Five-time Champ Car World Series race winner and Montreal ePrix ambassador Patrick Carpentier believes Formula E is “going to replace Indy more than F1.”
Initially not a fan of electric racing, Carpentier has grown to like the all-electric series and only envisions the series growing in popularity, outlining its competitiveness as one of its main draws.
“I’ve always been for F1 and NASCAR and I will always love those cars, but this is a great series. Last year’s championship went down to the final race,” Carpentier told The Globe and Mail.
“It’s like an IndyCar with battery power. But eventually, they’re going to have so much power that people will look at it and say ‘Oh my God, this is amazing.'”
Discussing the series’ main attractions compared to its competitors in further detail, Carpentier highlighted its competitiveness, focus on street circuits and the fan interaction the series provides compared to others.
“What’s helped Formula E the last couple of years is how close it is. The Prost (Renault e.dams) team and the Abt team have been strong, but man they’ve got some good battles.”
“And I like street racing. In F1 there’s only Monaco. NASCAR is more ovals. This is street racing. To me, it’s going to replace Indy more than F1. It’s already really popular. Mercedes is going to join in and I heard the car they’ve designed is amazing,” added Carpentier.
“It’s practice, qualifying and the race, all on the same day. It involves the fans more than any series I’ve seen.”
