Celebrations in South Korea will be the driving force of this weekend in motorsport racing, as the 2022 FIA Formula E championship draws to a close.
This is the final weekend of the campaign and, thus, the final couple of races during the era of the current iteration of racecars.
From Beijing in 2014, through to Seoul in 2022, Formula E will have gone through eight seasons, two car generations and a full century of races - next year it will be on to Gen3 cars, at least two new cities and the biggest-ever calendar in the sport’s history.
Before that, though, there are milestones to reach and titles to hand out. In the driver standings, Stoffel Vandoorne leads the way for Mercedes-EQ, but Jaguar’s Mitch Evans and Rokit Venturi’s Edoardo Mortara could yet triumph if they produce big showings in the back-to-back racedays for rounds 15 and 16 - though neither managed to get points on the board in the second race in London last time out, with Lucas di Grassi instead triumphing.
The Brazilian is one of those set for at least one major milestone and quite possibly two, as he reflected on an eight-year journey with the championship.
Seoul on Sunday will be the 100th race in Formula E history and, with Di Grassi set to be the only ever-present - Sam Bird is the other with 98 from 98 so far but he’s out of the finale after breaking his hand - he’s also seeking to be the first to clock up 1,000 championship points. A top-seven finish in either race will do the job, but with his Rokit Venturi side still in with a shout of winning the team championship, there’s more than personal honour at stake.
“Completing 100 races in Seoul is a privilege. My career would not have been anything close to what it was without Formula E,” Di Grassi told the Independent on a media call. “It opened businesses and jobs. To combine sustainability with motorsports, Formula E has brought so much to a lot of people. And it still has a lot to deliver.
“There were many people who didn’t expect Formula E to be more than one season! It was a startup, it was close to not happening after the first few races, but there are ups and downs like everything in life. We lost a lot of ground in the pandemic so for the 100 races, there are a lot of people who deserve attention: people on the ground, putting the races together, finding the deals and making the championship happen.
“It will be a very emotional moment after two generations of cars, with so many points and podiums and memories with people - it’ll definitely feel like the end of a cycle.
“I’m excited something new is coming up with the Gen3 challenges. But first, let’s finish on a high.”
The final three weekends of the season, including this upcoming one, have all been double-headers in spectacular settings.
After racing against the iconic backdrop of New York City, then through the unique part-indoor circuit at ExCel London, it’s now off to Asia and the South Korean capital. All three are cities among the 37 largest on the planet by population, a reminder that the series exists to champion the use of no-emissions electric vehicles and show how sustainability practices on a smaller scale can yield climate change solutions on a global level.
But as a racing championship, Di Grassi knows there’s more to do to get FE to a point where it’s mainstream and seen in the same light as other elite sports.
“It has evolved, if you’ve been involved since season one you can see it has matured. It’s gone from a big doubt to something with promise, to delivering on that promise. Through innovation and maturity of processes, Formula E has established itself as a very important racing series.
“The next big thing will be the Gen3. It’ll be more impressive to see on track and the events will hopefully go in the direction of [the] London [E-Prix], a better product for people to consume.
“Formula E had the duty of making people aware of electric cars, so we’ve already helped a little bit with perception, showing people they are fast and sexy! Now it’s a second stage: how do you change from innovation to established technology? How to get people even more excited about it?
“The good thing is technology is evolving and getting better by the month, it’s still in its infancy. It can’t only be through sustainability - you need to have a very exciting championship, exciting drivers and events. You need a combination of factors to make sure it grows into a tier one sport.”
Gen3 will be an equaliser to an extent, a reset moment for all teams and drivers to compete from an even starting point in 2023. Di Grassi, a veteran of motor racing by now, has seen it all before and knows there are new challenges ahead.
But before focus turns to a new campaign with new technology in better cars, there’s a massive weekend still lying in wait. Milestones, yes, but also major success is still on the line in Seoul.
:: Season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship reaches its conclusion in Seoul, South Korea with a double-header on August 13 and 14.
