FIA president Jean Todt has scoffed at the notion that Formula E will ever challenge Formula 1 as the pinnacle of motorsport, said in the wake of series chief Alejandro Agag claiming he had the exclusivity for the all-electric series until 2039.
Agag's comments came in response to F1 technical boss Ross Brawn suggesting that in a decade or so Formula 1 could also go all-electric, if that is what the market and fans dictated.
But Agag was quick to counter, "Ross said that Formula 1 could go electric in 10 years... basically, they cannot. Formula E has an exclusive licence with the FIA for 25 seasons, and we've only done four."
At Monza, Todt was asked by reporters if he could see a future where Formula 1 and Formula E battle for supremacy, to which he replied, "That would be complete nonsense because they are two very different categories."
"Formula E does not have the performance element, so it has to race in cities. If they were driving on circuits like here at Monza, nobody would care. Formula E is a baby of the FIA, Formula 1 is the premier class."
Todt was also asked about progress with the 2021 F1 rules, he revealed, "Actually, the rules have been ready since the end of June. But we want to present everything together: technical regulations, sporting regulations and also the prize-money distribution."
"Not only the FIA but also the commercial rights holders and the teams are responsible for this," explained Todt and added that there was no way to delay the new rules until 2023 as some have suggested.
"The goal is louder engines, fewer limitations, more horsepower. Whether the MGU-H remains, is still not decided," he confirmed with regards to the power unit regulations.
With regards to attracting more manufacturers, Todt said, "No one has committed yet, but a manufacturer is waiting for the final rules, and they are a serious prospect for the future."
Latest News
Loading
