1905, there was a picture of one motor car and the rest were horse-carts. Ten years later the same man took the same picture in the same place and there is one horse-cart circled in red.
It’s the same for us. When you see all the manufacturers are going electric and we have the capacity to race for 1.5 hours and develop the equivalent of 700-800bhp, then the full evolution will take place from the bottom to the top. But who knows? I don’t have the answer”.
Pinon is more circumspect, pointing out that “to develop all our vehicles to electric would be a massive adjustment, so even for the race car there will be a huge adjustment around the new technology”.
By virtue of battery technology still being in its infancy, pit-stops have added an extra level of strategy and excitement to Formula E. But if the cars can complete full race distances by season five, would losing this element become an unexpected drawback?
“This is a big question that we are debating at the moment” admits Droit. “I am part of the Working Group and motor racing is usually where you start and you finish. Not where you stop. We’re all trying to think about it and what would be the best [scenario].
If you change tyres I don’t think that brings anything. I don’t think we should change the sporting regulations too much other than going from start to finish. But perhaps we could integrate the public more with information on the screen about who’s consuming energy and which way. This integrates the public into the strategy of the race. It’s still a big exercise for the drivers and the teams, but we have to share it with the public on the screen. Of all the propositions I think this one is the way.
Some people say we should stop the car to regain more energy for the rest of the race, but I really think there’s going to be a strong debate in the coming weeks”.
While the debate rages on it’s possible that the pace of tech development could make the decision for them.
Images: Renault Sport