-dozen. The calendar boasted exciting new locations around the globe and the first half of the season didn't disappoint with new drivers coming to the fore in the title standings. With the earth plunged into uncertainty and lockdown following the coronavirus pandemic, all the same, racing was on hiatus.

There was withal hope, though, with the Formula E customs banding together during this trying period with Esports, charitable activities in back up of UNICEF and more than, before the thrilling and unprecedented render at the six-race flavour finale in Berlin.

In 2019/20 the ABB FIA Formula E Championship became #PositivelyCharged, every bit the serial, its partners, teams, drivers and fans work together to grow electric racing and light up the world with its transformative power.

With German giants Mercedes-Benz EQ and TAG Heuer Porsche joining the field and expanding the grid to 24 drivers, the 6th season of Formula E boasted one of the most competitive line-ups in motorsport history. It also marked the first time in motor racing that legendary High german marques Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche would face up-off in single-seaters.

Superstars BTS joined Formula Due east as global ambassadors, with a shared mission to raise awareness and help promote the benefits of electrical vehicles and the crucial part they will play in combating climate change.

In a globe-commencement for an FIA series, the 2d round in Santiago saw the launch of Driver's Middle - giving fans a new perspective from within the crash helmet, showing all the skill needed to tackle the challenging street circuits.

A new all-electric racing star came to the fore in Santiago every bit Maximilian Guenther (BMW i Andretti Motorsport) became the youngest race winner in Formula E post-obit a daring pass effectually the outside of Antonio Felix da Costa (DS TECHEETAH) on the final lap.

Though motorsport was on agree following the coronavirus pandemic, it didn't mean the finish of racing. The Formula E stars went virtual with the ABB Formula E Race at Habitation Claiming sim racing serial, a charitable contest that saw money raised for UNICEF.

After five months abroad, Formula Eastward returned to action with the most intense season finale in motorsport history. The 2019/20 season ended in Berlin with an unprecedented half-dozen races in nine days beyond 3 different circuit layouts.

After a ascendant and commandingly consequent meet the season including an untouchable performance in Berlin, Antonio Felix da Costa clinched an emotional first title. Alongside his teammate, Vergne, the pair pushed DS TECHEETAH to retain the Teams' Championship for a 2nd time.

Flavour 7 - 2020/2021 and beyond

Subsequently 6 seasons of racing on the streets of the globe'due south most progressive cities, Formula E gained World Championship condition, a move granted by the FIA - motorsport's governing trunk in December 2019.

"It was always our appetite to one 24-hour interval become an FIA World Championship. Everything we accept done and delivered to this betoken has been working towards this particular moment," said Formula East founder and chairman Alejandro Agag at the fourth dimension.

"This truly puts Formula Eastward in the elevation tier of international single-seater racing. It has been a tremendous effort from many people involved and none of it would accept been possible without the support of FIA President Jean Todt and the federation, as well equally the dedication and delivery shown past our teams and partners.

"Now nosotros can say nosotros have done it. But it is only the beginning of a new affiliate under the imprint of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship."

"The cosmos and evolution of Formula E has been a great adventure. I am proud that today we confirm its FIA globe championship condition," added FIA President Jean Todt.

"Since we started this journey, Formula E has undoubtedly gone from strength to strength. Within a short timeframe, the series has proven itself relevant for the automotive industry.

"The commitment and professionalism of those manufacturers and their respective teams is mirrored in the quality of the driver roster, which has improved with every season."

The moment volition meet the series recognised as the ABB FIA Formula E Globe Championship from the kickoff of the 2020/21 flavor, as the about competitive line-upwardly of world-form teams and manufacturers continue their battle on the streets to accelerate the adoption of sustainable mobility in the race for a better, cleaner future.

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