2020 ABB FIA Formula E Series Race at Home Challenge

[kamnet]

ABB is sponsoring the 7th season of FIA Formula E racing as a virtual e-sport competition. The Race at Home Challenge is a series of 9 races fielding two grids. The Driver Grid will feature the professional drivers from ABB FIA Formula E Championship, and The Challenge Grid will feature a selection of the top professional e-sport race car drivers from around the globe. ABB has supplied all of the drivers in both grids with the same equipment - a professional gaming chair and chassis, computer, monitors, racing wheels and pedals, headsets and peripherals.

FIA is promoting the series to raise money for UNICEF. DONATE TO UNICEF HERE! http://www.FIAFormulaE.com/DonateHere

The overall rules of the series are explained on the FIA website. The races will be ran in the "Race Royale" format. Each race is 15 laps. 24 drivers will start the race. After Lap 1 the slowest driver from the field will be eliminated, unless at least one driver is eliminated through wrecks or penalties. Once there are 10 drivers left there will be no further lap time eliminations, and it will be a sprint to the finish. Bonus points are awarded for pole position and winning the race, and points will accumulate throughout the season.

Each race will take place on Saturdays, 15:25 BST / 10:25 EDT. Reporter Nicki Shields will provide pre-race coverage and post-race interviews, and the races will be called by commentator Jack Nicholls and analyst Dario Franchitti, four-time IndyCar Indianapolis 500 winner.

I will try to keep this first post updated with a link to each race. Racing actually started a few weeks ago on April 18.

04/18: Pre-Season Race @ Monaco
04/25: Race 1 @ Hong Kong
05/02: Race 2 @ Electric Docks
05/09: Race 3 @ Monaco
05/16: Race 4 @ Hong Kong
05/23: Race 5 @ TBA
05/30: Race 6 @ TBA
06/06: Race 7 @ TBA
06/13: Grand Final @ TBA

[kamnet]

The pre-season test race took place on April 18, 2020 on rFactor2's virtual Monaco circuit.

Full broadcast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY3Iwjj7-6o
Jump to Challenge Grid race: https://youtu.be/nY3Iwjj7-6o?t=2057
Jump to Driver's Grid race: https://youtu.be/nY3Iwjj7-6o?t=4097

[kamnet]

Race 1 took place on April 25, 2020 on rFactor2's virtual Hong Kong circuit.

Full broadcast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvHm5gX1VHI
Jump to Challenge Grid race: https://youtu.be/zvHm5gX1VHI?t=1695
Jump to Driver's Grid race: https://youtu.be/zvHm5gX1VHI?t=3138

[kamnet]

Race 2 took place on May 2, 2020 on rFactor2's fictional Electric Docks circuit.

Full broadcast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyvlY9cx-nI
Jump to Challenge Grid race: https://youtu.be/LyvlY9cx-nI?t=1580
Jump to Driver's Grid race: https://youtu.be/LyvlY9cx-nI?t=3570

[kamnet]

Race 3 took place on May 9, 2020 on rFactor2's fictional Monaco circuit.

Full broadcast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VizPKu9_hKs
Jump to Challenge Grid race: https://youtu.be/VizPKu9_hKs?t=1732
Jump to Driver's Grid race: https://youtu.be/VizPKu9_hKs?t=4166

[kamnet]

Race 4 took place on May 16, 2020 on rFactor2's fictional Hong Kong circuit, in wet qualifying conditions.

Full broadcast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grvb1ZBvHHY
Jump to Challenge Grid race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grvb1ZBvHHY&t=1969s
Jump to Driver's Grid race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grvb1ZBvHHY&t=4561s

[kamnet]

We are now halfway through the series. Is anybody here actually watching these?

Here are the top standings after Race 4.

[Chrill]

We barely have anyone watching the real Formula E series, so I doubt many people watch this thing.

I've followed some of the IndyCar series on the internet but even there, with drivers I care for, it's just not doing it for me. I'll hold out until actual racing begins!

[kamnet]

We barely have anyone watching the real Formula E series, so I doubt many people watch this thing.

I've followed some of the IndyCar series on the internet but even there, with drivers I care for, it's just not doing it for me. I'll hold out until actual racing begins!

What is the difference between the real and virtual series for you?

[Chrill]

The atmosphere. The racing is good, sometimes better, in virtual reality. I just don't feel like it has any... weight, if you know what I mean.

It's also why I love the Monaco GP even though the racing is awful. The atmosphere, the skill involved in driving a car this close to a wall. I don't get that in virtual racing.

[kamnet]

That makes sense. You can't see the cars taking damage, or even feel at risk of damage. We don't really get to see this from the driver's perspective, either. From that side of the simulation, they do get to feel and experience the simulated damage and the risks. Being able to watch these races is still kind of new. One of the things that doesn't sit great with me is the lack of people or characters in the background. You don't see fans in the stands, or grounds crews moving about as you see the cars racing by.

[Chrill]

It's not necessarily the danger, though. I like rollercoasters, even though I am much more in danger whilst on my way to Six Flags than whilst I'm there. Perhaps it's the perception of danger, the thrill of seeing people on the absolute limit of their capacity.

I also enjoy watching football, but not FIFA's eSports even though the players in both cases are the best in the world.

[Transportman]

I tried watching an eSports F1 race some time ago, it just didn't connect with me, it just didn't feel alive. Basically what Chrill is saying, I miss the atmosphere during a virtual race, and with the Formula E (and also several F1) I also have that during the actual races. The crowds next to the track I miss most in those Formula E races, and with the eSports I just don't like the fact that it is not real and just a bunch of random numbers that influence the race instead of actual physical events.

That's why I'm so happy that the F1 puts historic races on Youtube, there are some real gems in there of real racing.