Components E founder on development, future, and know-how of single-seat racing collection

Single-seater racing is having a second in america.

Actually, the expansion of Components 1 stateside is a part of that story. Due to the recognition of the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive, the growth of the schedule to a few races in america, and an exhilarating Constructors’ title struggle in 2024, F1 stays on an upward development trajectory in America. ESPN has reported large rankings for the primary two races of the 2025 season, each of which began after midnight on the East Coast, and people numbers are anticipated to extend because the season wears on and the schedule is extra pleasant to viewers in america.

Then there may be IndyCar, which is having a second of its personal. With the transfer to FOX Sports activities for the 2025 season the published large is placing an enormous operation behind the all-American collection, together with that includes one of many unique voices of Drive to Survive, long-time racing analyst Will Buxton, within the sales space.

However these two usually are not the one video games on the town.

Components E, the all-electric single-seater collection, is properly into its eleventh season and heading again to america this upcoming weekend, with a cease in Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Forward of that race weekend, SB Nation sat down with Alberto Longo, the Co-Founder and Chief Championship Officer of the collection, to be taught why Components E is the very best racing you aren’t watching.

But.

The Components E origin story

LAT Photos/Mark Sutton/Components E

Motorsport is stuffed with rumors, hypothesis, and tall tales.

However one story handed down by means of the years will not be solely true however part of Components E canon.

The game was conceived, on the outset, at a dinner in Paris in March of 2011.

“That’s completely true. Completely true,” mentioned Longo throughout our video name final week after I requested him about that Parisian dinner.

“That was a dinner between my enterprise companion Alejandro Agag, after which the previous president of the FIA Jean Todt, after which Antonio Tajani as properly. [Tajani] was working within the European Parliament they usually had been all speaking about easy methods to set up, a totally electrical world championship, of single-seaters, of racing automobiles.”

Nevertheless, an concept is one factor, however executing on the thought is one other. That began with the group really successful the bid to prepare the primary single-seater, all-electric racing collection.

“They had been simply elaborating an concept that two years after, we managed to crystallize and placed on paper, after which win a young as a result of we really needed to win a young with the FIA,” added Longo.

“That tender was put in place for the FIA and there was 4 or 5 totally different bidders to it, and we managed to win the tender as a result of we had most likely the very best concept, the very best group, to execute it.”

The imaginative and prescient behind Components E had many layers, in response to Longo.

“First, technology-wise, we had been speaking about know-how that was current. There was beginning to be a bit little bit of demand on electrical automobiles,” began Longo.

“Everyone knows that the switch of know-how from observe to highway is required in an effort to develop the know-how, and undoubtedly that was one thing that basically received our consideration immediately.”

Nevertheless, there was one other factor to the Components E origin.

Business curiosity in sustainability.

“However there was additionally a form of a really explicit factor which is lots of the sponsors that we had been speaking to [were trying] to get entangled into Components 1, and Components 2, and Components 3,” continued Longo. “They had been telling us that their CSR [Corporate Social Responsibility] departments, they wouldn’t sponsor something that, principally, pollutes that a lot. And subsequently we noticed additionally a industrial alternative to offer a platform to all of the CSR departments of huge companies, to take pleasure in a motorsport platform.”

In Longo’s thoughts, Components E has adhered to these core ideas of sustainability, technological development, and evolution, over the previous decade-plus.

“Effectively, we maintain completely loyal to it,” started Longo after I requested if Components E has lived as much as its founding imaginative and prescient.

“Positively. We’re the very best [motorsport] firm on the planet, by way of sustainability.”

Longo pointed to the evolution of the automobiles in Components E — the collection began with the Gen1 automobiles and is now onto the Gen3 Evo, an upgraded model of the Gen 3, with Gen4 set to reach for the 2025-2026 season — as proof of the collection’ development and evolution.

An evolution in racing that has spurred developments off the observe.

“For instance, in these first 4 seasons of Components E, we had to make use of two automobiles to complete the race. Clearly, after these 4 seasons, we managed to double the capability of the batteries on the automobiles, and that meant that we really had to make use of just one automotive to do the identical distance at the next pace,” started Longo.

“Then the Gen 3, which is the technology of automobiles that we’re in for the time being, it’s selling quick charging, and in the previous few races, we now have executed what we name the ‘pit increase,’ which implies principally charging ten % of the automotive in solely 30 seconds which is an unheard know-how to date.

“We will see already some Chinese language producers already having this know-how [on their road cars] and hopefully we are going to see much more European producers adopting this know-how very quickly.”

Longo admitted to a way of pleasure at seeing know-how make its approach from the Components E observe, to the houses of residents all around the globe.

“A automotive just like the Nissan LEAF, for instance, [is] 380% extra environment friendly than what they had been earlier than Components E was on the market,” described Longo.

“So undoubtedly the event that has been executed for the Components E observe at Nissan has been used for the Nissan LEAF in an effort to turn out to be that environment friendly.

“We will go on and on, on totally different examples, in Jaguar, and Porsche, etcetera etcetera, they usually have used that know-how, that the 2025 take a look at floor that’s Components E, of their highway automobiles and the folks of their houses at the moment they’re utilizing that know-how, and that makes us, as you possibly can think about, very, very proud.”

Alberto Longo on the expansion of Components E

LAT Photos for Components E

One thing else that Longo is pleased with is the expansion of Components E through the years.

After final season, the collection introduced document audiences all through Season 10. In response to Components E, tv viewership elevated 35% to 491 million viewers worldwide, with the Monaco race delivering Components E’s highest-ever race viewers at 40 million.

Components E additionally reported a rise in its world fanbase to a mean of 374 million followers for the season, a rise of 23% from the 2023 marketing campaign.

When requested about that development Longo — who burdened all through our video name his need to remain “humble” even with the success of the collection on and off the observe — highlighted simply how a lot the collection has grown through the years.

“So once more, we have to maintain being humble. We have to carry on working. However, within the final century, [Formule E] was most likely the second sport with a much bigger degree of development in historical past, solely surpassed by cricket in India,” started Longo. “Clearly they’ve fairly a fan base of just about two billion folks.

“However undoubtedly we’re tremendous proud of what have executed to date, however there may be much more to do.

“We wish to turn out to be the reference in motorsport, within the short-to-medium time period, and undoubtedly for that, we have to carry on working. Carry on attracting folks, new folks to our sport, which is vital.

“There are 800 million followers of motorsport on the planet, however there are eight billion folks.

“So there is a chance for 7.2 billion folks that have by no means watched a race of motorsport typically, to draw them and [get them to] love our sport the best way we do.”

To advertise and maintain that development, Components E will proceed to develop its schedule. Earlier than my dialogue with Longo, I solicited potential questions for the Components E Co-Founder and CCO on social media. One reader query concerned the potential growth of the schedule, and Longo responded to that query by pointing to the collection’ development plan.

“Positively the plan is to maintain on rising,” started Longo. “We’re doing 16 races this 12 months. Hopefully subsequent 12 months we are going to find yourself going to 18 or 19 races, and that can carry on rising till we most likely do 22 to 24 races, and we are going to get there by 2030.

“So there’s a very strategic considering behind these numbers, clearly.

“And the explanation why we simply do one race per nation is as a result of we wish to have a geographical unfold, and we’re a world championship,” continued Longo.

“We want to race in each single continent on this world. However it is usually true that the [United States] and China are the 2 key and largest markets that we now have, so undoubtedly we’re seeking to totally different alternatives to do not less than two races in every certainly one of these markets, and that’s hopefully coming very quickly, as quickly as subsequent 12 months that we’re planning to have already two races within the US.”

One other fan query centered on Longo’s favourite observe within the historical past of the game.

In response, Longo sounded extra like a proud guardian than a CCO. Or maybe, perhaps precisely like a CCO, given a part of his obligations at Components E.

“I actually can not select one,” laughed Longo.

“It’s not that I don’t wish to reply, as a result of, properly, to start with, as a Co-Founder, certainly one of my duties inside this firm is to type the calendar.

“So it’s me who’s touring around the globe to attempt to get the calendar for subsequent season.

“So, I can not select one, as a result of each single metropolis that we go to is a really particular metropolis.”

Nevertheless, Longo did notice that there are some tracks in Components E’s historical past that he would like to revisit. The present technology of Components E automobiles has made tracks beforehand on the calendar unavailable, given their pace and energy.

Longo would like to revisit a few of these spots sooner or later.

“I feel Paris is a really particular place, and we had been pressured to depart Paris as a result of the automobiles had been getting so speedy, so fast, so quick, in such a short while, that, sadly, that observe wasn’t succesful for us to do races there.

“Moscow as properly.

“We raced within the Pink Sq. [in Moscow]. We raced in Paris, it was actually near the Eiffel Tower.

“These landmarks of these international locations, of these cities is, one thing that we might love to return to. However sadly, we can not race there anymore as a result of the automobiles have gotten tremendous, tremendous quick.”

One other side of rising the game is discovering new expertise to take part on the observe, and behind the pit wall. Components E not too long ago introduced a second all-female drivers’ take a look at, with extra laps and extra time for the drivers.

However in response to Longo that’s simply a part of the story that Components E hopes to inform.

“I feel we now have been doing that from virtually inception,” answered Longo when requested about growing feminine participation in Components E. “We’ve along with the FIA what we name the ‘FIA Ladies on Monitor’ initiative, which as much as 120 girls will take part in [at] Miami. They are going to take part in workshops, in gaming talks, in a pit lane stroll. We’ll educate them on driving, on managing the media, so it’s a really spectacular exercise that we now have executed for greater than I feel 5,000 younger girls on the planet as much as at the moment.

“And we’re very pleased with that.

“We consider that there’s a group of females which are underrepresented in motorsport.

“It’s world and what we’re attempting to do is give alternatives to underrepresented teams to be within the sport that we love.

“Having mentioned so, what we wish is the quickest folks to be drivers, essentially the most eloquent folks to be on the media, the very best minds to be engineers.

“So undoubtedly, we’re attempting to offer that platform to create these alternatives for people who find themselves proficient sufficient, however they haven’t discovered that chance simply but.”

What units Components E aside?

Picture by Andrew Ferraro/LAT Photos

As famous above, single-seater racing is having fun with a second in america.

Nevertheless, in response to Longo, there are elements of Components E that really set the collection aside from its counterparts. Elements that followers outdated and new, younger and outdated, can really take pleasure in.

“Effectively we’re, I’d say, essentially the most entertaining type of motorsport at the moment,” started Longo.

That begins with the product on the observe.

“We carry motion to the observe. There’s a variety of overtaking,” described the Components E CCO.

Past the racing motion, there may be the general goal behind Components E, in addition to the expertise for followers who attend a race in particular person.

“We care about sustainability,” continued Longo. “We’re a really inclusive and accessible sport which, in motorsport historical past, sadly, wasn’t constructed that approach.

“So simply to offer you an instance, the hopefully 20,000 folks which are going to come back to Miami, they may have entry to the again of our garages.

“They are going to be across the drivers, across the group managers across the Normal Managers of various corporations. We’re all very, very accessible.

“We wish to assume that we’re an enormous household and that we’re right here to entertain.

“We don’t perceive sports activities with out leisure, and so [a fan] not solely give attention to the exercise that’s going to occur on observe but in addition off observe,” continued Longo. “And off observe, we now have a variety of worldwide sponsors and native companions that shall be activating, to make that day a really special occasion for everyone having fun with Components E.”

There’s additionally one thing else that helps set Components E aside.

As certainly one of my favourite readers put it, a extra relaxed vibe, and a scarcity of “stuffiness” that you just may see with different racing collection.

Requested whether or not that was a part of the plan or a pure evolution of Components E, Longo made it clear that was of their DNA from “day one.”

“Alejandro and I, each the founders, we had been concerned in Components 1, in Components 2, and Components 3 prior to now,” began Longo.

“So after we began fascinated by Components E, we determined the place had been the issues that we wanted to alter, and issues that we didn’t like.

“And particularly that exclusivity that’s hooked up to motorsport typically, is one thing that we didn’t like in any respect.

“Individuals are already paying fairly some huge cash for the tickets to get in, and they need to have the entry. And from day one we had been racing within the metropolis facilities,” continued Longo. “We’re bringing motorsport to the balconies of the folks, to the home windows of the folks, and simply to have the chance to open your window and watch a race down there, it’s fairly an accessible factor.

“However even if you happen to resolve to come back and pay for a ticket, then it’s a must to have full entry to the expertise. And undoubtedly with that, that was in our DNA from day one.”

The 2025 Components E season

As our video name drew to a detailed, the dialog turned to the 2025 Components E season and the upcoming Miami E-Prix.

The 2025 Components E marketing campaign started again in December of 2024, with the São Paulo E-Prix. Since then the grid has traveled from Brazil, to Mexico Metropolis, to Saudi Arabia, and heads to Miami later this week.

Over 4 races the collection has seen three totally different winners.

Jaguar’s Mitch Evans gained the São Paulo E-Prix, carrying out a never-before-seen feat in Components E. Regardless of beginning twenty second — and final — on the grid Evans picked up 21 locations, making 11 aggressive overtakes alongside the best way for the win.

Nissan’s Oliver Rowland picked up wins in each Mexico Metropolis and within the second race in Jeddah, whereas Maximilian Günther from Penske took the primary race in Saudi Arabia.

When the circuit arrives in Miami solely 5 factors will separate the highest 4 groups within the Groups’ Championship. Nissan sits atop the desk with 68 factors adopted by NEOM McLaren with 67, TAG Heuer Porsche with 64, and DS Penske with 63.

Longo described the beginning of the 2024-2025 Components E season as “wonderful.”

“Effectively, it’s been to date wonderful,” began Longo when requested concerning the present season.

“Clearly we now have executed to date races in Mexico, in São Paulo, and in Saudi Arabia, 4 races in whole.

“The expansion of the championship, it’s been rising at a greater path than, final 12 months, which is sort of spectacular.

“We had [in the Mexico City E-Prix] the second-best viewers of any motorsport within the US on the US channel which is CBS,” continued Longo. “That’s spectacular, you realize, it’s a quantity that we actually like and actually we’re so enthusiastic about as a result of now we’re coming to Miami and hopefully we are going to break that document.

“So by way of media, the Championship is doing very properly. By way of attraction, for brand spanking new cities to affix the calendar within the following season, goes very properly as properly.

“So there’s a lot to do, however tremendous pleased with what we now have executed in such a short while.”

The return to Miami is a return to the roots of Components E. Longo famous that america has been a “core” marketplace for the collection since its inception, however Miami is an enormous a part of that founding story.

“[The United States] has been a core marketplace for us since day one. [The fifth] race of the historical past of Components E was executed exactly in Miami, on Biscayne Boulevard and surrounding the American Airways Area, which was wonderful.”

Longo famous that Components E has a little bit of “American DNA,” from its schedule to a number of the producers and drivers within the historical past of the collection.

“Now we’re again into Miami and undoubtedly trying into two races within the US,” described Longo. “That tells you that our dedication with the nation, it’s endless.

“The entire Components E ecosystem, together with companions, together with groups, drivers, everyone needs to an excellent footprint within the US and undoubtedly, we’re gonna carry on going there.

“We’ve two American groups on our grid, which is Andretti Penske. Thoroughly-known manufacturers with a variety of heritage and historical past, and we had some American drivers.

“Hopefully sooner or later we can have much more.”

“We’re form of the one motorsport property which have blended European motorsport with US motorsport, and we wish to say and to really feel like we now have a bit little bit of a of an American DNA, you realize, in our championship.”

Turning his consideration to the Miami E-Prix, Longo has excessive expectations for the race. From the occasion itself to the followers that he believes will pack Homestead-Miami.

“It’s such a tremendous place, wonderful facility, and a fully pretty state and metropolis.”

That is the primary time the collection is racing at Homestead-Miami, which Longo famous brings a “large stage” to the game.

“[It’s the] first time that we go to Homestead and it’s an enormous stage, you realize, through which our drivers have to carry out.

“We’ve, I feel it’s 35,000 grandstand seats, and that’s large.

“We’ve been doing races in Mexico and now we’re bought out for 45,000-50,000 folks each time that we go there, however the first time that we go it’s all the time a problem, in an effort to be well-known within the metropolis, and be an choice for the folks of what to do on a Saturday.

“I’ll take into account Miami successful simply by having 15,000 to twenty,000 folks, that these folks return to their houses and begin speaking to their pals.

“That might be a mega success.

“As a result of what we will assure is that there’s gonna be a tremendous race that’s gonna occur of their metropolis and that that race is gonna be seen in 192 international locations or extra, and hopefully greater than 50 million folks around the globe.

Longo then closed with a little bit of enterprise.

His elevator pitch for these on the fence about watching Components E, or making the journey to Miami.

“Essentially the most thrilling type of racing that you could find, essentially the most accessible type of racing that you could find,” began Longo.

“And we now have the quickest accelerating single-seater automotive on the planet, which is 0 to 100 [kilometers per hour] in 1.82 seconds. Extra agile than what was earlier than, extra leaner than what it was earlier than. Now we now have all-wheel drive, on, on the automotive which makes mega aggressive.

“They’re gonna once more have a variety of enjoyable watching a race and coming there.

“However for us, it’s equally vital: What are they gonna do when they aren’t watching the race on the observe?

“That is the place all of the activations that we do, the concert events, they’d be very near a variety of celebrities that can come to a race, and all in all it’s a very enjoyable time out. And I feel the tickets are beginning for $39 on Ticketmaster, so undoubtedly very accessible as as properly.

The entire household can come collectively, a bunch of 4 or 5 or a household, for $150 you realize, and that’s virtually what it’s costing you at the moment to go to the cinema.

With a day filled with actions on and off observe.

If somebody is doubting, come attempt it, and I’ll promise you that you may be again for certain.