Formula E

Formula E Round 2: Putrajaya EPrix

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  • #286805
    sbewers
    Participant

    Really surprised there’s no thread on this yet. I guess everyone is too excited for the F1 showdown and overlooked it.

    For those of you who didn’t, what were your thoughts on yesterday’s race?

    Have to say I was very impressed. The track was a lot better than Beijing and more conducive to exciting racing and that meant a race full of action from start to finish.

    One thing that has struck me is how close these cars can run to each other in dirty air. There must have been about 7 cars nose to tail at one point in an infamous Trulli train.

    It also looks very easy to make a mistake in this series and, probably half due to racing on street circuits and half due to the need of keeping momentum in these slower cars, mistakes are heavily punished which is good to see.

    We also got to see Fanboost in action for the first time yesterday and I must say that I’m pleasantly surprised with how that works, even if I am still against the concept. The boost gave Bruno Senna just enough power to draw alongside, but he still had to make the overtake himself. If we are to keep gimmicks like this, and like DRS in F1, then this is how I would like to see them work.

    I barely noticed the Ejay soundtrack this race too, which is a positive. Most of the racing we could enjoy live without any drumming in the background and that seemed to just come in around the replays – which I’m ok with.

    Another positive was the dropping of the formation lap. In Beijing it was so slow that there can’t have been any great benefit and so we had to sit and cringe at the crawling pace while the Ejay was drumming in the background. I’m glad that’s gone and it was good to get the race straight underway.

    The one criticism I do have is the coverage of the pit sequence. A lot goes on in that section of the race and it’s almost as if we need a split-screen display to keep up with it. I have no idea how di Grassi and Buemi managed to come from 18th and 19th on the grid to finish 2nd and 3rd, but it must have been something to do with this pit sequence.

    All in all, very impressed with this series so far. Race 2 was definitely better than race 1 and if that was an indicator of what’s to come for the rest of the season, I’m very much looking forward to it.

    #286809
    AMR
    Participant

    I watched it online and loved it. Much better track from Putrajaya than Beijing, which resulted in much better racing.

    These cars are fantastic to watch, and look like a real handful to control in a lot of ways. The wheelspin from the instantaneous torque, the greasiness of the tracks, and the fact that the grid is mostly equal in speed and capability, makes it a treat once they all start tussling for position. Gutted that Senna lost it on the last lap while reeling Buemi in!

    One thing I didn’t understand was Trulli’s penalty at the half-way point: what was that handed out for? Something about a power issue?

    #286811
    Bradley Downton
    Participant

    It wasn’t epic. There wasn’t loads of overtaking or action, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. For a street circuit there was overtaking enough, and the strategy really added to the race. It was just awesome. Gutted about Senna though, but happy Bird won, was in a class of his own.

    You could even say he was electric ;-)

    #286891
    sbewers
    Participant

    One thing I didn’t understand was Trulli’s penalty at the half-way point: what was that handed out for? Something about a power issue?

    I wondered the same. Apparently an incorrect map setting was to blame, which caused him to exceed the 150kW limit.

    #287032
    Little_M_Lo
    Participant

    Can’t wait for my second home race coming up – Punta del Este!

    #287011
    Bullfrog
    Participant

    Liked the Putrajaya track. Like a little Long Beach – couple of good passing spots and fast turns, and a downhill section. Shame about the chicane with its track-limits issues, but that’s better than fishing cars out of the wall.

    The cars race well, they go round in packs and clearly have plenty of torque. But they need big names or numbers on them. There’s no excuse for the background music – the cars’ sound is meant to be an attraction in itself.

    I’d prefer two sprint races. They could just have Fanboost in race 2. The whole pitstop phase is long and confusing, and (like the long, slow safety car periods) that won’t keep young whippersnappers watching on those pad things.
    Just been reading an interview with Karun Chandhok and it’s good to see (a) he’s not sure about the midrace car change either and (b) Alejandro Agag’s asking for feedback off all the drivers and acting on it. Although so far, apart from losing the warm-up lap, it’s just been some predictable moaning about kerbs…

    #287147
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I have to say both Putrajaya and Beijing, trackwise, were garbage. That hairpin in Putrajaya was so tight, you could not make a pass there in case you speared another car in front of you making the corner.

    #287172
    Nic Morley
    Participant

    It was an alright race, but so far these circuits are making overtaking quite difficult. Will we see Formula E move to some non street layouts in the future?

    Shame for Heidfeld after he was knocked out for the second consecutive race. Buemi drove well and is certainly my favorite driver in the series.

    #287252
    Matthijs
    Participant

    Will we see Formula E move to some non street layouts in the future?

    These street circuit are a big part of the whole concept. Because there is no noise and no pollution, a street circuit is the best way to bring the sport to the audience (that live in the city anyway). Basically: rather than bringing the fans to the sport, you bring the sport to the fans.

    The circuits need finetuning, as well as the whole concept. I hope this concept will be a big succes so that we see a lot of development of the electric power units as well.

    #287316
    Joey-Poey
    Participant

    Passing has been tough but I’m not seeing a lack of it in the Malaysia round. I understand the concept but I agree that it’d be awesome to see them on regular road courses someday. Honestly, after two races I’m a big fan. They’re starting to fix some of the initial concerns (less obnoxious music in the bg during the race, no warm up lap) and hopefully once they can ditch fan boost it’ll seem like a proper race series and less a gimmick. The racing has been intense and close and it’s giving good drivers a second chance to show they shouldn’t have been passed over in F1. Once teams can develop their own car next year, it’ll be even more fascinating.

    #287356
    BrawnGP
    Participant

    I watched the fisrt race and thought it was OK.

    This race though, has convinced me its a series worth watching! I really enjoyed the race (almost as much as Abu Dhabi) I think formulaE really has potential and hope it becomes a success. Next year with everything ironed out and the lift on car regulations it could be awesome.

    There is still alot of work to be done though. The website is a bit ‘thrown together’ and could do with some work and more info. Same with the new teams websites, very little there and couldnt even find any selling merchandise!

    I am well up for going to the race in London next year but there is still VERY little information about it online apart from the date…

    #287560
    Steven
    Participant

    The two races so far have been entertaining.

    The only things I’d like to see are the removal of fanboost (I don’t see the point of it; it hasn’t really been obtrusive, but I think removing it makes the most sense, in only for the ‘spirit’ of racing). Also, the speed needs to be bumped up; I find that on the straights (of which there are a lot, since we’re on street circuits) the cars are very noticeably slow.

    They also need to fix up the calendar, since the huge gap between the first two grands prix was very strange, especially for a new series that needs to stay on the radar.

    Otherwise, I will continue watching these races: they’re entertaining and don’t really take much time to watch.

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