THE HUM OF CHANGE IS ABOUT TO TAKE OVER RACING.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. If you have been reading this column over the years, you know that I am a big believer in The Future of racing. (You can reacquaint yourself with Peter's groundbreaking take on "The Future of Racing" here. -WG). I would much rather spend time discussing The Future in order to make sure that there is a future for the sport than sit back and let things continue on a downward spiral.

Let's face it, if I had my choice, Formula 1 cars would scream with normally-aspirated V8s and V10s ("Bring Back The Scream"); Indy cars would shriek with big horsepower and multiple engine manufacturers participating; GT cars would have ground-pounding V8s and non-turbo six-cylinder engines; and there would be a place for a new Formula 5000 series here in the U.S. with even more hopped-up V8s. And fortunately, there are still several avenues available where I can experience exactly that in contemporary and vintage motorsport.

But that's not where the manufacturers are headed, and racing enthusiasts - and participants - should take heed of this fact.

If you keep up with the industry, the move to electrification is picking up speed at a phenomenal rate. Every single major auto manufacturer in the world is committing massive amounts of money to future all-electric vehicle programs. This isn't just an aberration or a fad, this is a full-on commitment to future product programs that will transform what we drive. Will there still be high-performance street machines with high-powered internal combustion engines? Yes, of course, but this growing all-electric tide will irrevocably change our mainstream vehicle fleet.

What does this mean for racing? A lot. As much as anyone would like to pretend otherwise, manufacturer involvement in major league racing is essential for the sport to survive, let alone thrive. (You only have to look at NASCAR to understand this fact. The honchos in Daytona Beach like to think that they're invulnerable to a steep decline in manufacturer participation. Not true. If the manufacturers pulled out of NASCAR it would be reduced to a regional nostalgia racing series overnight.) And with manufacturer focus all-in on future electric product programs, it's only natural that they will look for opportunities in racing to not only accelerate technological development, but to enhance the image of their ongoing technological progress - and prowess - when it comes to electrification. 

This is why the news of late in conjunction with the Formula E series is noteworthy. Audi, BMW, Faraday Future, Jaguar, Mahindra, Mercedes-Benz and Renault are either committed to Formula E now, or will be in the future (Mercedes is coming in the 2018-19 season, Audi's current commitment with the ABT-Schaeffler team will transform into a full factory effort next season). And McLaren Applied Technologies (affiliated with McLaren Racing) has been selected to supply the batteries for the series in season five (2018/2019). This agreement, which lasts until 2020, will allow the machines to run the entire race distance on one charge, instead of switching cars halfway through the races.

A few months ago I rattled racing enthusiasts by suggesting that there will be an eventual accommodation between Formula 1 and Formula E, and many of you were deeply offended by that statement, saying it was crazy. Well, don't be surprised if Alejandro Agag, the current CEO of Formula E, takes on a major role in the soon-to-be-reimagined Formula 1, which is under new ownership.

And don't be surprised if electrification creeps into the discussion in other racing series as well.

That buzz you're hearing is the hum of change coming to major league motorsports.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.


 

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD
(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, Indiana, 1965. Colin Chapman (left, in sunglasses) and Jim Clark in deep discussion at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during practice for that year's Indy 500, which Clark dominated.