F1 world champions Mercedes could join Formula E for its fifth season in '18-19 after signing an agreement with the championship to field one of two potential new teams, the electric racing series said on Tuesday. Formula E is looking to expand its field from 10 to 12 teams by '18-19, with Mercedes and BMW the likely candidates for the two open slots. The possible entry of Mercedes, through its British-based subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd., or that of any other new team is subject to the approval of FIA. The German car manufacturer, which won back-to-back F1 constructors titles in '14 and '15, has been following the development of Formula E from the beginning, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Head Toto Wolff said. "Electrification will play a major role in the future of the automotive industry -- racing has always been a technology R&D platform for the motor industry, and this will make Formula E very relevant in the future," he said. The Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands, which are both part of Daimler, will launch more than 10 electric cars by '25, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said last week at the Paris Motor Show. Formula E's fifth season is set to include a significant change in format, as battery developments are expected to allow drivers to complete events in a single car instead of switching cars halfway through the races. "Formula E wants to become the platform where car manufacturers test and develop the technologies that they will then introduce on their road cars," Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag said. "Having the chance to include a brand like Mercedes in our championship in the future would be a major boost to achieve that objective." The 10 teams currently involved in the series are all expected to continue in season five and beyond. For Formula E's third season, which will get underway this Saturday in Hong Kong, the starting grid will include carmakers Renault, Citroen DS, Audi, Jaguar, Mahindra and BMW, which recently announced a partnership with Andretti. The possible Formula E involvement is expected to have no impact on Mercedes' F1 program, which generated £213M in revenues in '15.
IN HIGH DEMAND: The strong manufacturer involvement in the series, which will see Jaguar return to open-wheel racing this season, is a sign that Formula E is on the right track, CSM Sport & Entertainment Group CEO Zak Brown told SBD Global. "The series is really taking off and getting stronger and stronger," he said. "There’s a waiting list of people that want to get into the sport from a team standpoint, which is fantastic, while a lot of other racing series are struggling to keep full grids." A big reason why OEMs enter Formula E is its high relevance in the development of road car technologies, a status that used to be occupied by F1. "Electric, hybrid and all these new technologies coming out in cars, Formula E becomes a playground for manufacturers to really showcase, exploit and develop their technologies," Brown said. Another reason the series can boost a lineup of top car brands is the relatively low cost of competition. While an F1 involvement can easily run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, Formula E's budget is officially capped at $3.5M per season. Keeping the budget at an affordable level will be important to the series' future development, Brown said. The series has so far struggled to gain any significant fan interest, a fact that is largely due to an inconsistent schedule which includes long breaks between the races. However, Brown expects that Formula E, along with its sponsors and manufacturers, will drum up fan interest. "What [Formula E] has done is massively impressive," he said. "It's all heading the right way." CSM represents sponsors Faraday Future and Qualcomm, as well as the Jaguar Racing team in the electric racing series. The upcoming '16-17 season takes Formula E on a 12-race, 10-city tour across five continents. Five cities -- Hong Kong, Marrakesh, Brussels, N.Y. and Montreal -- will make their debut on the schedule this season.
