In the spring of February, India left a mark on the world map in motorsport as Hyderabad hosted a mesmerising maiden Formula E World Championship alongside the banks of the iconic Hussain Sagar Lake.
One may naively expect a little more responsibility and orderliness from the local show conductors when the racing carnival returns to the city of Nizams in 2024 as a security breach this year threatened to disrupt the race – chaos and mayhem on the eve of the race shifted the focus away from the race itself.
But the issues were resolved soon after, and on race day, celebrities from all walks of life filled the grandstands and witnessed a race that will go down as one of the most thrilling ones in modern-day electric racing. Fans in the perimeter of the street circuit grooved to the new sonic music of the Gen3 cars. And they were treated to some other thrills too – among them, Jehan Daruvala driving cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in a Pininfarina Battista, and celebrated filmstar Ram Charan shaking a leg with a renowned industrialist Anand Mahindra to his superhit song NaatuNaatu.
The Race
India marked its return to the top tier of motorsport racing in a decade by hosting Round 4 of the ninth season of the Formula E World Championship, with Jean-Eric Vergne of DS Penske pulling off an exhilarating win. In the heart of the bustling state capital of Telangana, 11 teams comprising 22 drivers vroomed through the 2.83km street circuit against the backdrop of the world’s tallest monolithic statue of the Gautam Buddha standing in the middle of the lake on the Rock of Gibraltar.
On a bright and sunny Saturday, Mitch Evans of Jaguar sealed pole position by the slimmest of margins in the Qualification and was the favourite to win the race. However, in the end, Evans couldn’t finish the race even as Vergne won his first race since 2021, (Rome).
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The Jaguars, the hot favourites for a double podium finish, imploded midway, with Sam Bird wiping off his pole-sitting partner Evans, while Mahindra Racing narrowly missed out on a podium finish at home.
The Build-Up
In the simulator back at the team’s headquarters, drivers go through track simulations which they receive ahead of the race. Heading into the Hyderabad E-Prix, too, drivers, with advanced machinery and software at their disposal, learnt about the minute details of the new street circuit, the corners, the hairpin bends, the straights (including the braking points), and most importantly, the energy management scenarios.
Jean-Eric Vergne (centre) kisses his trophy during the award ceremony. Envision’s Cassidy and Sebastian Beumi finished second and third, respectively. | Photo Credit: PTI
In Formula E, a driver hitting speeds in excess of 280kph has to constantly look at his car’s energy meter: while racing past his opponent, he must ensure that he saves enough fuel to get past the chequered flag. The classic example was during the Hyderabad race when Vergne, with his car’s battery percentage at exactly 0.0%, breezed past the finish line, with Cassidy behind him (2%).
“It’s all about timing and strategy, and [about] constantly thinking about your next move as it is so fast. The simulations are so important and they come in very handy as we get very less time to actually feel the track,” Evans told Sportstar during an interaction before the race.
The only time that the driver gets to feel the nature of the circuit is during the track walk. “We get a designated time a day before the race, and that’s the only time that we get to see the track, feel how it is, check the bumps and other factors. Qualification and racing on the same day makes Formula E all the more challenging,” Evans said.
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Having made a successful debut in India, the Formula E caravan moves to Cape Town in South Africa for the fifth round.
Formula E & Sustainability
The groundwork needed to host the race in India started a long time ago. The country seems to have embraced the concept of electric mobility, with leading manufacturers rolling out vehicles that are eco-friendly. Formula E co-founder Alberto Longo believes that India has got a future in all-electric racing.
“It was 18 months ago when I first had a conversation with the Government of Telangana, and from then on we kept working together. We had some challenges but with the right level of will and partnership, we were able to pull through this. We have the contract to host the race till 2026, but we are looking for an extension. Putting the name of Hyderabad in the breath of some cities like Rome, Mexico and London is something I am very proud of. This is going to stay in India and we will keep learning from our shortcomings and keep improving,” Alberto told Sportstar during the Hyderabad E-Prix.
This is not the first time racing has come to India. Formula One touched the Indian shores a decade ago but couldn’t survive for long for financial and taxation issues. However, Alberto says that the government made it hassle-free, and that there was no bureaucratic red tape.
“It is always very complex to host a racing event, and to host an event of the magnitude of Formula E where teams from across the world come to race is always challenging. Getting the right permits and clearances is difficult but India has been particularly very easy of all the places in the world. Formula E, in another aspect, is also challenging, because we are racing inside the city. But we try to [keep the disruption to a minimum] and we will keep improving. The support and love we got from the Hyderabad fans has been excellent, and we look forward to coming here next year,” he said.
The Impact
Formula E did create a buzz. Its impact was noticeable when a new electric racing series, which focusses primarily on grooming young talents to take up the sport, was announced.
Star power: India cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal (right) and wife Dhanashree Verma at the E-Prix. | Photo Credit: PTI
To bridge the gap between karting and e-racing, a new four-wheel ACE electric series racing championship will kickstart in 2024. The first race is scheduled to be held in India. A prototype race car has already been brought in; it was tested by renowned former Formula One driver Nick Heidfeld in the street circuit on the eve of the E-Prix.
The ACE Championship will have two levels – the entry-level Challenger series, and the top-tier Championship. Starting in India and spreading its wings across Asia and Europe, the championship will help young racers get accustomed to the challenges of electric racing at a very early age with an attempt to provide seamless transition to the elite racing circuit.
“It is the perfect time to have a junior electric category because a lot of Formula E drivers have struggled while coming to e-racing from other categories. But with this, we can bridge the gap, help more youngsters take up the sport at an early age, and make them thorough professionals. Electric racing is the future of motorsport along with F1,” Nick said.
Amidst ever-evolving technology and the ushering in of a new generation of Gen3 cars, the life cycle of power and efficiency has only evolved, but dusty and challenging circuits such as the one in Hyderabad have ensured that the drivers’ skills remain paramount, preventing the competition from being completely reliant on energy pyrotechnics.
Having sailed through some turbulent initial years, Formula E seems to have grown into a global brand, keeping the aesthetics and fabric of motor racing intact.
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