History of Formula E in Timeline

Formula E is an FIA-sanctioned world championship for electric single-seater cars, representing the highest level of competition in electric motorsport. The series began in 2014 in Beijing and achieved world championship status in 2020. It showcases electric vehicle technology in a racing environment.

March 2011: Formula E Proposal

On March 3, 2011, Jean Todt conceived the proposal for a city-based, single-seater electric car motor racing championship at a dinner in Paris, which was then presented to Alejandro Agag and Antonio Tajani.

September 2014: Inaugural Championship Race

In September 2014, the inaugural Formula E championship race was held in Beijing, marking the start of the electric car racing series.

September 2014: First Formula E Race

On September 13, 2014, the first Formula E race at the Beijing Olympic Green Circuit was won by Lucas Di Grassi, after Nick Heidfeld and Nicolas Prost crashed out on the final corner. Nelson Piquet Jr. became the first Formula E champion.

2014: Start of Formula E

In 2014, Formula E began holding races solely on street circuits, many of which were built as temporary circuits, such as the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit.

2014: Introduction of Fanboost

In 2014, Formula E introduced Fanboost, allowing fans to vote for their favorite driver via the official website or app to potentially provide teams with an extra power boost.

October 2015: Start of Second Formula E Season

October 2015 marked the beginning of the second season of Formula E. Eight manufacturers were introduced, who were allowed to develop new powertrains.

July 2016: End of Second Formula E Season

In July 2016, Sébastien Buemi won the Formula E championship with only 2 points more than Lucas di Grassi by claiming the fastest lap in the final race in London.

October 2016: Start of 2016-17 FIA Formula E Season

In October 2016, the FIA Formula E season began in Hong Kong.

2016: Roborace demonstrations

In 2016, Roborace held demonstrations at selected races during the 2016–17 Formula E season and 2017–18 Formula E season.

2016: Powertrain Manufacturers

In 2016, powertrain manufacturers could build their own electric motor, inverter, gearbox and cooling system although the chassis and battery stayed the same. There were nine manufacturers creating powertrains for the 2016 season.

2016: First Race on Dedicated Racetrack

In 2016, the first Formula E race on a dedicated racetrack was held at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico, utilizing a shortened track setup compared to Formula 1's Mexican Grand Prix.

July 2017: End of 2016-17 FIA Formula E Season

In July 2017, Lucas di Grassi won the championship in the last race of the 2016-17 Formula E season, with the Renault e.Dams team successfully defending their team championship title.

December 2017: Start of 2017-18 FIA Formula E Season

December 2017 marked the start of the fourth season of the FIA Formula E championship, beginning in Hong Kong.

2017: Roborace demonstrations

In 2017, Roborace held demonstrations at selected races during the 2016–17 Formula E season and 2017–18 Formula E season.

2017: Creation of documentary movie about 2017-18 season

In 2017, directors Fisher Stevens and Malcolm Venville created a documentary movie about the 2017–18 season called And We Go Green, which highlights innovations and challenges of Formula E.

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January 2018: Unveiling of Gen2 Car

In January 2018, the Gen2 race car was unveiled, featuring improved power and range, eliminating the need to change cars and pit stops, and introducing the halo driver protection system.

July 2018: End of 2017-18 FIA Formula E Season

In July 2018, Jean-Éric Vergne clinched the title in New York with a race to spare, marking the end of the 2017-18 FIA Formula E season.

December 2018: I-Pace eTrophy series began

In December 2018, the I-Pace eTrophy, a production-based support series with Jaguar I-Pace battery electric SUVs, began running alongside Formula E's fifth and sixth seasons.

2018: Manufacturer Participation

In 2018, BMW, Nissan, and DS Automobiles joined Formula E as official manufacturers, with Nissan replacing Renault. The format of the races also changed to 45 minutes plus one lap.

2018: Introduction of Gen2 Car

In 2018, the second-generation ("Gen2") Formula E car was introduced, featuring significant technological advances with increased battery capacity, power output, and top speed, ending the series’ mid-race car-swaps.

2019: Fastest Lap Point

During the 2019 season, the driver achieving the fastest lap during group qualifying was awarded 1 point in Formula E.

2019: 50th Formula E Race

In 2019, the Hong Kong ePrix marked the 50th race of Formula E since its inception in 2014. The series raced in 20 cities, across five continents, seen 13 global manufactures commit to the series.

2019: Launch of the Virtually Live Ghost Racing app

In 2019, the Virtually Live Ghost Racing app was launched, allowing fans to virtually drive alongside real drivers during races.

2019: Premiere of "And We Go Green" at Toronto International Film Festival

In 2019, the documentary film "And We Go Green," co-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

2019: Reverse Configuration Race

In the 2019 season, Tempelhof hosted the first Formula E race held on a reverse configuration of a track's main layout.

2019: Races held across two calendar years

Since the 2019–20 season, the races are held across two calendar years for the first time.

March 2020: Championship suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic

In March 2020, the Formula E championship was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the cancellation of all scheduled races.

May 2020: Cancellation of I-Pace eTrophy series

In May 2020, Jaguar announced the cancellation of the I-Pace eTrophy series due to financial issues caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

2020: Mini Electric Safety Car

During the 2020 season, a Mini Electric (called the Electric Pacesetter by JCW) was used as safety car for selected Formula E races.

2020: Behind-the-scenes look on every driver’s journey

In 2020, documentary series 'Unplugged' gave a behind-the-scenes look on every driver’s journey through the 2020–21 season.

2020: Race at Home Challenge Esport Series

In 2020, during the season suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Formula E held an esport series called Race at Home Challenge.

2020: Audi and BMW announce withdrawal

In late 2020, Audi and BMW announced their withdrawal from Formula E after the 2020–21 season.

2020: ePrix Races

In the 2020 season, the Puebla ePrix and Valencia ePrix were held on configurations comparable to their full-length configurations, being shortened by 381 m and 629 m respectively.

2020: FIA World Championship Status

Since the 2020 season, Formula E has been recognized as an FIA World Championship, marking a significant milestone as the first single-seater series outside Formula One to achieve this status.

March 2021: First Season of Formula E: Accelerate completed

In March 2021, the first season of Formula E: Accelerate concluded. The series used the online game rFactor 2.

August 2021: Season ends with Nyck de Vries and Mercedes-EQ winning championships

In August 2021, the Formula E season ended with 15 races. Nyck de Vries claimed his first world champion title after winning two races, while Mercedes-EQ won the teams' championship.

November 2021: Debut of documentary series 'Unplugged'

On November 22, 2021, Formula E debuted its own documentary series, called 'Unplugged', which was similar to Formula One's Netflix Drive to Survive series.

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2021: Audi and BMW withdraw

In the 2020-2021 season, Audi and BMW withdrew from Formula E. However, Audi and BMW allowed Andretti Autosport and Envision Racing respectively to continue using their powertrains during the 2021–22 season.

2021: Start of the 2021-22 FIA Formula E season

The 2021–22 FIA Formula E season, the eighth season of the FIA Formula E World Championship and the final season of the "Gen2" car era, began in 2021.

January 2022: 2021-22 FIA Formula E season starts in Diriyah

In January 2022, the 2021–22 FIA Formula E season, the eighth season of the FIA Formula E World Championship and the final season of the "Gen2" car era, started in Diriyah.

2022: Porsche Taycan Safety Car

From 2022, a Porsche Taycan has been used as the Formula E safety car.

2022: Showcasing of the 2021-22 season

In 2022, documentary series 'Unplugged' showcased the 2021–22 season.

2022: Gen3 Car Software Updates

In 2022, major changes for the Gen3 car were delivered as software updates directly to the car's advanced operating system, showcasing the series' commitment to technological advancement.

2022: Debut of Gen3 era, Maserati and McLaren join

In 2022, the 2022–23 FIA Formula E season marked the debut of the Gen3 era. Maserati and McLaren made their debuts in the series, and Abt Sportsline returned with Cupra Racing. Laps replaced timed races, and added laps compensated for safety car or FCY interventions.

2022: Gen3 Formula E Car Unveiled

In 2022, the Gen3 Formula E car was unveiled to the public at the Monaco ePrix, designed for use from the ninth Formula E season onwards with enhanced power levels and regenerative braking capabilities.

March 2023: Return of 'Unplugged' for a second season

In March 2023, 'Unplugged' returned for a second season, showcasing the 2021–22 season.

November 2023: Calendar Season 10 Announced

In November 2023, the calendar for Season 10 was announced, featuring new venues in Misano, Shanghai, and Tokyo, Japan, along with Portland expanding to a double-header.

2023: Commentary changes in Formula E

In 2023, Jack Nicholls was fired after allegations of inappropriate behaviour. Ben Edwards replaced him until the Portland ePrix, and Tom Brooks became the main commentator from the Rome ePrix onwards.

2023: Tenth season of the FIA Formula E World Championship

In 2023, the 2023–24 FIA Formula E was the tenth season of the FIA Formula E World Championship, with 16 races taking place from January to July 2024 across 10 venues.

2023: Portland ePrix

In 2023, the Portland ePrix was the first Formula E race held on a full-length racetrack configuration designed for other racing leagues, at the Portland International Raceway.

2023: Attack Charge pit stops delayed

In 2023, the planned return of pit stops via Attack Charge was delayed to the 2023–24 season due to issues with the new car's batteries and fast charger production delays.

2023: Discontinuation of Fanboost

Since the 2023 season, Formula E discontinued the use of Fanboost, which had previously allowed fans to vote for their favorite driver to provide an extra power boost.

2023: Attack Mode Format Changes

The Attack Mode format was changed up for the 2023 Season 9, now drivers would get a combined 4 minutes of Attack Mode to use, that would be used in 2 activation periods throughout the race. From the 2023 Jakarta ePrix, it was lengthened to a combined 8 minutes.

January 2024: Release of Unplugged Season 3

In January 2024, the third season of 'Unplugged' was released, showcasing the 2022–23 season.

July 2024: End of the tenth season

In July 2024, the tenth season of the FIA Formula E World Championship ended, with 16 races taking place from January to July 2024 across 10 venues. For the first time, it featured a championship for manufacturers (in addition to the existing drivers' and teams' championships).

December 2024: Start of the eleventh season

In December 2024, the 2024–25 FIA Formula E, the eleventh season of the FIA Formula E World Championship, is set to commence with 16 races scheduled from December 2024 to July 2025 across 10 venues.

2024: Leadership Roles

As of 2024, Alejandro Agag is the Chairman, and Jeff Dodds is the Chief Executive Officer of Formula E.

2024: Formula E Season

As of the 2024 season, the Formula E championship features 22 drivers and 11 teams, competing in electric-powered race cars on both temporary street circuits and traditional racing circuits.

2024: NXT Gen Cup announced and parts ways with Formula E

In 2024, Formula E announced the NXT Gen Cup, an electric junior touring car series for ages 15–25, as a support series to the championship. Shortly before the Misano weekend, the series decided to part ways with Formula E due to “unexpected constraints faced by the support series.”

July 2025: End of the eleventh season

In July 2025, the 2024–25 FIA Formula E World Championship will end. It started in December 2024. Lola and Yamaha are set to join the series, and cooperate in developing their new powertrain, partnering ABT.

2025: Pit Boost Debut

In 2025, after more than two years after the initial announcement of the feature, now known as Pit Boost, will make its debut at the 2025 Jeddah ePrix. In Pit Boost races, all drivers will be required to do a mandatory 30-second stop to recharge the car's batteries at 600 kW, and give the drivers an extra 3.85 kWh of energy.