Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Formula E boss Agag does not want chassis competition

Formula E boss Alejandro Agag does not want open chassis competition in the championship "ever"

The FIA launched the tender for the three-or-four-year supply of a new single-specification chassis for the series' fifth season last Friday.

Series CEO Agag told Autosport it was important to eventually open up competition on the battery side but insisted his preference is for Formula E to retain a common chassis.

"We don't want to open up on the chassis side ever," he said.

"The day will come [for batteries] but the chassis will stay the same.

"This is not a chassis championship, it's not about aero.

"It's electric technology, and that's what we need to focus on."

Dallara, through Spark Racing Technologies, is the series' current chassis supplier.

Autosport understands the partnership is keen to continue in Formula E and is likely to tender for the supply.

Renault e.dams senior manager Jean-Paul Driot, who has won a number of titles over 25 years of mono-marque competition with his DAMS team, backed Agag's stance.

"Single-make is good for everyone in terms of costs and parts," he said.

"IndyCar [where Dallara supplies all the teams] works very well, it doesn't stop the racing being exciting and very interesting."

Allowing the teams freedom on the chassis would bring aerodynamic development into play, and with it huge cost increases.

Driot's e.dams co-founder Alain Prost thinks it should remain a future option but concedes the championship is not ready for that right now.

"For me that's a second or third step," Prost said. "It could come a little bit later.

"If we reach this situation it means the discipline is going to be a big success, but it's going to cost much more money so we have to be careful.

"When you realise how much it would cost if you opened the chassis, you have to work on that, use windtunnels, and it could cost 10 or 20 times more."

Andretti Autosport co-team principal Roger Griffiths said it is not something the championship should rule out entirely but it is "not part of our short-term future".

"If we got into competitive chassis you're into F1," he added. "It's electric F1.

"We're not ready for that by a long shot and it's not the focus of the championship.

"The championship's growing and it's exciting but it needs to have long-term stability and a common chassis package for all of us is a good thing."

FORMULA E CHASSIS TENDER: THE MAIN POINTS

- Applicants must lodge a three- AND four-year supply pitch
- June 24 decision date
- At least one 'futuristic' bodywork design mandatory
- 40kg weight saving targeted to accommodate for heavier battery
- Full kit cost cap of €270,000

NEW CHASSIS TIMELINE

- Crash test deadline: June 1 2017
- Test car available to teams by October 1 2017
- Crash test manufacturer deadline by April 2018
- Race chassis available to teams by June 1 2018
- Car homologated by June 2018
- Collective pre-season test: August 2018
- First race of season five: September 2018

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Abt team puzzled by di Grassi's underweight car in FE Mexico ePrix
Next article Why Formula E had to adapt or die

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe