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Shift Happens, weekly pivots where motorsport collides with tech and culture. A quick roundup of the headlines in and around motorsport you should be aware of, as they explain the cultural shifts we are seeing in this space.
It feels like just yesterday that we closed out the 12th Formula E season in London. I spent a few incredible days with Chase Sapphire (I still think about this programme a lot) and then joined a press trip with Jaguar TCS Racing for the final two races of the Formula E season. And yet, somehow Formula E is already due to kick off its 13th Season in a month, in Jeddah. I suspect that the opening race of teh season will probably be postponed or rescheduled due to the current geopolitical context, but as we gear up for another season, I’m still wondering: Who is the Formula E fan?
The [lead] lap
The final race of the Season was dramatic from start to finish. What was really fascinating, and something that absolutely contributed to the chaos, was that on Saturday morning, nine drivers were mathematically able to take the championship; that’s a third of the grid and something I don’t think I’ve ever seen in my lifetime in Formula 1. On Sunday, that number was down to three.
The racing product in Formula E is good - we know that. But after 12 seasons, I’m still left with this one big question - who is this for? Who is the FE fan? Not who attends. But who returns. And I haven’t shied away from this question either. I’ve asked almost every person I cross paths with at Formula E who they think the FE fan is, and what’s surprised me is just how impossible a question this seems to be.
As I stared at the Jaguar GEN4 show car, the question that kept coming up for me was, now what? Now what…because the tagline and premise for FE used to be so straightforward - Electric Street Racing. It’s easy to remember, clear, and it does what it says on the can. But that tagline has long been forgotten.
We raced at the Excel for the last time that weekend - the only circuit, I believe, where it’s half indoors, half outdoors. Actually, we had lots of farewells that weekend. We said goodbye to Lucas Di Grassi, who was one of the very first drivers to sign up to FE, adios to the Excel, au revoir to the Mitch Evans and Jaguar duo (after ten years together) and we raced one last time with the GEN3 cars.
Next season, the race will take place at Brands Hatch. We’ll also be racing at COTA, Zandvoort, Miami… No longer is FE racing in city centres and on streets. See, GEN4 - which will be introduced next season - is 87kg heavier, 90mm wider, and shoves 600kW through permanent all-wheel drive. The cars have essentially outgrown the streets they were designed for. Formula E’s founding argument was that you race where the people are and the air quality problems are, and you highlight EVs, and Formula E built its entire moral licence on that proximity.
They are taking a bet that the spectacle, the entertainment and the racing product recruit fans better than geography ever did, and if that is the case, then maybe it’s time to pivot and focus more heavily on the entertainment and the racing product. Finally, the Disney+ /ESPN deal is coming at potentially the perfect time. Formula E has spent a decade being findable only by people who already wanted to find it. It’s the first time the series has had both a product (new Gen 4 car which the drivers absolutely love, by the way) and a shopfront (a real distribution deal) at the same time, and if it doesn’t build a sticky audience out of that, I’m not sure what else there is to try.
Three [stories] on my radar
Lacoste have gone and done it again, but I’m still not sure I would buy any of their stuff. Over the past few years, Lacoste’s world-building has become something I’ve really come to look forward to. Every show, every pop-up, every collaboration has been something worth talking about. Pierre Gasly is an ambassador for Lacoste; we even had him on the cover of Issue 05 of Esses. But I keep thinking is their world-building 10x better than their actual products? Either way, it’s one brand I find myself constantly looking out for what they are doing next.
Tech, car and fashion all converge in San Francisco. A couple of months ago, Genesis held a world premiere in San Francisco of its GV90 flagship SUV. The presentations by Genesis executives focused heavily on what luxury means in an era of AI and EVs. Luc Donckerwolke, President and Chief Creative Officer of Genesis, has a unique ability to bridge design, luxury and utility. A few nights ago, I attended a book launch at The Real Real store in San Francisco, and it was probably one of the most well-dressed rooms I’ve been in in a while. It was nice to do something that had little to do with motorsports. And on the same night, on the other side of the world, in Milan, Genesis held a special evening at Larusmiani in Milan ahead of the final WEC race of the season. I’m starting to understand why Vogue World will take place in SF next year. Tech wants so badly to be seen by fashion, and fashion needs tech money, and what’s been fascinating to watch is how much these worlds are converging. If I think back to the Genesis car launch, it strikes me as amusing that an event heavily attended by men was handing out a goodie bag sponsored by Korean skincare brand Sulwhasoo. LINK (I was invited as part of the US media cohort)
Goodwood, for its two headline events - Festival of Speed and Revival - is bringing its membership to the US with the launch of the Goodwood Road Racing Club of America. The club unites those with a shared passion for motorsports and automotive culture and will offer its members a year-round calendar of events and experiences, ahead of the first flagship event at Willow Springs Raceway in Fall 2028. I was kindly invited by Goodwood to attend an event, hosted by Magnus Walker at his Arts District warehouse in LA on Monday. I couldn’t make it, but I hear it was a blast, and it brought together an eclectic group of car enthusiasts, art lovers, and speed chasers.
What I told [my clients] this week
[Bon goût] - for those with an acquired taste.
A box full of products from Barriers (by Carmen Mundt) landed on my doorstep about a month ago, and I’ve loved trying the products and following the brand’s journey. I’m a sucker for great packaging and fun fonts, so you got me there. But it did get me thinking about all the products and pieces I’ve been introduced to while working inside the F1 bubble. Because whether I like to admit it or not, I’ve been introduced to many brands and products over the past six years that I’ve fallen in love with and still use today.
If you have a topic you wish to discuss, a tip or a pitch for Untapped Billion,
email t.cowanbrown@gmail.com
I’m Toni Cowan-Brown, a tech and F1 commentator and the Editor-At-Large at Esses. I’m a former tech executive who has spent the past six years on the floor of way too many F1, FE, and WEC team garages, learning about the business, politics, culture and technology of motorsports.