Formula E

[J.A.W.]

Amazing!
That Argentine track actually features a high speed corner.. .what dramas will ensue?

[Andres125sx]

I watched Buenos Aires EPrix yesterday, and it was crazy.... and fun, imposible to predict.

That fast chicane was cool, and camera placement was perfect to provide a good view. Fun race once more but there has been some weird things.... can someone explain why on earth Alguersuari had to pass SC and go to 6th position???

He was 3th or 4th (don´t remind exactly), and was the first to enter the pit lane with the accident, on lap 17/35, wich looked like a perfect move. The rest of drivers were slow and entered pit-lane on next lap, at least the first ones. Alguersuari´s time on pit-lane was exactly the same as all top drivers (1:12), and when all drivers had passed through the pit-lane he was first, what looked like normal because he entered the pit one lap earlier than any of the top 5 drivers, with SC on track. But then FIA asked him to pass SC and go to 6th place...

I really don´t understand it.


And what happened to him on last lap? Cameras didn´t catch it, but he lost podium position on last corner. His battery showed a 1% charge, and McLaren don´t assure car will move with less thann 3% if my memory serve me well, must be this.... Anycase 4th was great for him after that weird SC move, and after being hitted twice on second stint, he was lucky to finish the race specially after second crash when Piquet Jr crashed with him very hard

Fun race, will watch it again to see if I get everything. Alguersuari didn´t say anything on twitter, only that he also need to watch the race to understand all that happened, crazy race!

[Andres125sx]

Buenos Aires, round 4, race Highlights



Correction: it was not Piquet Jr. who crashed with Alguersuari as I stated, it was Daniel Abt

[RicME85]

Safety car rules seem more bizarre than the F1 rules.
Watched the the full race the day after it happened at was confused by what was happening under the safety car and so was the commentator (which cannot be good, how is Joe Bloggs watching at home for the first time supposed to understand)

[mzso]

Safety car rules seem more bizarre than the F1 rules.
Watched the the full race the day after it happened at was confused by what was happening under the safety car and so was the commentator (which cannot be good, how is Joe Bloggs watching at home for the first time supposed to understand)

The pathetic Safety Car method ruins what little entertainment this series has to offer.

[nacho]

Those cars are fragile.

[J.A.W.]

Pretty funny commentary in the "highlights" vid..
..describing an - oversteer slide, & crashing into a wall - as "out with a suspension problem."..

Formula E is.. really unimpressive - as a race spectacle - to my view..

[Tim.Wright]

It actually was a suspension problem. There were quite a few of them as its apparently quite a weak point in these cars:

http://www.formulaezone.com/?p=1425

[RicME85]

Suspension definitely needs working on.
Yes they are running on bumpy start circuits with big kerbs but the amount of failures so far in the series is crazy.

[autogyro]

Suspension definitely needs working on.
Yes they are running on bumpy start circuits with big kerbs but the amount of failures so far in the series is crazy.

I think the mainly rear suspension failures is a result of the electric torque delivery and the need to par off weight to achieve the required competitive range.

[Tim.Wright]

I don't agree that its the torque delivery. The impact loads seen on the street circuits are going to be much higher than the torque reaction loads from what these tiny engines can produce.

The problem has apparently been traced to excessive use of the bumpstops which basically transfers all the impact force straight to the chassis with no attenuation. Now they will introduce dampers with a longer stroke to allow the spring and damper to absorb more of the impacts.

I'd agree its an error in the balance between weight saving and durability.

Impact loads are a very difficult thing to predict and design for, especially without detailed knowledge of the surfaces that you will run on.

[aleks_ader]

Suspension definitely needs working on.
Yes they are running on bumpy start circuits with big kerbs but the amount of failures so far in the series is crazy.

I think the mainly rear suspension failures is a result of the electric torque delivery and the need to par off weight to achieve the required competitive range.

Common gyro, milege with carbon fiber struts? Add+ torque, But F1 could?

It s repairable fix. With setup, driving style, additional revising of compoment fabrication.

[aleks_ader]

I'd agree its an error in the balance between weight saving and durability.

Impact loads are a very difficult thing to predict and design for, especially without detailed knowledge of the surfaces that you will run on.

+1 Exatcly

[Andres125sx]

Two cars failing on a really bumpy track with high kerbs is not what I´d call fragile cars. Even F1 has suffered similar problems



I wonder if those who criticize FE actually watch Eprix´s. For a whole new championship with new cars, new tracks, new format and new technology it´s going really well, some aspects do need improvement obviously, but races are being quite entertaining with lots of battles and no way to predict the outcome. Competitiveness is great, like any other spec series, but with electric cars what is great

Cars are slow, yes, but they never said they would be fast on first seasson

[Tim.Wright]

No-one are criticizing, we are discussing the possible root-causes of the failures.