Formula E "Attack Mode"!

[Davide Nativo]

Daring to be different.

Many times, we say that racing sims are blurring the line between virtual and real motorsport. This time however, it is a real motor racing series that takes inspiration from videogames. Seemingly looking at the likes of Mario Kart and other arcade titles, Formula E comes up with a brand new, probably slightly crazy, idea for season 2018/19, opening on the 15th of December at Ad Diriyah, for the Saudi E-Prix.

We are all familiar with the "Fan Boost", introduced by the all-electric series since its debut. At the beginning of the race, 3 drivers chosen by the viewers get an additional surplus of power, this time peaking @ 340 hp total!

The "Attack Mode" instead, is going to be ratified by the FIA for each E-Prix. How will it work? Every track will get a number of activation points, situated outside the ideal racing line on specific sections of the circuit. By following this alternative driving line, the driver will get the chance to charge a power up button delivering 34 extra hp to his/her car, totalling 306 hp at corner exit. He/she will have to make the most out of this boost while managing driving outside the ideal line.

While spectators at home will see the activation points and both the optimal and outside racing lines on screen thanks to augmented reality, the Halo will show what kind of bonus the driver is getting. Colours will be Blue for Attack Mode @ 306 hp, Purple for Fan Boost @ 340 hp.

Surely, this may sound like a very bold move from the FIA, but it is important to see how it will actually work on the racetrack. This new season is already showing much promise with the Gen2 Battery Pack (54 kWh) and the new aero design, both allowing the cars to no longer stop mid race for a vehicle swap. Furthermore, these new engines, delivering 272 hp this time around, together with the reworked compound for the Michelin tyres, will surely give spectacle on track for even faster speeds and better acceleration. This mix of real and arcade racing might sound silly, but could actually prove fun to watch. We'll see!

After all, they are the first to joke about it!

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[VittorioBrambilla]

 

[biggabusta]

Can't wait for the new season to start!

 

[Juwe]

They should be able to throw banana peels and shoot turtle shells...

 

[DaVeX↯]

Give them time...and we will have missiles, guns and wipeout soundtrack...

 

[Will Mazeo]

 

[motoliser]

Just when we thought it couldnt get worse...

 

[Kurupt CDN]

Quickly losing faith in Motorsports governed by FIA.


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NO thank you!

 

[KittX]

So basically that's equivalent of playing arcade games - screwing up the racing line and then smashing the nitro button to keep up to pace?
They're more and more going away from traditional skills in motorsport. Maybe that's the future, I don't know, and traditional skills will vanish away, together with internal combustion engine. But if you kill any personal skill development (which is very trendy in this neo-postmodernist, neo-feminist and competitive victimhood age) what will be interesting in all this? Well I guess, maybe the new skills will be interesting for new audience, while we're "traditional" motorsport and racecraft fans will extinct. Kinda sad either.

 

[Omer Said]

I am very happy that they are trying new things with Formula E. Bad or good, they should just go crazy with the rules and invent something great in the process.

 

[Benutzername]

I am very happy that they are trying new things with Formula E. Bad or good, they should just go crazy with the rules and invent something great in the process.

Well yeah, but i am very skeptical about this idea.

I mean, having stuff like KERS, which is generated by braking, that you can activate on your own on strategic places - Not bad.
Having e-cars? Yeah, ok with that. They are gonna get incredibly fast.

But actively driving a slower line to get a boost so you can be faster in the end... That's not motorsport in my opinion. Managing the tyres is a driving skill. Driving quick is a skill. Drive a different line for a better exit is a racing skill. But that idea is too much.

But i haven't seen it in action, so... But i am skeptical.

 

[VirtuaIceMan]

I think "weapons" could be fun; some sort of "gun" you can use to slow down an opponent, but they could get a "shield". It's the only way we'll ever get near Wipeout haha!

 

[KittX]

don't forget Bananas!

 

[ZeldaACFan17]

How about Anki Overdrive style racing and powerups? (Virtual weapons that you can use to hinder your opponent's race)

 

[MoerasGrizzly]

I'm skeptical.

Fanboost proved to be rather inconsequential over these last few seasons, and if there's anything that those few seasons of F-E have proven it's that it doesn't *need* gimmicks like this to make the on-track action exciting to watch.

I'm okay with push-to-pass systems. If anything, it makes a lot of sense in Formula E: The entire race is already about balancing speed with energy consumption, and a push-to-pass system introduces more trade-offs. And I suppose the letting cars run a wider line to get their speed boost is a good way to build anticipation in the crowd, but it just feels convoluted and arbitrary.

I'd appreciate this more if it replaced Fanboost alltogether.

 

[ZeldaACFan17]

But I, as well as many others, want the "Attack" in "Attack Mode" to be an actual thing (Virtual weapons)

 

[Niels_at_home]

Meanwhile even a lowly Formula 4 car would run circles around the FE cars. Guess you have to do something to mask the fundamental slowness of these cars. Perhaps I'm just old. (and late for bed)

 

[MoerasGrizzly]

Meanwhile even a lowly Formula 4 car would run circles around the FE cars. Guess you have to do something to mask the fundamental slowness of these cars. Perhaps I'm just old. (and late for bed)

But when will Automobilista simulate the "Brake balance changes every corner due to the regen brakes changing in power based on how much the battery is filled" aspect of the Gen 1 cars? There's a challenge

 

[Emerson Meyer]

Honestly? Pathetic.

 

[Durge Driven]

I think a Official Formula-E sim with next gen engine would be a winner especially in community involvement

Next decade the cars are going to get faster as they do the courses will open up and present cleaner overtaking

FE and climate skeptics.......... same club