Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds has revealed that several Formula 1 drivers will attend this weekend’s double-header in Monaco, where the new Gen4 car will be on display.
Former F1 driver David Coulthard is set to drive Formula E’s new car on Sunday morning around the Circuit de Monaco, in what will be its first fully public running in front of fans.
The Gen4 car has sparked major interest from F1 drivers due to its staggering levels of performance, featuring permanent all-wheel drive, producing 815 hp, accelerating from 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph) in just 1.8 seconds, and reaching 335 km/h (208 mph).
It will significantly reduce the gap between Formula 1 and the all-electric series, to the extent that the lap-time difference in Monaco is expected to be below five seconds. In wet conditions, there is a real possibility the Gen4 could be quicker.
According to Dodds, several F1 drivers have reached out to him asking to be looked after at Formula E’s Monaco event and have also asked whether they can see the Gen4 car. The CEO also spent an hour with Haas’ Oliver Bearman.
Speaking about the interest from F1 drivers in the Gen4 car being in Monaco, Dodds told ApexF1 during an interview: “There’ll be a lot of them here over the weekend, because we know that — they’ve asked us to look after them over the weekend, so we will.
“The ones I speak to are all asking, ‘Will we get to see the Gen4 car, right?’ I sat here yesterday and had a brilliantly fun hour with Oliver Bearman and his brother Thomas, chatting about life.
“By the way, Oliver Bearman is so knowledgeable about F1 and ApexF1 history, and so knowledgeable about Formula E as well. He knew everything. He reads everything, he’s absorbing everything.
“So I think it’s going to be interesting because they’re all intrigued. You can see there’s a high level of intrigue. They’ve heard a lot — a bit of chatter in their paddock — and they’re all coming to have a look, which is cool for us.”
