Sam Bird takes victory in opening Hong Kong race
Early red flag delays action
Jean-Éric Vergne had pole position for the first round of the 2017/18 Formula E season, but he lost out to Sam Bird after an early red flag period halted the race. The front runners got through the first few corners cleanly but at the back, Lotterer hit the barriers and caused a four-car traffic jam as the others couldn't get past.
Sauber launch 2018 livery alongside driver announcement
Alfa Romeo branding and two confirmed drivers
The 2017 season has barely been over a week and Sauber are already motoring ahead with their plans for next year, hosting a livery launch in Milan that announced their driver lineup for 2018 as well as showed off a significantly revised colour scheme.
Race highlights - Hong Kong Round 1
Red flags, pit lane incidents, drive through penalties and more
If you're looking for fast-paced racing action, Formula E is the place to go. The first round of the season kicked off with a disappointingly long red flag period caused by the FIA's continuing incompetence, but once the action got going, it was non-stop action. The lead changed hands halfway through, and we even saw a penalty for the race leader to add to the will-he-won't-he tension.
Michelin to continue as tyre supplier until end of 2021
New generation of tyres to hit next season
Much of the focus of Formula E tyre supplier Michelin is on season five of the sport, as they are set to introduce tyres for the brand new next-generation cars. In the meantime, though, they have agreed to extend their partnership with the sport until the end of the 2021 season, bringing their total tenure up to six years.
BMW continue partnership to supply official vehicles
Supply of safety and medical cars to continue
Formula E and BMW have agreed an extension to their partnership which has been in existence since the sport began, with the German manufacturer supplying the official vehicles. That's the safety and medical car to you and me, and it's a good looking one. The BMW i is a fully electric car, naturally, and the i8 provides safety car duties whilst the i3 is the smaller medical car.
A beginners guide to FanBoost
How to give your favourite driver a competitive edge
One of the fun and unique things about Formula E is their FanBoost initiative, which encourages fans to use social media and apps to influence racing action. I’ve seen this in action in a couple of races and on replay, and have actually voted already for this weekend’s first round in Hong Kong, but it occurred to me that I wasn't really confident what I was doing.
Previewing the new Formula E season
Committed to throwing the combustion engine into the recycling bin
The first round of the 2017/18 Formula E season is mere days away now, and you may have noticed that we're gearing up to go all in on the electric racing series this year. We've got a few posts on Sidepodcast already, and a few podcast episodes too, but there are people far more knowledgable than us out there creating great content. So, if you're knew to Formula E and want a quick start guide, have a perusal through the below links to get fully up to speed for the future of motorsport!
Ricciardo rules the rankings
Daniel takes home his third Christine's Rankings title
The Christine's Rankings championship for 2017 has come to a close, and there can only be one winner. Whereas there was only one way the real F1 championship was going to go, this year's rankings could have been anyone's. It was close to start with but gradually it became apparent one driver had the edge on the others, and it is he that has secured the title. So, let us celebrate the 2017 Rankings champion - Daniel Ricciardo!
I have to remember that one - Christine's Rankings, Week 37
Final points round up of the year as the champion earns his crown
It's the final Christine's Rankings update of the season, and with it comes a new championship. Well, no, not a new champion and not a surprise one either - Daniel Ricciardo has absolutely dominated the rankings this year, and we will celebrate his championship defence a little later. For now, enjoy the final wrap up from Abu Dhabi, which includes plenty of quiz questions and fan Q&As, plus some bellydancing and bottle throwing.
New global advisory board formed, headed by Alain Prost and Christiana Figueres
Formula E launches a brand new supergroup
In an effort to continually assess their impact on the planet, Formula E founder Alejandro Agag has put together a new global advisory board to consider and provide advice on various subjects including business and media, plus emissions, electric vehicles and sustainability.
Mercedes finish season with 1-2 as Bottas takes victory
Yas Marina race disappoints as season closes
Valtteri Bottas converted his pole position into a race victory relatively comfortably, in a final race of the season that was resoundedly disliked as being dull by almost everyone. Lewis Hamilton, who finished second so obviously has some grounds for dissatisfaction, said of Yas Marina: "It's a great, great track but unfortunately it doesn't suit the cars very well."
Bottas scoops pole position for final round of 2017
Final grid of the season decided
Valtteri Bottas was the fastest driver in Q3 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, with the Finnish driver securing pole position for the final race of the season. Lewis Hamilton was just a tenth of a second behind him, leaving the Red Bull and Ferrari drivers to split the second and third row of the grids between them.
Pirelli reveal rainbow of tyres for 2018
Two new compounds introduced to extend range
Ahead of the final race of 2017 in Abu Dhabi, Pirelli launched their lineup of tyres for the 2018 season, including two new compounds and extending the range from five to seven levels of hard and softness. The tyres are all one step softer than what we've seen this year, but there's a new superhard tyre that is orange. The hard tyre turns blue, or ice blue, as they call it.
Who are they, anyway - Formula 1 to Formula E
Keeping track of the drivers with an F1 history
I've seen a couple of Formula E races across the last few years, and although I haven't been a regular viewer, it's always been fun to tune in and recognise at least some of the names on the timesheets. Formula E has attracted the great and the good from across motorsport, and is an enticing prospect for drivers from many different disciplines.
Race information - Abu Dhabi 2017
Get up to speed with the final round of the season
It's been a long season but we have reached the final race of the 2017 calendar. With the championship sewn up, and Felipe Massa bidding his fond farewells in Brazil last time out, it does certainly feel like this is one race too many. Abu Dhabi hasn't always provided exciting racing in the past either, but no matter, it's the final race of the year and we can bid a fond farewell to the season gone by, and start looking ahead at the one to come.
Formula E's fourth global tour
The 2017/18 calendar in fourteen short, sharp rounds
The fourth Formula E season is rapidly approaching, with fourteen rounds spanning eleven countries across eight months. Compared to the Formula One calendar, the 2017/18 Formula E season is blissfully short, but it does suffer from an inconsistency that makes it somewhat hard to keep track of. That being the case, I’m putting together this table to help me follow along, and it might be useful for others as well.
Toro Rosso confirm Hartley and Gasly for full 2018 season
Rookie lineup for Scuderia next season
After testing out a rotating selection of drivers for the past few race weekends, Toro Rosso have hit upon a pairing they like - the current form of Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly. The duo have been signed for 2018, with both set for their first full season in the sport.
Kamui Kobayashi to drive season opener with Andretti
Japanese driver earns one-off race seat
Former F1 racer Kamui Kobayashi will join the Andretti team for the first round of this year’s Formula E championship, lining up alongside Antonio Felix da Costa. He’s not expected to run the full season, but a one off appearance should be great for the driver, the team and of course, the fans.
Agag warns Formula E could leave UK due to Brexit tax concerns
Political concerns could move headquarters
CEO of Formula E, Alejandro Agag, has warned that he may be forced to take the sport out of the UK overnight if the Brexit deal isn't satisfactory in terms of tax and employment clauses. He said: "We have a lot of expats that work in the company, and a lot of our contracts come from the European Union in terms of sponsorship, so if there is not a deal in terms of tax and employment, we will leave."
Heart of the city
Alex Lynn gives Formula E an introduction on BBC Radio 2
This winter, I'm really enthusiastic about getting to know Formula E better and fully engaging with what has been and continues to be an exciting avenue of motorsport. I've previously wanted to get on board but been stopped by time constraints and angst over missing French drivers, but the time has come for me to put all that aside and start paying proper attention.
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