The De-brief: Friesacher explains Formula 1’s evolution, what makes Verstappen special, and Rovanperä’s single-seater switch.

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Racing is a dream for many, but achieving that dream is a far greater challenge. For many aspiring drivers, the ultimate goal is to reach Formula One. However, reaching the very top demands steadfast commitment, determination, and sacrifice, with no guarantees along the way. For those who do make the cut, the reward is a lifetime achievement, because only 22 drivers can race at the very top. One such driver is Patrick Friesacher, who realized that dream when he competed in Formula One with the Minardi F1 Team in the early 2000s.

The former Formula 1 driver visited Cape Town for the first time in November last year. Although South Africa itself is not unfamiliar territory for him, as he had previously visited the country in 2005 and 2006, when he drove a Formula 1 two-seater at the Kyalami circuit in Johannesburg.

With nearly two decades of involvement in Formula 1 – from racing with Minardi to his current role as an Exhibition Driver, Instructor, and Brand Ambassador for Oracle Red Bull Racing, Friesacher has experienced the sport across different eras. 

From the resource-limited teams in the early 2000s to the highly complex simulation, budget cap, and data-driven operations in the current era of the sport, he has truly seen Formula 1 evolve. The Austrian explains the differences that he has seen, “When I raced for Minardi, it was a pretty small team with a small budget. They were working with around 200 people. Now, at the big teams, with engine departments and everything included, you’re looking at almost 1,600 people. The whole structure is completely different – you can’t really compare.”

Friesacher waves the South African flag at the Heineken World Tour.
IMAGE SUPPLIED: Heineken SA

Friesacher’s motorsport journey began at the age of five, when he started karting. He progressed through the ranks, but it was a victory in a Formula 3000 race at the Hungaroring that truly catapulted the Austrian into the spotlight. That performance caught the attention of the Minardi team principal, Paul Stoddart, who offered Friesacher a test in an F1 car. 

On 22 November 2004, Friesacher completed his first F1 test with Minardi at the Misano circuit in Italy. He completed a total of 41 laps and emerged as the fastest driver of the day – a result that strongly impressed the team.

The performance convinced Stoddart to sign the young Austrian for the 2005 season; however, financial backing initially delayed his entry into Formula 1. 

Dane Nicolas Kiesa was initially earmarked for the 2005 seat; however, he failed to secure the required funding. And, in February that year, Friesacher was announced as a Minardi driver alongside Christijan Albers.

Whilst a career-best sixth-place finish came at the United States Grand Prix during the infamous Michelin tyre debacle, Friesacher’s Formula 1 career came to an end after just eleven races due to a lack of funding from his partners. However, reflecting on his time in the sport, the Austrian said, “It was great to reach Formula 1. It helped me a lot. I will never forget it for my whole life. It’s something special.”

Since then, Formula 1 has evolved into a global technological playground, characterized by substantial budgets, extensive staffing structures, and data-driven and simulation-based development. According to Friesacher, the evolution has not only reshaped the cars, but also the demands placed on the drivers these days. 

The current age of Formula 1 places high demands on drivers, including the new younger generation, who require not only raw speed but also technical intelligence, because data and feedback are critical to the development and optimization of a race car.

As Formula One evolved through the years, so has the technology. If you take a look back at the early 2000s, when teams used naturally aspirated V8 engines, it wasn't easy at all for the smaller teams to fight their way forward and truly challenge the powerhouse teams, who had the backing of enormous budgets, unrestricted testing, high-end equipment, and simulations.

Regulatory changes eventually brought an end to the fan-favourite V8 engines with KERS, ushering in the highly complex hybrid era. V6 turbo power units were introduced, complete with MGU-K and MGU-H energy recovery systems, which entered a new chapter in Formula One’s history — one dominated by Mercedes High Performance Powertrains (HPP). That era yielded eight constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles, underscoring the importance of investment and technical know-how.

As the dominant Mercedes era came to an end, Formula 1 entered a transitional phase, which began in 2021. Max Verstappen’s title-winning season ushered in the beginning of the ground-effect era that would follow in 2022, during which one driver consistently rose above the rest, asserting dominance and later overcoming obstacles to fight for victories once more.

Having worked within the Red Bull Racing family for years, Friesacher has witnessed Verstappen’s rise firsthand – from teenage prodigy to four-time Formula 1 World Champion. “He's very special," Friesacher exclusively told Slipstream SA. “Even for his young age, he knows what he's doing, he understands the car, he's building the right people around him, and everything together, the whole package that he has.”

What stands out most to the Austrian is Verstappen’s ability to extract maximum performance from a car.

“Driving-wise – his driving style, even in the rain, in the wet, you see he's driving different lines, and yeah, he has something very special, I would say,” he said.

Adaptability has become one of the most valuable traits in modern motorsport, as demonstrated by Fernando Alonso, who took part in the world toughest rally-raid, the Dakar Rally, and the World Endurance Championship, whilst Max Verstappen’s participation — and victory – in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) alongside Chris Lulham, illustrates how top drivers are no longer confined to a single discipline.

It’s a reality now facing two-time World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä, who made headlines after announcing his move to the Japanese Super Formula championship.

Data analysis following Kalle Rovenpera's run in the Red Bull F1 car.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Rovanperä’s rise in the World Rally Championship has often been described as meteoric. The Finn won his first WRC title at just 22 years old. He combined exceptional car control with maturity. However, transitioning from the world of rallying to high-downforce, single-seater racing presents an entirely new challenge.

In November 2024, the Finn was invited to drive a Red Bull Racing Formula 1 car at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. Before the outing, he underwent an intensive training programme under Friesacher’s guidance, which included extensive simulator work, driving Formula 4 machinery, a Formula Renault 3.5 car, and ultimately a 2012 Red Bull RB8 — completing around 10 laps to experience true downforce levels and the performance of a Formula 1 car.

Rovanperä described the experience to DirtFish.com after driving the RB8, saying, “It was really cool to finally sit in an F1 car. It’s definitely really a different feeling than what a rally car gives with the seating position and everything – how it’s set up. So yeah, for sure, I was really excited to get to finally drive an F1 car.”

“With an F1 car, you definitely have so much downforce that, physically, it’s very different than a Rally1 car; you have a lot more g-forces, but it was pretty much how I expected it. Not too bad to be honest, but of course, if you do a long race, you can definitely feel the g-forces.”

“I was excited for the day, and it went pretty well. I got to experience three different formulas, so it was a good experience, and I think yeah, we did well, and I enjoyed it a lot!”, he said.

In 2026, Rovanperä will complete his transition to high-downforce single-seaters by competing in Super Formula – a challenge that will test both his adaptability and technical understanding.

“I think it will be hard,” Friesacher said. “Speed-wise, at the Red Bull Ring, he was quick. But the difficult part in racing is always the last three or four tenths.”

That final margin, he explained, often separates good from excellent in the circuit racing realm. While a driver can adapt quickly to reach a competitive baseline, extracting the final one thousandth of a second – especially over a race distance – requires deep technical understanding, confidence, and experience.

“You get very quickly to a certain point, but the last half a tenth — that’s the difficult part. But it won't be easy for him; it will be difficult,” he said.  

Motorsport history offers numerous examples of drivers who have successfully crossed disciplines, including Sir John Surtees, Mario Andretti, Petter Solberg, Stéphane Peterhansel, Sébastien Loeb, Mattias Ekström, and, more recently, Johan Kristoffersson.

All of these drivers have demonstrated remarkable versatility, adaptability, and mental resilience in achieving the success that they have across different disciplines.

The 45-year-old Austrian, now a resident instructor at the Red Bull Ring, has helped guide multiple world champions during their first experiences in Formula 1 machinery, including Sébastien Ogier and Sébastien Loeb.

 Patrick Friesacher explains the different features of the cockpit at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

With a wealth of experience as both a former Formula 1 driver and instructor, his advice to young drivers climbing the motorsport ladder remains simple.

“[Be] hard working, have a dream, reach your goals, and just go for it,” he said.

In motorsport, time is everything – the difference between first and last is often measured in thousandths of a second, because time is of the essence. And, when spending time with someone who has reached the very top of the motorsport pyramid, it offers something far more valuable: perspective. And as the world evolves, so too does the relentless pursuit of the perfect lap time.

*THIS CONTENT IS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. NO UNAUTHORISED USE IS PERMITTED. PERMISSION MUST BE OBTAINED IN ADVANCE, AND FULL CREDIT TO SLIPSTREAM SA IS REQUIRED.

South Africa's 'only card to play' is the absence of an African F1 race - Roux

Kyalami Grand Prix circuit main straight, and pit facility. 
PHOTO CREDIT: Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit

Long, twisty, and undulating, are but a few words to describe South Africa’s journey to bring Formula One back to the African continent after nearly 31 years. 

South Africa's Grand Prix history dates back to 1934 when races were first held in East London, before a move to Kyalami in Johannesburg.

As the years ticked on, the day finally arrived, and in 1993 Formula 1 hosted its final Grand Prix in South Africa, which was won by Alain Prost in a Williams at Kyalami. But, despite the departure of F1, motorsport within the country continued to thrive, with various tin-top championships, and single-seater races continuing, including the MotoGP Championship that raced in the southern tip of Africa until 2004. 

Whilst MotoGP also departed, in came the A1 Grand Prix championship, which was first held in Durban, before moving to Kyalami, but as the years progressed, the 4.529-kilometer circuit located in Midrand, Gauteng fell into disrepair, and came close to being sold to property developers. However, a late bid from Porsche SA's CEO Toby Venter, meant the iconic circuit's future was secure. And with further investments, to the value of R100 million, Kyalami began their facility upgrade project, broadening the pitlane, constructing bigger garages, and a state-of-the-art conference facility.

With the upgrades completed, in 2016, the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit earned FIA Grade 2 certification, which means the circuit can host the FIA World Endurance Championship, as well as MotoGP, but to secure a Formula One return, Grade 1 certification is required, and to achieve this minor changes are required, mainly: run-off zones, and paddock facilities. 

Like many countries, there are governing bodies overseeing motorsport, and in South Africa,  Motorsport SA (MSA) sanctions all events in relation to rules and regulations, that emanate from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), as well as its membership with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). This in turn means that no international event, or no acknowledged international event can take place within South Africa without MSA issuing a permit. 

The revamped 17-turn Kyalami Grand Prix circuit.
Circuit Map Credit: Kyalami Grand Prix circuit. 

Speaking to Slipstream SA about Formula 1 at Kyalami, Anton Roux, MSA Chairperson and FIA Senate Member explains the changes required to the track: “They are small. It’s not an insurmountable problem. There are other bigger challenges that we would need to overcome, but the actual circuit is not the issue. The changes to the circuit are minuscule, it’s small!"

South Africa returned to the international spotlight in 2017 when the FIA World Rallycross Championship made its debut in Cape Town at the Killarney International Raceway, and just years later, the Intercontinental GT Challenge announced the revival of the famous Kyalami 9 Hour. 

In 2023, single-seater racing returned to the African continent in the form of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, which raced in Cape Town, before it too departed, with hints of a possible return in the not-too-distant future. 

With South Africa well and truly propelled back onto the international stage, talks began regarding a potential return of Formula One to the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit, but if we were to rewind to 2011 when talks first emerged to host F1 in Cape Town, those talks never truly got off the ground despite the support of Anthony Hamilton, the father of seven-time F1 World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton. 

However, renewed hope came in 2019, when former F1 commercial managing director Sean Bratches spoke openly about Formula One’s intentions to host a Grand Prix in South Africa, and soon after, talks were initiated to host Formula 1 at the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit, with Formula 1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali, visiting the country in 2022, where he got a taste of the 4.529-kilometer track on a hot lap with Toby Venter.

When asked by SkySports F1 about a return of Formula 1 to Kyalami, and why a deal has not been struck, Stefano Domenicali said: “Africa is still a continent that we are working very hard on. As I always said, we need to find the right partners and the right middle-term plan. What I want to avoid is that we go there for one year and then forget it. We are working, trying to find a solution for the best of the sport, for the best of the country."

Whilst initial talks proved fruitful with the South African Grand Prix (Pty) Ltd promoter, and Formula One Management (FOM), Anton Roux exclusively tells Slipstream SA that a deal to host Formula One at the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit “was incredibly close. I think everything was agreed.”

The South African Grand Prix (Pty) Ltd promoter came extremely close to sealing a deal with FOM, however, those talks were put on hold when South African President Cyril Ramaphosa deflected calls to have his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin arrested when he was set to visit the country for the BRICS summit after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March over war crimes related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent war between the two nations. And, as a member of the ICC, South Africa is theoretically required to arrest Putin under the court's warrant.

Roux explains that “to bring a Formula One event to South Africa, you need all the parties. These parties are, the Formula One organization, the FIA, an international promoter, and a local promoter for such an event. And then obviously, you can't host such an event without approval from the government, and that is on a national as well as a provincial level.”

"So all of those agreements were in place” but “what you must remember is that Formula One belongs to Liberty Media, which is a listed entity on the New York Stock Exchange.”

He adds that “unfortunately at the time our government made comments that they're not quite sure if they would arrest Mr Putin if he were to arrive in the country for the BRICS summit. There was uncertainty around that, as well as the Lady R event that took place in Simon’s Town, Cape Town, where we had a Russian ship docking in the South African Harbour.”

“And, clearly when you've got the Formula One organization, and you've got a host of countries and cities around the world wanting to host a Formula One event, we were placed at a huge disadvantage and therefore they decided to pursue some of the other options.”

Asked whether talks between FOM and the South African Grand Prix (Pty) Ltd have restarted, Roux says he “doubts if it will”. 

“Cities like Las Vegas are putting down 500 million dollars to host an event. Now, if you are the owner of the series, then you’ve got to make a decision as to where you're gonna put future events. There's a financial benefit in it, as the owner of the series. So, we have a significant disadvantage, and the only card that we've got to play is that there's no event taking place on the African continent. That's actually all we've got!”, he explains. 

Factoring in hosting costs, according to statista.com, the highest 2022 Formula One hosting fee is 55 million dollars, which equates to over R1 billion for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, to 15 million dollars for the Jewel in the F1 Crown, Monaco. So, with that in mind, it’s quite expensive to secure high-level motorsport events, which requires a lot of investment and support from the local government. 

There is a tremendous hunger for Formula 1 in South Africa, as seen at the recent Cape Town E-Prix, with thousands of fans wearing team merchandise, including MotoGP fanwear, so there is no better time to see the return of either F1 or MotoGP to South Africa.

Slipstream SA asked Roux whether Kyalami could host a MotoGP race, to which, he said: “I’ve had no discussions with MotoGP whatsoever. So, I’m not in a position to comment on that.”

Brad Binder lapping the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit on his KTM Factory RC-16.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Whilst there are no talks, excitement reached fever pitch, when in 2022, South African MotoGP race winner Brad Binder returned home during the mid-season break with his KTM Factory Racing RC-16, aiming to set a new benchmark lap time around the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit, where no official track record has been set for a modern era MotoGP bike, and with a benchmark of 1:45.00 to target, Binder set a 1:42.26. 

When asked by Simon Patterson if Kyalami is ready to host MotoGP, Brad Binder said:  “Kyalami has the best pits, I think, out of most of the tracks we go to. So, as far as the actual facility is concerned, it's insane! It'll be perfect. But, there are a couple of areas where they need to move the walls back. So, that's the main thing that can stop us from returning to South Africa. The only thing they need to do is, there are two points in particular where they need to really give us a little bit more run-off. And, if they do that, I think we can go back.”

Despite Binder's positive endorsement of Kyalami, it is worth keeping in mind that deals are not struck by the click of a finger, but what bodes well for the country is that costs could be more affordable than F1. According to MotorMatters.com: “In 2011, Motorland Aragon paid Dorna 6 million euros, rising to 7 million in 2012, for 41 million euros (which equates to R835 million between 2011 and 2012).”

Along with affordability and initiating talks come track alterations to cater to the specific needs of MotoGP, for example, and therefore, we asked Kyalami Spokesman Christo Kruger, are there any changes required to host MotoGP at Kyalami, to which, he said: “An event like MotoGP will require FIA inspection and approval. It is difficult to ascertain what changes may be required without professional telemetry simulations and analysis.”

“Kyalami is a host facility and not event promoters, so we have not reached out to MotoGP to assess the appetite/cost for a Kyalami race,” Kruger added.

QUESTION: Would you like to see Formula 1 and/or MotoGP return to South Africa? Please, let us know in the comments section! 

FIVE REASONS TO ATTEND THE 2023 WORLD RX OF SOUTH AFRICA

Johan Kristoffersson battling Timmy Hansen and OC Veiby.
PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

Lights Out and Away We Go… After four long years, the FIA World Rallycross Championship returns to the shores of Cape Town, South Africa for a double-header at Killarney International Raceway on 7 & 8 October 2023.

The Killarney International Raceway has staged a round of the championship since 2017, the first FIA World Championship to be held in Sub-Saharan Africa in over 20 years. 

Having dominated the World RX of South Africa in 2017 and 18, five-time World Champion Johan Kristoffersson returns leading a star-studded line-up featuring, history maker Klara Andersson, the Hansen brothers’, Niclas Gronholm, Timo Scheider, Ole Christian Veiby, and Rene Munnich. 

2019 World Champion Timmy Hansen, will also return to the circuit, where he clinched his maiden title in a rather dramatic season finale. Fast forward to 2023, another title could be clinched in Cape Town… but, why should you attend the 2023 FIA World Rallycross Championship? Here’s why:

The ZERIOD X1 [or RX2e] car blueprint.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA RX2e Championship

1. THE CARS

The FIA has made an unprecedented decision to continue the 2023 World RX championship with RX2e cars [better known as ZERIOD X1], as the investigation into the destructive fire that gutted Special ONE Racing [RX1e] in Lydden Hill continues.

The ZERIOD X1 is the formal name of the spec car used in RX2e. Developed by QEV Technologies, it weighs 1,170 kg and is capable of 335 horsepower with 510 Nm of torque.

Seven of the 8 confirmed drivers have driven the RX2e cars earlier this year, with Kristoffersson winning the penultimate round of the RX2e championship. 

The FIA homologated Cape Town RX track layout.
Source: FIA

2. THE TRACK

The very fast Killarney track is 1.060 km in length with some high cornering speeds, making it an awe-inspiring test of commitment with its high grip nature, including its average speed of approximately 95.87 km/h. 

3. A CHAMPION CROWNED?

With a healthy 23-point lead in the drivers' standings, should Kristoffersson win both rounds [double-header] scoring the maximum amount of points available. He could be crowned a six-time World Champion on South African soil. 

4. HISTORY SPEAKS

South Africa first hosted a round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2017, with Johan Kristoffersson winning the inaugural event, and returning a year later to win it again. 

The Mother City is happy stomping ground for the Super Swede, as well as, 2019 World Champion Timmy Hansen, who clinched the crown in a rather dramatic final. 

Level on points, it was ‘mano a mano’ in the 2019 final. Andreas Bakkerud had a lightning launch to lead the way, but in the tight sweeping turn 7, he ran a touch wide, which opened the door to Timmy Hansen, and he went for it. The two collided sending Bakkerud into the wall and Hansen spinning off the track, with Niclas Gronholm taking the lead. 

The Finn claimed victory, but who would clinch the title behind? Andreas Bakkerud finished second ahead of Timur Timerzyanov, with Timmy Hansen in fourth. But, by virtue of the countback rule, Hansen was declared the champion, after a lengthy investigation.

5. AFFORDABLE TICKET PRICES

Yes, that is correct. Tickets can be found here and a general access ticket for per day will cost R225 or you could purchase a Weekend Pass from R275. Compared to other live shows, this is a very good deal.

More so, grandstand tickets can now be purchased at a very reasonable price of R325 (Saturday) and R325 (Sunday).

A Trackside Bar ticket can also be purchased for R1,950 per day, with on-site parking also available.

Get your tickets now!

WRITTEN BY – Junaid Samodien

“Very fast” Cape Town track to produce a “spectacle of an event” with “more energy management and strategies” possible - Kelvin van der Linde.

PHOTO CREDIT: ABB FIA Formula E World Championship

AUTHOR: Junaid Samodien

South African racing driver Kelvin van der Linde, who recently made his ABB FIA Formula E World Championship debut in Saudi Arabia last month, said the Cape Town E-Prix is set up for a “spectacle” when the championship makes its debut in two weeks’ time.

Speaking during a virtual press conference, van der Linde said that aside from the iconic location in Cape Town, the fast track would make for exciting racing as more strategy would be involved.

“I think it's a great combination (the Cape Town E-Prix circuit), obviously very, very fast, which means, energy management is gonna be critical because the longer you're flat out for the more energy you need to recover. So, that naturally makes the racing better, as well because the more energy management is involved, and the more strategies are involved in the racing. So, I think, it's really set up for a spectacle of an event,” the South African said.

Kelvin became the first South African driver to participate in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship when he stepped in for the injured Robin Frijns (who fractured his wrist) at ABT Cupra, in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, and also Hyderabad, India, the latter took place this past weekend.

Kelvin van der Linde driving the ABT CUPRA (Mahindra M9Electro) in Saudi Arabia.
PHOTO CREDIT: ABB FIA Formula E World Championship

Reflecting on the fact that the Diriyah E-Prix (Saudi) was his first single-seater race of his career, he said that the Gen 3 cars were like “Gen 2 on steroids”.

“It's a monster! I have to say this car is extremely physical to drive. I completely underestimated it and to be brutally honest, I was probably unprepared for it. A lot of the drivers have complained that it's probably one of the most physical cars (Gen 3). I drove the Gen 2 car in Morocco, two years ago, and the first kind of feeling of the electric powertrain was, “wow” because I'd never driven anything with an electric powertrain before. The instant power, you have, and you're very close to the walls, the street circuit layout of Formula E obviously makes everything feel a lot faster when you're sitting inside the car and you're so low to the ground,” he said. 

“The first laps [in Diriyah], I was thinking, this is a big, big, big difference… especially, having never sat in a Formula car before; you don't have the same kind of peripheral vision like you do in a GT car. So, it was very difficult the first couple laps. And then on top of that, obviously the Saudi track is probably one of the most complex and most difficult on the calendar, but I think in the end I was surprised, and I was really able to adapt as quickly as possible”

Van der Linde gave some insight into how the ability to combine regeneration and braking to maximise power was key, saying this was where “Formula E races were won and lost”.

“The concept of Formula E is how effectively you can recover the energy which you “boost”, which is when you are on the power. When you are braking, you are using the front and the back motors to regenerate the energy, which goes through an inverter, and you use that again as power,” he said. “And essentially the teams that are able to regenerate the most effectively, are able to boost more – for longer periods of time. So when you're overtaking all of these kind of things coming to into play.”

“Naturally, the big manufacturers are a bit like Formula One. You have: Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari, they have a very big development curve. And then the customer teams, as we are with ABT Cupra, we're a customer of Mahindra. We have a limited workforce of people that are able to develop the software and essentially, Formula E is all about software development. The cars are all in contrary to Formula One or the cause in terms of body work, aerodynamics, they're all the same, but where the people are making the big differences in software development and naturally there, the more resources you have, the quicker your software development is, especially when you're coming to new tracks where you don't have any data from previous seasons, this naturally becomes even more complex because we have certain teams that have simulators back home that are running 24 hours while the race weekend is running. The customer teams are kind of just trying to keep up and, and do everything manually. So it's a big learning experience!”

Whether regular driver Robin Frijns will return in Cape Town after his injury at the season opener, or Kelvin van der Linde will contest his home race has yet to been decided. According to our sources, a decision is expected within this week.

“I'm in race mode, so since Saudi we've spent three to four days in the simulator, which I will do after this event as well. We have our post event simulator sessions (next week), and I'm gonna approach Cape Town, as if I'm racing,” he said. 

“It has to be your mindset even, if I were approaching that race as a reserve driver, that's my job title. My job title is to be ready in case one of our drivers get injured. So, naturally I'm gonna go to Cape Town, do all the preparations as if I were racing. I'll do all the simulator days, I'll do everything, whether I'm racing or not, I'm anyway planning to travel to Cape Town, to attend, the flight's all booked, everything is done.”

CAPE TOWN E-PRIX TO REMAIN ELECTRIFIED DESPITE SOUTH AFRICA'S CRIPPLING POWER CUTS

PHOTO CREDIT: ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

AUTHOR: Junaid Samodien

South Africans have been grappling with endless power cuts, after state owned Eskom implementing continuous blackouts for more than 200 days last year, and ever day so far in 2023.These ongoing power cuts, have added unique challenges to the way businesses, and events are run in the country.

Since these power cuts became a way of life in South Africa, the various municipalities formulated plans and processes to ensure that large scaled events remain unaffected by these rolling power cuts (code named: "loadshedding"). With thousands of people frequenting a specific area comes a number of safety and security risks for all concerned. Therefore, power cuts are usually ruled out for those specified precincts or areas.

Following the announcement of the ABB FIA Formula E Cape Town E-Prix, many fans instantly brought up the power cut issues. However, it's now safe to say that these fans can have some peace of mind, in knowing that the country’s power crisis will not compromise the event in any way, as back-up plans are place.

Speaking at the 30-Day Out media briefing on Thursday morning, the City of Cape Town’s Mayco Member for Safety and Security, J.P Smith, said: “With major events like this we do occasionally exempt precincts from load shedding, and we have been working with Formula E about this – but Formula E has made their own arrangement in this regard, while we are responsible for other logistics (such as safety and security) which are a massive amount of work behind the scenes.” 

Iain Banner, chairperson of e-Movement, has been working closely with the City of Cape Town’s energy experts to ensure that they have a number of plans in place should the power cuts affect the inaugural event scheduled to take place on 25 February 2023.  

Banner explains: “I’ve been working closely with the city’s Energy experts Kadri Nassiep and Michael Schmidt and we have structured a primary power plan for the majority of the precinct. We don’t only have to charge cars, we need to power the entire structure. We have a guaranteed supply up to Stage 6, but there is always a secondary system. This includes generators that run on bio-fuel that will ensure that we can provide the 2MW of instant power demand. With the help of our engineers and the Cape Town stadium team, on Tuesday (this week), we have also secured power from the Cape Town Stadium.” 

“We cannot afford for cars not to run, and with the City’s help and our two back-up plans we will ensure that they do,” he concluded.

Cape Town ePrix track anticipated to be one of the fastest circuits on the Formula E calendar.

PHOTO CREDIT: ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The ‘Mother City’ will host the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Season 8, with one of the seven wonders of nature, Table Mountain providing the backdrop for South Africa’s first-ever ePrix, around the streets of Cape Town. 

Formula E has been hosted on the African continent before in Morocco (Marakesh), but with the hard work of e-Movement together with their founding partner Jaguar South Africa and the City of Cape Town a date has been secured on the provisional calendar - 26 February 2022. 

e-Movement’s Iain Banner has revealed that Cape Town signed a five-year deal with the possibility to extend the deal for a further five years.

It's been a long time coming, but finally, after 29-years, an FIA World Championship single-seater racing series will return to the shores of South Africa, and it's Formula E! 

The Cape Town ePrix “will definitely lift our economy to a new heights” Cape Town Mayor, Dan Plato said. 

Plato has reassured e-Movement that the City of Cape Town will “roll out the red carpet” for the Formula E championships' arrival in 2022. 

PHOTO CREDIT: ABB Formula E Championship

The ABB Formula E World Championship is slightly different from its combustion-engined counterparts, in that the series races on streets circuits which allows non-motorsport fans to access the race action. 

It also allows the series to race in cities that have air pollution restrictions as these cars are emission-free. 

The Cape Town ePrix track will route around the Mouille Point and around the Cape Town stadium and is anticipated to be one of the fastest circuits on the world series.

“The experts tell me that our track is probably going to be one of the fastest circuits on the Formula E calendar,” Banner said. “So we are going to see some very tight racing. And I think what people are seeing with Formula E is its dynamic.”

2019/20 ABB FIA Formula E World Champion Antonio Felix da Costa is excited by the prospects of racing around the Cape Town Stadium. 

"It's amazing to race around a World Cup stadium that's already I big thing for us, and I love Formula E because of that," Da Costa said. "I am sure that we are going to pull off an amazing event."

A long-term goal becomes reality, as Formula E heads to Cape Town.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team.

Three years in the making… This evening, the FIA has announced the provisional calendar for the 2022 FIA Formula E Championship, and with it a date for a Cape Town ePrix. 

Whilst today’s announcement is provisional until approved by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, the Cape Town ePrix organizers have confirmed that despite a provisional date Formula E will be heading to the shores of Cape Town next year.

Over 20-years without any form of international motorsport events, there have been many rumours hinting at a potential Formula One return, but it’s just rumours. 

Since then, South Africa became a hive of interest, as Cape Town played host to the FIA World Rallycross Championship for three years (2017 to 2019), but due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The events in 2020 and 2021 will not be held in Cape Town.  

South Africa has another gem, it’s the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit, which was put up for auction and acquired by Porsche South Africa, but after some refurbishments and upgrades, the circuit received FIA Grade 2 certification and the rest is history. 

A few years later, talks were held with the SRO, and out of it came a long team deal to host the Intercontinental GT Challenge in South Africa, and the return of the “Kyalami 9 Hour”. 

With these international sporting events taking place on South African soil, more good news came when the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) announced that the series will head to South Africa in 2021. But once again, these plans were halted due to complications surrounding the pandemic. 

It’s yet to be seen if WEC and World RX will return to South Africa, the latter with a deal expiring in 2021. However, the future is bright for the African continent and it's just a matter of time before they return. 

Whilst the FIA World Endurance and World Rallycross Championships aren’t on the immediate agenda for South Africa, the news today means an FIA-sanctioned event will remain on South African soil. 

The e-XITEMENT is real, as the FIA Formula E Championship will be heading to the City of Cape Town in 2022. 

Formula E has grown from strength to strength since its inception in 2014 and has visited every continent including Africa, where the Marrakesh ePrix was held in Morocco.

So, when did talks begin to bring Formula E to Cape Town? Well in 2019, the Mayor of Cape Town, Dan Plato announced the official bid to host the FIA Formula E championship in Cape Town, further statements were made regarding the progress of the bid, but finally, the news has become official with the assistance of multiple partners making the Cape Town ePrix, a reality!

In recent years, motorsport broadcasts were moved behind paywalls, but in South Africa, it became a reality in 2006 when Formula 1 moved behind the SuperSport pay wall, where it has remained since. 

Since then, the national broadcaster SABC has played host to some international events, for example, A1 GP, etc. but since then a handful of national events were aired on free-to-air television. 

Moving international motorsport behind a paywall has had an impact on motorsport in the country, and a simple example: If you were to ask a South African. Who is Michael Schumacher? What team did he race for? Etc. They could correctly give you the answer. If you were to go out and ask any person on the streets who Lewis Hamilton is, for example, those with social media access would more or less have an idea, but the average joy with no access won’t have clue. 

Yes, Pay-TV has its positives and negatives, but a negative in the sense that people have to pay to view, whilst a positive in that there is a variety of motorsport to watch. So, either you pay to enjoy a variety of motorsport in South Africa, find a streaming platform (if you have access to the internet) or you go without it. 

So, with Formula E heading to Cape Town in 2022. What has been done to drum up excitement, support, and an understanding of the series in South Africa?

 Well, South African’s were able to view the inaugural seasons on live streams, whether it be on Facebook or YouTube, but the championships broadcast rights were soon sold to ESPN Africa, which meant coverage of the practice sessions were only made available through the live streams. 

Recently that changed, when E-movement’s Iain Banner approached South Africa’s SuperSport (Pay-TV service) and a broadcast deal with Formula E was struck. A few months later, the SABC also secured a deal and are now broadcasting the electrifying series on their free-to-air service across South Africa. 

Iain Banner, e-Movement Chairman explains, “to bring Formula E here, we need an audience that is knowledgeable. So, I'm delighted that I went to SuperSport and secured a deal. And over the last season and a half, the sport has been on SuperSport television. And of course, now the public broadcaster, the national broadcaster is carrying it, too. And that means we've got wall to wall coverage so that South Africans everywhere, from rural areas through to the metros can indulge and enjoy it and become knowledgeable.”

Establishing interest is essential to achieving success, and securing broadcast deals is the first step to building a fan base and interest in the sport. The next step would be a hands-on approach, for instance, something fans can see or touch. And, through hard work e-Movement will host an ‘eMobility Festival’ ahead of the inaugural race with an aim to drum up more interest in everything ‘electric.’

“It's a big leap bringing Formula E to Cape Town, which is what we have planned to do. So, we will have created an event ahead of that which we call the ‘eMobility Festival’, where we will showcase everything, the cars, one-wheelers, bicycles, aeroplane, boats, etc, plus the charging station,” Banner says. 

“An experience that the public can come and have but also gain and understanding. You’ll also get an e-Pass to come in. And once you're in, you can book an experience and go and experience everything.”

It’s all about the experience, so when the Formula E championship arrives in Cape Town, the ticket holders will have the opportunity to book a ride around the circuit in an e-machine. 

 “We're also going to have an e-rides on the circuits on the race weekend. You can apply to book a spot, certain hour slots where you'll be able to go and experience the track. But in an e-car,” Banner adds. 

Whilst gaining interesting and developing ways to attract fans to the spectacle, there are also important things to discuss or work together to try and solve. And, in saying this, e-Movement has also confirmed a climate change summit, as Iain Banner will explain below: 

“And then of course we have a climate change summit as well because the whole thing about Formula E is advocating for sustainability,” he said. “That's really at the core of it. So it's not just the excitement of the racing. It is actually about talking about how do we take care of this beautiful Mother Nature, the world, what you know, which we are destroying. What are we going to do to change things? How do we go green? What is the future? And those are the questions that get asked all the time. Which Formula E is trying to answer?"

With all that being said, we are thrilled to finally receive confirmation that the FIA Formula E Championship will soon head to Cape Town, and we can not wait! 

Written By - Junaid Samodien