Richard Branson has never been one to shy away from an opportunity to make a statement, so with the Formula E world gathered before him for his home race, he didn’t hesitate.
“I think there’s still going to be room for Formula One for another few more years,” he started. “But I would say there will come a time when Formula E will overtake Formula One.
“I think four or five years from now you’ll find Formula E overtaking Formula One as far as number of people.”
A soundbite crafted to cause any motorsport journalist within a 20-kilometre radius of Battersea Park to salivate, but nonetheless a bold point to put forward.
Emotions were running high during the final race of the sport’s 2014–15 season, and with good reason – the inaugural running of the Formula E championship was a fantastic success, backed up by a thrilling title finale decided in favour of Nelson Piquet Jr.
It seemed natural that the sport – which has been endlessly compared with Formula One despite the pair’s obvious inherent differences and the former’s insistence that it exists to do its own thing – finally embrace comparisons with motorsport’s senior player on a weekend of such positivity, made only more timely by Formula One’s current pessimistic kick.
With Richard Branson Formula E had its perfect flagbearer – the British billionaire had a brief dalliance with Formula One at the turn of the decade before turning his attention to the all-electric formula.
But after visiting my first Formula E race in London over the weekend, I found comparisons to be largely pointless. From the technical regulations and speed to the circuit design and team entries, the two sports exist in different spheres – but with the single exception of the way it deals with its fans.
Fan engagement and race day experience are two ways in which the new kid on the block rapidly diverges from Formula One, and most certainly for the better.
For one, tickets have been reasonably priced all season and granted access to almost the entire circuit, meaning fans weren’t being charged exorbitantly for simply turning up to show their support. Moreover, general admission areas allowed spectators to get remarkably close to the track, exciting the atmosphere.
Secondly, Formula E itself went to a great deal of trouble to maximise fan enjoyment outside of the racing experience. The Formula E fan zone – a concept that those who have visited the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne will recognise – is a large open area filled with food and drink vendors and various activities for fans to engage with between sessions.
Moreover, the podium was placed right in the middle – rather than being kept unreachable above the pit straight, as is often the case in Formula One – which turned the fans into part of the spectacle.
Finally there were a great many little things that perfected the day – free radio earpieces that enabled racegoers to listen to the television commentary and keep up with what’s happening while they wander the track, and event management were strangely helpful and otherwise respectful of the fans, which feels like a novelty for major motor racing.
Formula E can teach Formula One a great deal on all three levels. First, the London ePrix demonstrated without fault that a race run in a city with a connection to motorsport invariably creates a better atmosphere that in turn generates positive publicity. The fans – any sport’s lifeblood – are kept happy knowing that they are being serviced by the sport.
Next in the lesson is the need to put on a show outside of the main event. For much of its existence the Formula One business has opted against doing any serious promotion of its event, instead leaving it to the promoters to put on a show that represents value for money for the fans.
Melbourne is a fantastic example of a race promoter putting in a great deal of effort to turn the grand prix into a four-day festival rather than settle for a three-day race meeting, and the fans return the gesture by loyally buying tickets each year. Formula E is taking it upon itself to provide a great all-day show.
Similarly, it is no wonder that so many tricks fail to engage with Formula One events in this way when so many of them have very little connection to the sport or even motorsport more generally. Keeping an eye on its classic, most valuable, races would be a wise investment on the part of Formula One’s owners, despite the minor short-term economic loss.
Finally, the small things are those which can make the biggest differences, and in this area Formula One has much to learn. From the senseless axing of the portable TV contract that enabled racegoers to watch coverage and listen to commentary while walking around the track to excessively dividing the attendance into categories based on how much they’re willing to pay, too many of Formula One’s actions serve only to alienate its fans rather than enhance their sense of connection.
Richard Branson’s comments were obviously made to draw headlines rather than make any serious commentary on the state of the motor racing industry – Formula E is but one season into its life and has a long way to go before it reaches a stable and sustainable position from which it can push for serious market share.
However, it should serve nonetheless as a salient warning: Formula E has Formula One in its sights. It’s a category that isn’t afraid to innovate in its quest to maximise its audience, and it has healthy manufacturer and industry interest.
But could Formula E ever really be bigger than Formula One? Watch this space…
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