The new Formula E car took part in a public demo, entertaining crowds around the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Sounding and looking like a big RC car, the all-electric racer, known as the Spark-Renault SRT_01E, did a few donuts and drove past the camera a couple of times whining away all the time – being quiet is actually the last thing that could be said about it, and while it doesn’t beat repeated explosions, at least it’s something…
Now, preparation for the start of the very first season is almost complete, and as Alejandro Agag, CEO of series promoters Formula E Holdings explained, “since the FIA launched Formula E just over a year ago, the progress and interest in the series has been overwhelming”.
“When we started we had no cities, no teams, no broadcasters and no car. Now we have all these things so to be able to showcase our new car to everyone involved, and of course the fans, is a very proud moment,” he added. “2014 is a very big year for Formula E with the championship starting in September so it’s important to be starting on such a positive note.”
It definitely won’t be the most popular form of motorsport in the US, though the country has given it two teams, two cities (Los Angeles and Miami) and a broadcasting deal with FOX Sports. Time will tell if people take a liking to it or not.
By Andrei Nedelea
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