Usually, when I curate these Selection box links, I like to group together topics that complement each other, and split up the post into various sections of conversation. However, this time is a little bit different for a variety of reasons. Some motorsport seasons have finished, some are just getting started. Some of these links are older, some are brand new, and above all that, we're delving into a few different series rather than just plain old Formula One.
There's been a hole in the Formula E calendar since Brazil unfortunately had to withdraw from hosting duties in March next year, and now the barely kept secret of Uruguay stepping up to fill that gap has been confirmed.
Daniel Abt crossed the finish line first for the second race of the Hong Kong double header, but his victory was snatched away from him when the FIA disqualified the driver. The reason for the DQ was an issue with the barcodes on the car not matching with the FIA's technical passport.
On this show, we discuss our thoughts from a frantic first weekend of Formula E this season, what the sport can do better against what we absolutely loved, and the surprising findings of a contact sport.
Felix Rosenqvist earned himself pole position for the second race in Hong Kong, but the Mahindra driver spun on the first lap and dropped himself down to 11th place. That was after a safety car start, where the cars trawled around for one lap due to a failure of the starting lights. The action got going, but wasn't as frantic as yesterday's race thanks to the extra laps and fuel saving required.
The second race of the season was just two laps longer than the first but it made an incredible difference on the type of spectacle witnessed. Rather than all out squabbling for position, it was a lesson in energy management, sensible driving and keeping your head. Some managed this better than others, and a spin on the first lap and on the final lap (by two different drivers) had a huge impact on the results.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 was wrong about electric cars. I was studying ecology at the time, so really should have known better than to slate green tech. I thought jet fuelled cars were going to be the way of the future, not realizing that, if I had paid attention in inorganic chemistry, I would have known that 1) jet fuel is far too volatile for civilian use, and 2) water is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. I also thought that charge networks were a silly idea when most of the world’s power came from fossil fuels.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
