The tenth season of the FIA-sanctioned all-electric Formula E racing series will kick off this weekend on January 13 in Mexico City. This will be the series’ second year using ultra-efficient Gen3 cars, and aside from many teams replacing one or two drivers, there aren’t any huge changes from last year. However, Formula E’s new TV deal should make watching the race in the U.S. easier and less frustrating.
Formula E is now live on Roku and Paramount+
Formula E announced a new TV deal last June to expand live racing coverage on Roku and Paramount+ after airing on CBS Sports in the United States. 11 games will be broadcast live exclusively on the Roku Channel for free.There will also be race previews, replays and a Formula E version drive to survive (unplug) is available for streaming on Roku. Replays of all games will be available immediately on Roku, with the exception of the Mexico City E-Prix game, which will be postponed so that CBS can air it after the NFL playoffs.
There’s also a new post-game highlight show called top up, letting you know about any actions you may have missed. All Formula E content on the Roku Channel will be available for free. The rest of the E-Prix will air on CBS and live on Paramount+, including any overnight events that may be available on tape-delay. Additional replays will air on CBS Sports Network.
Although the Roku Channel is an ad-supported network, Roku Media sports director Joe Franzetta said there won’t be any ads interrupting games. Instead, the company is partnering with Formula E to showcase the content in pre- and post-race shows. As this is the first season of the partnership, he did not rule out the possibility of future changes.
"In Formula E’s first season, we’ll be running the races as an ad-free experience," he explained. "As our collaboration progresses, we will continue to explore ad formats such as picture-in-picture ads."
Formula E chief media officer Aarti Dabas said races airing on CBS and Paramount+ may still cut to commercial breaks during live broadcasts. This was a huge headache for American viewers last season, as major races took place at multiple E-Prix events without commercials being broadcast. During the Portland race, the network aired commercials during the final four laps. In Rome, viewers missed a massive shipwreck. Dabas said Formula E realizes this can be frustrating and is constantly trying to improve the experience, including expanding the use of picture-in-picture or "double box" This way live performances can still be enjoyed.
"We can understand fans being frustrated when they miss out on key action," Dabas said. "We learn from every live broadcast and make sure we take steps to provide fans with a better viewing experience."
The Formula E Championship will broadcast archived races for free seven days after the e-Grand Prix. In addition to game replays on Roku, this content can also be found on the series website through a past game library launched last November. Currently, there are no plans to live stream on other platforms, but doing so on the Formula E website only requires you to sign up for a free account.
Attack Charge pits and still not ready for the race
Event report Earlier this month, the attacking charge station was not expected to be used during the first game in Mexico City. It’s another delay in the resumption of pit stops for the all-electric series. Early on, drivers had to switch cars to complete the race. The technology eventually evolved to the point where initial charging and regeneration are combined during a race to provide teams with enough power until the end of the race. As it stands, drivers will only pit when damage or problems occur, which almost certainly dooms them to finish last in the race.
Formula E was supposed to trial Attack Charge pits at some races last season, but the infrastructure wasn’t ready in time.according to Contest, There are still issues with providing each team with enough equipment, which limited its use during pre-season testing in Spain last November. The pit stop could make its debut as early as the E-Prix in Diriyah at the end of this month. There are concerns that pit stops of 30-35 seconds will affect the quality of the race, as the street circuit nature of Formula E often means crowded cars. Autoweek reports Attach Charge will launch in April at the Misano doubleheader (rounds six and seven of the season).
"Now, we don’t have full confidence in the whole system to get everything running smoothly," champion reining horse Jack Dennis told the publication. "Every practice, every run we do between now and Misano, we’re going to be practicing that and improving each team’s software."
Updated, January 12, 2024 at 3:10 pm ET: This story has been updated with additional information from Roku and Formula E, including Attack Charge, which is scheduled to debut in April.
This article originally appeared on Engadget: https://www.engadget.com/formula-e-2024-preview-everything-you-need-to-know-about-season-10-163019008.html?src=rss
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