01 Fia Formula-E Championship: Venturing Into a New World
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PRESS KIT 11 September 2014 FIA FORMULA-E CHAMPIONSHIP RENAULT LEADS THE WAY AS MOTORSPORT ENTERS A NEW ERA On 13 September, motorsport will enter a new era with the first ever FIA Formula-e race, staged in China on the streets of Beijing. Contested in 200kW (270bhp) electric single-seater race cars, this championship is set to provide an important framework for research and development into “zero- emissions”* vehicles. Highly committed to electric vehicles with its Z.E.** range, Renault provided its expertise in the design of the Spark-Renault SRT_01E, the car that will be used by the ten teams competing in the championship. Renault is equally the title partner of the e.dams team set up by Alain Prost and Jean-Paul Driot. Sébastien Buemi and Nicolas Prost are the drivers tasked with competing on behalf of e.dams-Renault during the ten rounds of the inaugural season of the FIA Formula-e championship. * No CO2, no regulated atmospheric pollutants, while driving. ** ZOE, Twizy, Kangoo Z.E. and Fluence Z.E. 1 THREE QUESTIONS FOR… PATRICE RATTI MANAGING DIRECTOR OF RENAULT SPORT TECHNOLOGIES From Formula 1 to the World Series by Renault, Renault is already heavily involved in motorsport. What persuaded you to invest in this FIA Formula-e championship? “The fact that we are already involved many different competitions is the very reason we are interested in Formula-e. For Renault, it was obvious that we had to be a part of this new venture. This is a unique and highly innovative experience, which is set to give motorsport a totally new look. This new direction is entirely in keeping with the development of the all-electric Renault Z.E. range, which already features four models.” How did the engineers from Renault Sport and the other entities involved in designing the race car work together? “I think it’s fair to say that Spark-Renault SRT_01E was a joint effort. Renault, Dallara, McLaren, Williams and Michelin: it’s very significant that so many big names from the world of motorsport have all worked together on a project that is most definitely geared towards the future. All the engineers and technicians were very enthusiastic and excited during the creation of the car. Everybody strived, in their specialist area, to improve the slightest detail in order to provide the teams with reliable and quick race cars for the very first race. However, our work is not yet done: we will be on hand at all of the races to provide the teams and drivers with the same kind of technical assistance we offer at the championships we organise.” Renault is one of the five founding partners and is the technical partner of the Formula-e championship, but it is also the title partner for the e.dams-Renault team… “Yes, we wanted to show our commitment to the new championship and benefit from some additional media coverage. Once again, it seemed obvious that we should join forces with Alain Prost and Jean-Paul Driot’s team. Alain Prost has a long, shared history with Renault and is also ambassador for the Brand. The competitive records of these two greats speak for themselves, and we know that they will do everything in their power to ensure e.dams-Renault does well. The performances of Sébastien Buemi and Nicolas Prost during recent tests were also very encouraging.” 2 01 FIA FORMULA-E CHAMPIONSHIP: VENTURING INTO A NEW WORLD 02 SPARK-RENAULT SRT_01E: A SINGLE-SEATER DESIGNED WITH RENAULT SPORT EXPERTISE 03 E.DAMS-RENAULT FORMULA-E TEAM: RENAULT ENTERS THE COMPETITION! 04 TIMELINE 3 01 FIA FORMULA-E CHAMPIONSHIP: VENTURING INTO A NEW WORLD In all areas, the FIA Formula-e championship breaks new ground. Race cars, teams, circuits and sporting format: everything is new in this competition, which is based on three core values: Energy, Environment and Entertainment. AN INNOVATIVE, REVOLUTIONARY PROJECT As early as 2011, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) stated its desire to see a fully-electric racing series. In line with the challenges facing the motor industry, the championship is expected to serve as a framework for research, whilst also driving interest among the general public in electric cars and promoting sustainability. Combining engineering, technology, sport, science, music and entertainment, the plans of Alejandro Agag – the Spanish businessman already involved in motorsport – were approved by the FIA on 27 August 2012. The championship promoter then entrusted Spark Racing Technology with the job of designing and building the first forty 4 Formula E single-seater race cars. Among the technical partners involved in this venture, Renault played a central role in becoming the architect of the electric powertrain (see part 2). AN URBAN, GLOBAL RACE CALENDAR The vast majority of electric vehicles are currently driven in cities. The same will apply to Formula-e races, which will be held at ten city-centre circuits, on the streets of some of the planet’s greatest cities. Starting in September and concluding in June of the following year, the race calendar complements that of F1 and the World Series by Renault. 13/09/2014 Beijing China 22/11/2014 Putrajaya Malaysia 13/12/2014 Punta del Este Uruguay 10/01/2015 Buenos Aires Argentina 14/02/2014 To be announced 14/03/2015 Miami USA 04/04/2015 Los Angeles USA 09/05/2015 Monaco Principality of Monaco 30/05/2015 Berlin Germany 27/06/2015 London United Kingdom 10 TEAMS, 20 DRIVERS AND 40 RACE CARS The FIA Formula-e championship is open to ten teams, each with two cars. A very high quality field is set to contest the inaugural season, since ten of the ten of the confirmed drivers have already competed in Formula 1 at some stage of their career. At the meetings, the drivers will all have two single-seater race cars that they may use as they see fit. The races will feature one mandatory change of car. AN INNOVATIVE RACE FORMAT Each meeting will use the same organisation. All rounds will be one-day events, ensuring disruption is limited for the host city and local residents, whilst also keeping running costs down for the teams. There will be no shortage of action for fans, and the low noise levels of the cars means that it will even be possible to organise concerts during the races! In the morning, two practice sessions will give the drivers and teams time to familiarise themselves with the layout of the circuit and to fine-tune their set-ups. Just after midday, qualifying will be split into four ten-minute sessions, with five cars challenging for pole position in each group. 5 The race – or ePrix – will last around an hour, with a mandatory pit stop to change cars for each driver. Unlike practice and qualifying, where full power will be available (200kW – 270bhp), power will be restricted in the races to 150kW (202bhp). The three most popular drivers with online fans will be rewarded with a FanBoost (180kW for five seconds). Points will be awarded to the top ten finishers using the standard FIA scale (25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 points). The driver that takes pole position will be given three bonus points and the driver that sets the fastest race lap will earn two points. The title of Drivers’ World Champion will be awarded to whoever has the most points at the end of the season, with drivers able to discard their poorest result. The Constructors’ World Championship will be decided by counting all results for both cars. 6 02 SPARK-RENAULT SRT_01E: A SINGLE-SEATER DESIGNED WITH RENAULT SPORT EXPERTISE Specifically developed for the FIA Formula E championship, the Spark-Renault SRT_01E is packed with the technical expertise of some of the greatest names in motorsport. The car’s electric powertrain architecture, its systems integration, powertrain electrical safety and performance optimisation have all been provided by Renault Sport engineers. A CLEAR-CUT CHOICE FOR RENAULT Officially confirmed on 15 May 2013, the partnership between Renault, Formula E Holdings and Spark Racing Technologies was a real ‘no brainer’ for the manufacturer, a market leader in the field of zero-emissions cars. With a range of four Z.E. vehicles already on sale, Renault grabbed the opportunity to demonstrate the excellence and reliability of its solutions. The FIA Formula E championship also serves as a unique technological laboratory. 7 PROJECT ARCHITECT ROLE With its experience of working in the design, development and marketing of sports and racing cars, Renault Sport was the partner most suited to taking on the job of managing the project. The team formed for the design phase featured experts from Renault Sport. Since KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) first appeared in the F1 world championship in 2009, and then with the switch to the 2014 Power Unit, Renault has acquired unique know-how in energy recovery and usage systems. The teams based at Viry-Châtillon also have suitable measurement, analysis and simulation equipment. Like all vehicles designed for single-seater racing, the Spark-Renault SRT_01E features components chosen for their performance level, cost and coherence. Throughout the development phase, the architect must therefore make sure the initial specifications are complied with. “The development of the Spark-Renault SRT_01E was very much a question of technological exploration. For the time being, there are very few experts in the field of high-performance electric engines. Furthermore, there were other essential issues to contend with, such as safety, weight, and cost. The battery illustrates the complexity involved very clearly: this seemingly ordinary product is actually made up of over 4,000 parts! The overall unit is incredibly dense, since only 2% of the 300-litre volume is air.