The E’s and W’s of racing in 2021
Electric Formula cars ready to start season in February; W Series comes to North America
Riding in a bus or taxi or even walking to an auto race seems like an oxymoron, but it is certainly possible when attending Formula E races.
Events for the all-electric race series are at airports or in downtown sections of the host cities for the 10 races, which begin next month with the Diriyah EPrix in Saudi Arabia’s capital city of Riyadh.
Now in its seventh year, Formula E showcases competition of fully electric open-wheeled race cars, reflecting the global automotive trend toward electric-powered vehicles. Now in its second generation of cars, the battery-fueled powertrains of 200 to 250 kWh provide speeds of up to 175 m.p.h. It was announced last year Spark Racing Technology would build the chassis and supply the front axle, Williams Advance Engineering would supply the battery and Hankook would supply allweather tires incorporating biomaterial and sustainable rubber.
The series has attracted major automakers using Formula E to advance electric automotive technology. Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Jaguar, BMW, Porsche and Audi all participate, although both Audi and BMW have announced their withdrawal after the 2021 season.
For ’21, Formula E will compete on the streets of Paris, Monte Carlo and Seoul, along with racing on the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit in Berlin. In July, the teams will take to the streets of Brooklyn and then finish on the streets of London.
Launched late in 2018 for the
’19 racing season, the W Series will compete at eight Formula 1 events for 2021. This Britishbased series began as a vehicle for women to compete in single-seater Formula-style cars with what it sees as a lack of opportunities for them to progress through the normal ranks.
The series has $1.5 million in funding, and drivers are not required to bring sponsorship to the table as in most other forms of racing. All 1,200-pound cars are fitted with a monocoque chassis housing a 1.8-litre turbocharged Alfa-Romeo engine and six-speed gearbox similar to Formula 3 race cars. The eight-race schedule begins in France on June 26 and the series will compete in Europe for the next five events, then to Texas and Mexico for the final two rounds.
W Series has received criticism for promoting women in racing with this series rather than competing with men through established racing. And some of the strongest disapproval has come from women drivers.
“What a sad day for motorsport,” said former IndyCar driver Pippa Mann on nbcsports.com. “Those with funding to help female racers are choosing to segregate them as opposed to supporting them. I am deeply disappointed to see such a historic step backward take place in my lifetime.”
British endurance car racer Charlie Mann has also been quite vocal. “This series is founded on segregation and, while it may create opportunities for some female drivers, it sends a clear message that segregation is acceptable,” she said. “As racers, we want to compete against the best drivers — regardless of age, race, sexual orientation or gender — and prove we are the best at what we do.”
Another former female IndyCar driver, Simona de Silvestro, has suggested the funding of the W Series could be used for racing scholarships to help women in various disciplines of the sport.
There are two sides to this. Several professional sports, such as golf, hockey and basketball, have women-only participation. But auto racing is a sport where men and women can compete at the same level given the same opportunities.