Ex-Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has praised Formula E’s “adrenaline-fuelled” format, with the majority of an E-Prix taking place across a single day.
The Scotsman’s positive words about the all-electric series came following the announcement that TNT Sports will be Formula E’s new broadcaster in the UK and Ireland, after reaching a multi-year agreement. It was also confirmed that Coulthard would become a new pundit of the series.
Coulthard isn’t completely new to Formula E, with the 13-time F1 race winner having helped present and commentate on the Berlin E-Prix back in 2018, which was won by Daniel Abt. The sport’s format has changed considerably since that day in the German capital, particularly with how qualifying takes place.
Prior to the duel format, which was introduced at the start of season eight, Formula E’s original qualifying format received several complaints. Up until season eight, Formula E qualifying saw the field split into a certain number of groups, with the fastest five drivers progressing to ‘Super Pole’ – this number increased to six in 2018/19.
The biggest issue with this format was that those who featured in the opening group session always had to complete their hot-lap when the circuit was at its worst, whilst those in the final group benefited from a rubbered in track. As a result, those who featured in the opening group rarely progressed to ‘Super Pole’.
It also wasn’t the easiest to follow, resulting in the duels format being introduced for the final year of the Gen2 machinery.
Without a doubt, the duel qualifying format is one of the best in motorsport and delivers entertainment every time. Nowadays, the drivers are split into two groups, with the fastest four from each group progressing into the duels, where a knockout format is introduced until just two drivers remain. They then battle for pole position.
The current qualifying format taking place just a few hours before the race means the drivers and the fans are “supercharged with entertainment”, as there is so little time to rest. With the exception of Free Practice 1 which often takes place on the evening before the race, Free Practice 2, qualifying and the E-Prix itself all take place on the same day.
This gives the fans so much to look forward to, whereas with the likes of F1 the schedule is so spread out. Coulthard admits that, as a driver, he used to find the F1 format “a bit confusing and underwhelming”, whereas Formula E is “all about entertainment”.
With the schedule being so tight, each E-Prix is very intense for the drivers, as a crash in free practice or qualifying can result in missing a key session. Maximilian Günther found this out in Diriyah last season, after he missed the opening race of the double-header weekend after crashing heavily in qualifying.
Sam Bird and Jake Hughes experienced the same later in season nine in Cape Town and Rome, respectively. This increased intensity is something Coulthard is a big fan of, as it means that more often than not mistakes are met with a “consequence”.
“I love the fact that as someone with very little patience, and a need for being entertained, Formula E is all condensed into one very exciting day,” Coulthard said in a TNT Sports media day, as per Formula E.
“I have long since felt that turning up on a Thursday at a Grand Prix track to sit in the engineering room, talk about predictions and things that may or may not happen in the future, I just found it all a bit confusing and underwhelming. I’m very much about entertainment.
“The fantastic thing about the championship, especially for the drivers, is we’re all about entertainment. We want the fans to feel engaged. But as a race driver, to have the opportunity to turn up with consequence and know that the practice session leads directly to your qualifying session, which leads directly to race day, it gets an adrenaline-fuelled period of time where we’re focused on absolute commitment!
“Anyone that’s come up through the grassroots of motorsport, which is basically everyone who is in Formula E, has come up through karting. You’re just supercharged with entertainment through free practice, your heat and your final.
“So when you transition into car racing, and you have qualifying one day, and then the race on the other day, it actually takes a while to adjust to slowing down the adrenaline because it’s spread over a much larger period of time.
“So in that respect, as someone that loves to feel the focus of competition, Formula E absolutely delivers.”
