Formula E still needs to make a few changes for success in Hong Kong
- Spectators leave Hong Kong E-Prix without knowing which driver won – again
- Organisers should stop blocking off views from the city, or at least charge less for tickets
There’s much to like about Formula E. Whether that’s the Naomi Campbell-approved carbon-footprint impact of the cars being electric, the city centre locations encouraging spectators to use public transport or the attempts to curb single-use plastic at the event site.
It’s not just green credentials, either.
Bringing motorsport to some of the world’s most iconic cities should open the sport to more fans and it has also come a long way in its first five years, marked with a 50th race, held in Hong Kong last weekend.
There’s still some way to go, though. A look at social media hints many Formula One fans remain unconvinced, Formula E engines providing their punchlines. But there are bigger jokes.
Sunday’s race was won by Sam Bird after the Englishman overtook Germany’s Andre Lotterer in the penultimate lap. The issue was that he also punctured the Techeetah man’s tyre in the process and race officials quickly announced this would be investigated.
In the meantime, the race commentary team dismissed the incident as not as bad as things that have gone unpunished in the past, and Bird stood atop the podium listening to “God Save The Queen” before spraying the victory champagne.
He then did the press conference as the winner before the whole carnival began packing down to roll on to Hainan in two weeks.
Only hours later was it decided Bird would be penalised for the incident: a five-second penalty meaning he dropped to sixth and there was a new winner.
That was Edoardo Mortara and he leaked the news via his Instagram before deleting the post.
Victory was only confirmed elsewhere four hours after the race had ended and Formula E Hong Kong’s Facebook account only updated fans on Monday lunchtime with the new winner at 12.30pm.
This is not the first time it has happened. In the second race of the season four-opening Hong Kong E-Prix double header, similar drama saw Felix Rosenqvist named the winner after Daniel Abt was punished for a labelling irregularity on one of the parts of his car. Abt had been through all the post race duties and dismissed concerns he might be stripped of the win before it was confirmed three hours after the race.
Infractions are endemic in the rules-heavy world of motorsport, so it’s not uncommon for post-race punishments for drivers.
Lucas di Grassi, the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler driver and season three champion who was promoted to second, joked about it after the race.
“Five drivers have done all the 50 races, I have been on the podium 31 times. I have been disqualified twice, so 29!” he said.
Organisers said the uncertainty added to the excitement of the race.
“The 2019 HKT Hong Kong E-Prix was the most exciting edition we have had so far. It had everything,” Formula E Hong Kong director of marketing and communications Coffee Pang said. “Just like last year, the driver standing on top of the podium did not end up being the winner of the race.
“It all added to the suspense and anticipation,” the statement continued. “It all worked out in the end of course, and we just had the most amazing battle.”
But surely the process can be streamlined so that a decision on the winner is made when the fans are still somewhere in the vicinity?
While there was not a soul there for the final decision – the race had long packed up by then – it did not seem much busier in the day, and that is an even bigger issue for the success of Formula E.
Organisers said 15,000 spectators passed through the gates – which would be up on average compared with last year’s 27,000 overall for the two races.
“We are extremely pleased with the outcome,” Pang said. “The much enhanced and enlarged Allianz E-Village was a real hit with the fans, and the podium presentations held there continued to be hugely popular, giving everyone a chance to be right there to celebrate with the winners.”
The weather undoubtedly put a dampener on things but if an event is unmissable then people will brave the rain.
Surely if you have paid HK$2,880 for your ticket – as those for the two grandstands were priced – then you would put on a poncho and head to the track?
For an event announced as sold-out, it did not feel it. Such prices compare to Formula One and they have since the Formula E category was introduced five years ago. But the fan area is not at F1 levels.
Charging less and delivering more for the money would be one option to get the fans in. Another would be to stop blocking off the views for everyone – if it’s a street circuit then let the drivers see the city they are racing in and let the city see the race.
Formula E needs all the cities it can get. They lost Montreal after the new mayor Valerie Plante pulled the season four finale; they had to postpone Sao Paulo for a year after someone sold the land where they would race; Moscow washed its hands of Formula E in 2016 after a fallout and they left London after protests from residents – but will be back next season at the Royal Albert Docks and the ExCeL Centre.
