In the round-up: The first Formula E Porsche has been revealed ahead of the manufacturer’s debut in the championship.
Snapshot
“In hindsight, we laid the foundations for Porsche’s future involvement in Formula E during the LMP1 project,” said technical project leader for Formula E Malte Huneke.
“We used the insights gained during that time in the development of the Porsche Formula E powertrain. We focussed on building a highly effective powertrain with the highest level of efficiency. The 800-volt technology used in Formula E is also used in the series production of the fully electric Porsche sports car, the Taycan.
“In addition, energy management and efficiency are the keys to success in both Formula E and series production. This is where the permanent synchronous motor comes into play which has an important role in optimising the drive concept.”
Porsche previously confirmed Andre Lotterer and Neel Jani as its two drivers.
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
"It's quite laughable that 12 months ago I was racing race-by-race in Formula 2. In December I got the call to be in Toro Rosso and even that felt crazy to me…"@alex_albon on the moment he learned he had become a Red Bull driver.#F1 pic.twitter.com/6DZDYNUMUL
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) August 28, 2019
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Belgian Grand Prixview (Toro Rosso)
Pierre Gasly: "The summer break is over and I am back with my Italian family for the rest of the season and I’m happy to be working with Toro Rosso again."
Season restarts at legendary Spa-Francorchamps (Ferrari)
"I remember the first time I raced here in Formula 1 and compared to back then, some of the corners are easier now, because we have more aero downforce on the cars. The uphill esses at Eau Rouge can now be taken flat out, but it is still unique, while corners like Pouhon and Blanchimont are also spectacular."
How 'powerful' Alfa withstood tech boss turnover (Autosport)
"It's probably the DNA of ART to capitalise on the group. I have some mechanics that started with me in 1990."
The story reports a rumours Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff wanted to promote Esteban Ocon to the team's second car but other engineers and Lewis Hamilton wanted to keep Valtteri Bottas at the team.
Jaguar: Gen 2 Michelins 'Fantastic' for Formula E (e-racing365)
"The new Michelin Pilot Sport tire brought a lighter product to the teams, with each tire weighing 2 kg less than the Gen 1 version, ensuring an almost a 20-percent weight reduction."
Jessi Combs: racing star dies while trying to break speed record (The Guardian)
"Race car driver Jessi Combs, the host of the television series All Girls Garage, was killed in a high-speed crash while trying to set a new land-speed record, her family said on Wednesday."
We always endeavour to credit original sources. If you have a tip for a link to feature in the next RaceFans round-up please send it in via the contact form.
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Comment of the day
Is there any way back into a Red Bull for Daniil Kvyat – or Pierre Gasly?
Realistically, the only way Kvyat could be in the second Red Bull in Melbourne next March is that he’d massively out-perform Gasly with Albon slumping as badly (or worse) than Gasly did at the same time.
The same equally applies to Gasly’s chances of getting back to the senior team for the opening round of next season.
Jere (@Jerejj)
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Jelle Van Der Meer, Metrium, F199Player and Stefano!
If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is via the contact form or adding to the list here.
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
29th August 2019, 0:44
Oh man..that Porsche does look sweet.
I’m actually going to make an effort to watch FE next season :)
Phylyp (@phylyp)
29th August 2019, 2:48
Seconded, it looks incredible. That white/black/red colour scheme… works.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
29th August 2019, 6:35
Because of a livery? Or the brand name?
Audi has raced in fe for a while now.
Chaitanya
29th August 2019, 10:26
Nissan, Renault, Mahindra, Jaguar, BMW, etc… almost all the major car companies except for Americans are represented in F-E.
Roger Ayles (@roger-ayles)
29th August 2019, 0:55
I think the current spec Formula E car is possibly the ugliest open wheel car i’ve ever seen.
I know it’s probably supposed to look cool for the kids who like been able to say something is cool but I just straight up hate the way it looks.
And been honest I also hate how it’s a spec series chassis wise. I think it would be so much more interesting if there was some variety in chassis design be it each team designing there own or multiple suppliers for teams to choose from as used to be the case in CART/Indycar (Back when that series actually had more variety & was actually interesting & exciting from a technical standpoint unlike now).
It’s actually something I was thinking about recently while watching some old tapes. I think the sport in general is the most boring it’s ever been in terms of variety because pretty much every category outside of F1 has gone spec & with most been supplied by Dallara everything looks broadly similar.
You go back 20+ years & not only was every series was full of variety in terms of multiple chassis suppliers (Among other things) but every series has it’s own very distinct look & I just found that far more interesting than what we have in the boring spec era we have today.
You look at CART/Indycar races from 20 years ago (Such as this from 1998 they uploaded on youtube) & see 4-5+ different chassis suppliers, 4 engine suppliers & 2 tyre suppliers & that variety is so much more interesting than seeing 20+ identical cars like we see today. Different chassis worked better on different circuits in different conditions & the same was true of tyres & engines & that variety was interesting & the technical development race added to that interest. You just don’t get any of that now & I don’t think it’s made things better overall.
Roger Ayles (@roger-ayles)
29th August 2019, 1:05
There’s too much focus put on creating parity for the sake of the show/entertainment now & I think that push has killed a lot of what used to make the sport as fascinating & exciting as it was.
If the sport was as it is now 20-30+ years ago I wonder how many interesting technical developments we wouldn’t have seen?
Thinking about it it’s maybe no wonder so many of the top designers in F1 are guys that have been around for many years, There isn’t really anywhere for clever young kids to test there ideas & make a name for themselves anymore. You can’t modify an F3 car anymore let alone design your own which is the way many of F1’s great designers got there start in the sport.
graham228221 (@graham228221)
29th August 2019, 6:12
F1 cars literally had a dildo stuck on the front a few years ago.
Matteo (@m-bagattini)
29th August 2019, 9:29
@graham228221 @roger-ayles I still have nightmares with those x wings
RB13
29th August 2019, 10:07
I gotta back this, bar the Mercedes and to some extent the Ferrari (although it was certainly no looker) the 2014 grid was the most pathetic looking bunch of machines in the history of motorsport. Embarassing doesn’t even begin to cut it.
Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
29th August 2019, 21:14
Ironically, the Red Bull RB10 was one of the few decent ones, as it did a somewhat decent job at hiding what was already a fairly “mind” dildo-design.
That Ferrari was fugly. Literally nothing appealing about it.
anon
29th August 2019, 7:19
@roger-ayles, you can actually design your own Formula 3 car, as that is still technically an open series, and indeed there are actually different chassis suppliers – Tatuus and Mygale both currently build and sell Formula 3 cars.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
29th August 2019, 6:37
@roger-ayles YES YES YES.
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
29th August 2019, 13:30
@roger-ayles I totally agree, In relation to Indycar especially.
Indycar in the CART days was amazing for many of the reasons you say. The Indycar we have now isn’t necessarily bad but it’s lacking so much of what made the series as good as it was back then.
budchekov (@budchekov)
29th August 2019, 1:40
Jessi Combs RIP.
I wasn’t aware of this, it’s an F-104 on wheels, a ‘483.227-mph “shakedown run” last year, 52,000-horsepower’, !!
She was a pretty amazing lady.
Montréalais (@)
29th August 2019, 4:15
Yes @budchekov, it is a sad loss for us all. Jessi Combs was an inspiring woman and I am deeply saddened by her passing. My thoughts and condolences go out to her family and friends. RIP Jessi Combs 1983-2019
Montréalais (@)
29th August 2019, 4:27
Sorry, that should be 1980-2019 according to the best consensus I could find
joac21 (@joac21)
29th August 2019, 4:15
Those formula e are ugly!
Matteo (@m-bagattini)
29th August 2019, 9:31
@joac21 reading here it seems that de gustibus really non est disputandum!
GechiChan (@gechichan)
29th August 2019, 6:07
RIP Jessi Combs!
Just the other day I was flipping through TV channels and landed on an old rerun of All Girls Garage… always found it nice what the girls did and how they tried to break the mold when it comes to these men-dominated formats.
Poiel
29th August 2019, 6:26
Porshe loves to play the card of road relevancy
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
29th August 2019, 6:41
I remember her, I thought she was just a tv presenter, I guess she chose one of the most lethal occupations one can pick.
BasCB (@bascb)
29th August 2019, 7:14
Hey did anyone register the news this morning that Marcus Ericsson will be in the Alfa at Spa replacing Giovanazzi yet
BasCB (@bascb)
29th August 2019, 7:33
Right, so that report is right on the Conor Daly stepping in at Indy CArs. But the reality about Ericsson is that he will be in Spa as the third driver of the alfa romeo team.
BasCB (@bascb)
29th August 2019, 7:59
This is going to be a classical mumble of some kind of power struggle or tussle between sponsors or something. After Buxton tweeted about this Shami Kalra who claims he sponsors SPM the IndyCar team called it’s sponsors yesterday saying that Marcus was indeed replaced for the race because he is racing in Spa …
Since the team seems to have replied that is not the case this is a curious situation now. Are Ericssons backers still the owners of the team? Are they pushing for this? Interesting backstory for spa then.
bosyber (@bosyber)
29th August 2019, 13:04
@bascb I just saw a message on twitter (from several Dutch blogs, thanks twitter I usually prefer English original sources, unless that source is Auto Motor und Sport, in which case, go ahead and show me that) that Raikkonen might (was he doing something together with Norris?) have a foot injury.
Jere (@jerejj)
29th August 2019, 7:30
Thanks for the COTD. I didn’t really expect that for this round-up although I didn’t expect any of the earlier COTD-honours to happen when they did either.
RB13
29th August 2019, 10:14
Pray tell how is a hardcore Italian publication publishing “whispers” of internal politics at Mercedes? Absolute tabloid rubbish.
Glamo
29th August 2019, 13:07
FE cars look great! Those and Indy are the best single seater series by far.