The CEO of FIA Formula E, Jeff Dodds, has offered to donate a quarter of a million dollars to charity if Max Verstappen fails to win this year’s Formula 1 World Championship.
In an interview on TNT Sports with its lead FE presenter, Jermaine Jenas, Dodds said that he is “99 per cent” sure that the Red Bull Racing man will claim his fourth consecutive F1 title, adding: “If any one of the other 19 drivers wins it, we’ll give a quarter of a million dollars to the charity of choice of the other driver that wins it.”
Dodds was keen to point out the difference in predictability between FE and F1, telling Jenas how uncertain he is of the winner of the next E-Prix in Sao Paulo.
“I run Formula E, you’re in the presentation team there, neither of us have any idea who’s going to win that race, so I’m quite excited by that,” he said.
“As a Formula 1 fan, the season is about to start and yeah, I’ll watch it and the fanfare and everything that goes with it, but I absolutely already know who’s winning.”
Speaking on the hypothesis of whether Verstappen would ever drive in FE, Dodds praised the Dutchman as “an incredible driver”, but addressed the vast differences in the cars, opining: “He’d have to come into Formula E and learn how to drive a Formula E car – they’re actually very different from Formula 1 cars.
“Every driver who has come from Formula 1 into Formula E, or gone the other way, has said it’s so completely different to drive.”
“Let’s say he became very capable quickly of driving the car, I think he’d definitely win races, and I think he’d be really excited.
“By the way, my phone’s on – if he wants to call, I’ll take the call!”
