Hyderabad is all set to witness the latest season of the Formula E Championship that India is hosting on February 11, 2023. It is for the first time that the city has become a host for such an international motor sport.The international championship of the single-seater electric cars, would be conducted on the 2.38 kilometers track that was laid alongside the Hussain Sagar lake covering the popular tourist destinations on the tank bund and necklace roads. The upcoming race can be witnessed by a whooping 30,000 spectators for whom the seating arrangements were made.
Ahead of the race day, here is all you need to know.
The Formula E race, officially known as ABB FIA Formula E Championship, began in Beijing in 2014 with an aim to boost electric vehicles and all the racing vehicles are powered by electric batteries. Formula E has completed 8 seasons so far and entered into the 9th season this year. The current season 9 has already completed three rounds, one round in Mexico city and two rounds in Diriyah and the 4th round is being held in Hyderabad, according to the information provided on their official website.
Now in this 4th round, a total of 11 teams with 22 racing cars will participate, including notable names like McLaren, Maserati, Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan, and Mahindra Racing as well. All the vehicles reached the city a week in advance on the air cargo with special permission from the union government. The vehicles were set up in the ‘custom built, eco-friendly garages’ by Greenko.
The highlight of the event will be the introduction of the Gen3 Era Formula E car, which is known for its top speed of 322kmph. Explaining about these cars, The formula e team stated, “Gen3 cars represent a significant technological leap, delivering 350kW (100kW more than before) and a top speed of 320kph. They’re also the first formula cars to feature front and rear powertrains, doing away with the need for rear hydraulic brakes. With a combined 600kW, it doubles the regenerative capability of the Gen2 cars. In fact, over 40 percent of the energy used in a race is produced by regenerative braking. And the design is inspired by a fighter jet. A narrower car and shorter wheelbase should, in theory, offer better racing around the tight and twisty street circuits. All of these changes have resulted in what Formula E calls the fastest, lightest and most sustainable electric race car ever built.”
Reportedly, Gen 2 cars were used from 2018-22 and they could run the speed up to 280kmph.
Ahead of the event, two of the racers, Andre Lotterer from Team Avalanche Andretti and Jean Eric Vergne – Team DS Penske have interacted with media and shared their experience of the fornula E. Speaking to the media, Eric Vergne said that the evolution of the motor sport and the kind of technology being used has been fantastic, as it keeps getting better and better with each time. Meanwhile another racer, Andre added that they haven't got the time to see the Hyderabad city yet as they have been busy with the race.
The management has made efforts to facilitate seating capacity for around 30,000 spectators. While the Free practice sessions would begin from February 10, 4pm and the February 11 would begin with Free practice session 2, qualifying session and the finale race that is scheduled for 3pm to 4:30 pm
One can get their tickets for the Formula E from Bookmyshow.com and the various ticket slabs ranging from Rs.1000, Rs.4000 to Rs.65,000 and Rs.1,25,000 are also available for the viewers to select from. With the access to the ticket, one can attend the show Formula E race on February 11 starting from 7:30 am and witness the practice, qualifying and finals race.
Formula E usually happens in a street circuit, which is typically a temporary pop up track built by the team in a standard suitable for the race. Here in Hyderabad the 2.38 kilometers track, with around 17 turns, is laid around in the heart of the city, offering the best view of Hussain Sagar lake and the tourist destinations in the city like NTR gardens, Prasad Imax, as it passes through the Necklace road.
For the viewers, it is not just the motorsport that they are going to witness, Formula E also features several entertainment activities including live musical performances, gaming platforms, and interactive shows that showcases the latest electric vehicles.
Watch the video about Formula E here: