Photo: YouTube screenshot
Over the past decade or so, Formula One's popularity has been on a constant downward curve. It may not be falling drastically, but the sport is definitely hemorrhaging fans.
With Formula One notoriously being one of the most extravagant competitions out there regarding financial investment, that can't sit well with the organizers or the teams involved. The series still has that halo that brought it to the forefront of racing years ago, but if the people in charge don't understand that that is not a given, but something they must fight to protect, it could all come to an end one day.
Whether it will be at the hands of Formula E or not is hard to tell at the moment. What's clear is that more and more of the big names in the automotive industry are announcing their entrances to the electric series, and they do it at the expense of others.
The latest to join the ranks is Mercedes-Benz, which is retiring from the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft or the German Touring Car Championship), a competition with great history and one where Audi and BMW were also present.
Speaking of Audi, it too will be joining Formula E starting next season with a factory-backed team after retiring from the World Endurance Championship. In the all-electric series, however, it will meet a familiar face both from within the Volkswagen Group and the WEC: Porsche.
With Jaguar and Renault already battling for supremacy in the Formula E, the series will soon have at least five major manufacturers in its ranks. Big teams draw big drivers, and if enough of them make the switch, so will the audience. Because except for the Ferrari tifosi, people generally cheer for the man, not the car.
But Gunther Steiner, the head-honcho at Hass F1 Team, believes that Formula One has nothing to fear from Formula E. “I still see F1 in a very good place – it is the pinnacle of motorsport,” he told Motorsport.com. “I think FE is trending at the moment – everyone wants to be part of this electric movement, which is fully understandable. But when there are seven or eight manufacturers involved, not all can win.”
We think Haas is right: F1 is safe for now. But his position clearly depends on one very important aspect: the future of the internal combustion engine. If the EV business turns out to be a fad and things return to "normal," then Formula One will continue to be queen.
If, however, the days of the ICE are indeed numbered, then Formula E taking over is only a matter of time. Why would manufacturers continue to invest in the kind of technology that does not serve them economically anymore? Sure, that can't happen overnight, but it could in 15 to 20 years.
His approach seems strangely familiar to that of traditional carmakers ten years ago. When Tesla started producing the Roadster and declared its intentions, CEOs laughed and continued to invest in diesel technology. Now, they are scrambling in an attempt to minimize the gap between them and Musk's company.
In the end, it all comes down to this: motorsport is just an arena for carmakers to prove their supremacy, and if the switch to battery-powered is made, Formula One as we know it now becomes irrelevant. Much like the manufacturers themselves, it will have to adapt or die.
“I see it [Formula E] as an additional series, but I don’t see it as a threat," Steiner continues. "The easiest way, if it is a threat, we would just put electric motors in these [F1 cars] – because we have got a platform. Whatever happens, it will be F1." Oh, if only switching from a gas-powered engine to an electric powertrain effectively were that simple.
Whether it will be at the hands of Formula E or not is hard to tell at the moment. What's clear is that more and more of the big names in the automotive industry are announcing their entrances to the electric series, and they do it at the expense of others.
The latest to join the ranks is Mercedes-Benz, which is retiring from the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft or the German Touring Car Championship), a competition with great history and one where Audi and BMW were also present.
Speaking of Audi, it too will be joining Formula E starting next season with a factory-backed team after retiring from the World Endurance Championship. In the all-electric series, however, it will meet a familiar face both from within the Volkswagen Group and the WEC: Porsche.
With Jaguar and Renault already battling for supremacy in the Formula E, the series will soon have at least five major manufacturers in its ranks. Big teams draw big drivers, and if enough of them make the switch, so will the audience. Because except for the Ferrari tifosi, people generally cheer for the man, not the car.
But Gunther Steiner, the head-honcho at Hass F1 Team, believes that Formula One has nothing to fear from Formula E. “I still see F1 in a very good place – it is the pinnacle of motorsport,” he told Motorsport.com. “I think FE is trending at the moment – everyone wants to be part of this electric movement, which is fully understandable. But when there are seven or eight manufacturers involved, not all can win.”
We think Haas is right: F1 is safe for now. But his position clearly depends on one very important aspect: the future of the internal combustion engine. If the EV business turns out to be a fad and things return to "normal," then Formula One will continue to be queen.
If, however, the days of the ICE are indeed numbered, then Formula E taking over is only a matter of time. Why would manufacturers continue to invest in the kind of technology that does not serve them economically anymore? Sure, that can't happen overnight, but it could in 15 to 20 years.
His approach seems strangely familiar to that of traditional carmakers ten years ago. When Tesla started producing the Roadster and declared its intentions, CEOs laughed and continued to invest in diesel technology. Now, they are scrambling in an attempt to minimize the gap between them and Musk's company.
In the end, it all comes down to this: motorsport is just an arena for carmakers to prove their supremacy, and if the switch to battery-powered is made, Formula One as we know it now becomes irrelevant. Much like the manufacturers themselves, it will have to adapt or die.
“I see it [Formula E] as an additional series, but I don’t see it as a threat," Steiner continues. "The easiest way, if it is a threat, we would just put electric motors in these [F1 cars] – because we have got a platform. Whatever happens, it will be F1." Oh, if only switching from a gas-powered engine to an electric powertrain effectively were that simple.
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