Pit Boost set to add another strategy element to Formula E races

Formula E’s co-founder and chief championship officer Alberto Longo says that the introduction of Pit Boost to the series at the upcoming Jeddah E-Prix will create “a little bit of jeopardy” into the races.

Pit Boost’s 30-second stops will add 10 percent more energy, having previously been restricted to starting a race with around half the energy needed to complete a race, and needing to manage that amount carefully, balancing pace with efficiency.

But that extra energy doesn’t just give competitors more to play with and open the door for longer flat-out running — it’s also a case of when you take on that additional energy, and how you deploy it over the course of a race typically lasting around 45 minutes.

“I think it’s going to be fantastic, because it’s going to create a little bit of jeopardy into the race,” Longo said ahead of Thursday’s confirmation of Pit Boost’s introduction. “There are teams that are going to be using that energy in different ways, in different moments, and definitely it’s going to bring that excitement that we want to the race.”

While efficiency is a major factor in Formula E, and the manufacturers that have managed to ideally balance their efficiency with outright pace are the ones that tend to come out on top, Longo believes Pit Boost could be something of a leveler, with it not necessarily having the benefit of advantaging any team in particular.

“I think anyone could get an advantage — and anyone actually could get a negative out of it — because at the end of the day, you’re implementing one system that could completely change the strategy of a team, even within the team of the two drivers of the same team,” he said. “That is, for me, the key to success, the key to having more exciting races.”

Andretti team principal Roger Griffiths noted that simulations have shown that within each team, one driver could enjoy more of a benefit from the feature than the other.

“There is a strong potential that the driver that gets the to take the charge second is going to be at a slight disadvantage, so we need to see how that pans out,” he said. “It also has an impact as to when you take the Attack Mode.”

Formula E hasn’t had mandatory in-race pit stops since the fifth season of series (2018-19) when mid-race car changes were abolished upon the introduction of the GEN2 car which could complete a single race distance. This time the pit stops will be radically different, and Griffiths says that teams getting on top of the process altogether will be the biggest hurdle, with new processes to implement.

“I’m of mixed opinion right now as to how things will go,” he admitted. “I think there’s a lot for us to learn, and there’s still a lot of procedural things to be figured out just to make sure that that charge process in the pit lane actually works as it should, and you don’t lose precious tenths, or, even worse, a second or so in the stop because you get something wrong.

“I think there’s a lot of opportunity to mess things up, and I think it will be the teams that are the most sorted procedurally that will come out of this – certainly in the early races –with better results.”

Formula E’s Attack Mode — a strategic factor where drivers stray off-line into an activation zone to unlock an additional 50kw and four-wheel drive for a total of eight minutes in the race (to be used across four separate deployments) already adds strategy options. However, while Pit Boost adds a comparable amount of planning for teams and drivers, not to mention the added benefit of road relevancy, there is “not a chance” it will be replacing Attack Mode.

“I think we need to completely separate the Attack Mode and the Pit Boost,” said Longo. “They are two completely different properties, obviously, and what we’re trying to do is double up the emotions and the experience.

“Honestly, I think we’re lacking a little bit of strategy from the teams — we’re kind of in the comfort zone already. So definitely an element like Pit Boost is going to make the race even more dramatic.”

Longo also revealed plans to increase Attack Mode’s impact in future seasons.

“Attack Mode is a product that actually works very well, and definitely what our intention is will be to have a much faster Attack Mode in the future,” he said. “Obviously we’re developing today, together with the FIA, what is going to be the technical road map of our championship for the future. When I say the future, I’m talking about 10 to 15 years.

“So this is how far ahead we are looking into. And no, Attack Mode is not at risk. On the contrary, I think if anything it will be somehow enhanced.”

At present, Pit Boost will only be used at one race over the six doubleheader events in Jeddah, Monaco, Tokyo, Shanghai, Berlin and London in a bid to create variety of race complexions over the course of the season, but Longo has left the door open for that number to be increased — or it to even be rolled out at every round. The figure of 10 percent additional energy could be increased as well.

“If the system works and is reliable — which we’re sure it’s going to be — and especially it works for the fans, definitely we would love to implement it in more races, even next season, before GEN4,” he said. “We are just testing this technology, so we need to see what the limit of it is.

“Eventually, why not? We can go up to 800 kilowatts, etc. in the future, and therefore you will be charging 24, 25 percent extra in just 30 seconds. Or you can play with that and charge during less seconds. We have opened the door to a lot of studies, a lot of simulation, a lot of development.”