Formula E co-founder Alberto Longo stated that Formula 1 made a mistake by bringing its rules closer to those of the all-electric championship, arguing that F1 must ‘remain true to its principles’.
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Longo highlighted that recent technical changes in F1, including chassis and power units, have been profoundly altering the category’s spectacle: “I definitely believe they decided on certain regulations that are probably hurting their spectacle and show a bit,” he stated.
The Formula E official commented on comparisons made by F1 drivers, such as Max Verstappen, who called the cars of the new regulation era ‘Formula E on steroids’: “I think there is a Spanish saying that goes: ‘Let them talk’. It’s good to make noise. If you are on people’s lips, it’s because it’s important, and we definitely feel that.”
Longo highlighted that he remains a fan of Formula 1, but criticized the fact that his electric category and the traditional F1 are becoming increasingly similar: “They are getting closer and closer to us. We don’t have exclusivity, but we already have expertise on this,” he said.
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The executive compared the energy performance of the two categories, highlighting that F1’s problems in Melbourne, when drivers ran out of energy on the straights, do not happen in Formula E: “Yes, we can use eight or six minutes of ‘Attack Mode’ and the car doesn’t slow down. I think they need to go back to where they were. They have noise, full power, they break the latest technologies, that’s what Formula 1 represents,” he added.
For Longo, F1’s attempt to resemble Formula E represents a deviation from its identity: “We are a completely different proposal. From day one we presented ourselves like that. It’s not one or the other, it’s both. But the problem is that they are trying to become more like Formula E,” he completed.
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