Massa: Formula E competition attractive compared to other series
Ex-Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa is encouraged by the competition levels in Formula E as he does not like categories where there 'is only one team racing'
The former Sauber, Ferrari and Williams F1 driver will join FE for its fifth season in 2018/19, after signing a three-year deal to race for the Venturi squad in the electric championship.
FE will be the first championship Massa has raced in since he finished his F1 career with Williams at the end of 2017.
When asked what he was expecting to enjoy in FE ahead of the inaugural Zurich E-Prix on Sunday, Massa said: "The thing that I miss most is the competition [since retiring from F1].
"Formula E has a lot of competition - if you see how many overtakes, all the jobs that you need to do [for the] racing.
"Talking about the car [and technology] is important - but when you're talking about proper competition I think Formula E has good competition.
"I'm not really a big fan of a championship that has [only] one team racing - like maybe LMP1, which I think is maybe the best car after Formula 1 to race.
"But I don't really like the idea of racing in a championship that is only one team racing. This is something that I was not really interested in.
"Plus, also touring cars - DTM is definitely a great championship - but I think all the attraction for the show [in FE], if you see all the countries it is racing [in].
"They are city tracks but you really feel the people close to you, the show, the competition - it's quite unpredictable to see who is going to win the race.
"All the ideas around [FE], after I finished my career in Formula 1 it is interesting.
"I'm not only thinking about it from a driver point of view, but also everything around the championship, all the infrastructure, all the ideas about the events.
"That's really interesting so I'm looking forward to seeing how it's going to be when I'm really racing."
Massa also outlined his thoughts that F1 has the best calibre of drivers, but reckons FE's field is not far behind.
"I would say definitely you have the best drivers in the world racing in Formula 1, [but] I would say that in Formula E, the level is really high.
"Many of these drivers raced in F1, many drivers were not in F1 but not because they didn't have the talent but because maybe they didn't have the opportunity.
"Definitely I'd put the level of drivers in Formula E not far away [from] the level of drivers in F1."
Formula E 2018/19: Audi keeps Abt in line-up alongside di Grassi
Di Grassi and Rosenqvist top Zurich Formule E practices
Ticktum hopes to remain in Formula E for Gen3 rules
Dan Ticktum hopes to remain in Formula E for next season, having admitted to enjoying his rookie season with the NIO 333 team more than he had previously expected.
Susie Wolff leaves Venturi Formula E team
Former DTM racer and Williams Formula 1 tester Susie Wolff will step down as CEO of the Venturi Formula E team ahead of its tie-up with Maserati next season.
What Formula E needs next after saying goodbye to Gen2
The 2021-2022 Formula E season finale brought the curtain down on the Gen2 era of the all-electric world championship. It elevated FE to new heights, fulfilling its intended directive. While it is a good launching pad for the impending Gen3 cycle, there are certain aspects the series must tackle for the new era to have the same impact as its predecessor
Fenestraz 'studied more than school' to prepare for late Seoul FE call-up
Sacha Fenestraz says his 6:30am Seoul Formula E finale call-up to replace the injured Antonio Giovinazzi at Dragon meant he 'studied more than school' to get up to speed.
What Formula E needs next after saying goodbye to Gen2
The 2021-2022 Formula E season finale brought the curtain down on the Gen2 era of the all-electric world championship. It elevated FE to new heights, fulfilling its intended directive. While it is a good launching pad for the impending Gen3 cycle, there are certain aspects the series must tackle for the new era to have the same impact as its predecessor
The traits behind Vandoorne's triumphant Formula E title charge
The odds were heavily stacked in Stoffel Vandoorne’s favour to capture the Formula E crown at the Seoul finale, but chief rival Mitch Evans applied maximum pressure with victory in the first race. It meant Vandoorne had to show his resolve to reproduce the key qualities he held all season to complete his march to the title
Can anyone beat Stoffel Vandoorne to the Formula E title?
Stoffel Vandoorne is on the brink of the Formula E title with a commanding lead ahead of the Seoul finale, but both rivals and unknowns still stand in his way. Here’s a run through of what Vandoorne must overcome to clinch the championship and how his competition will look to pull off the biggest of shocks
How Formula E's most underrated driver is taming his Dragon
It might not look like the most glittering of Formula E campaigns, but Dragon Penske’s youngster has caught the eye of those who count despite his future remaining unclear. Regardless of the distortion, Sergio Sette Camara has a clear vision of what he’s focused on and how to get there
How Formula E's title fight gave way to Dennis and Di Grassi in the dockyards
The penultimate stop on Formula E's world tour took in London's ExCeL, where the championship contenders were upstaged by two first-time winners in 2022. Andretti’s Jake Dennis kept the home fires burning in the first race as Venturi’s Lucas di Grassi claimed the second, but two consistent finishes mean its advantage Stoffel Vandoorne heading to the Seoul finale
The ex-F1 racer turned Venturi team boss adapting to a Formula E title fight
For the second year in a row, the Venturi team is in the thick of the fight for Formula E title glory with Edoardo Mortara. That's despite a change to a more meritocratic qualifying system, which was expected to give the works Mercedes team an edge, and ex-Formula 1 racer Jerome d'Ambrosio being new in the team principal hot seat. As he tells Autosport, it's a challenge he's revelling in
Why Sims is quitting Formula E to become the master of his own destiny
Alexander Sims’ call to give up a pukka Formula E spot after four seasons in the series may have surprised some, but after laying out his reasoning and what he hopes comes next, very few onlookers can argue against his plan
How Formula E's Big Apple crunch led to Cassidy joy and heartache
Nick Cassidy hadn't enjoyed too many joyful moments in the 2021-22 Formula E campaign, but the Envision Virgin driver was the class of the field in New York - even after a sudden downpour had caused him and several others to shunt heavily out of the first race. Red flags saved his bacon on that occasion, but a 30-place penalty that cost him pole for race two due to a new battery opened the door for Antonio Felix da Costa