The '17-18 Formula E season, which opens with the Hong Kong ePrix on Saturday and Sunday, is the last before a "major revamp brings better batteries and new cars that can complete an entire race distance," according to Alan Baldwin of REUTERS. Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag said, "Many people are seeing season four almost like a transition to season five when we get the new car and battery. I don't see it at all like that because there are no transition seasons. If you win, season four is the same as if you win season five. You are champion of Formula E." The coming season will see organizers "ramping up promotional activity and marketing spend in key markets as they seek to build the fan base and develop storylines around drivers." Agag: "If you look at season one in China and season four in China, it's like another world. You come now and you will see engineers from Jaguar, Porsche, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Renault, Nissan preparing for season five. You see huge partners involved in the championship" (REUTERS, 11/29).
SÃO PAULO SETBACK: MOTORSPORT's Scott Mitchell reported Formula E's inaugural São Paulo race has been postponed to '19, with an "alternative round being planned" for the '17-18 season. Formula E "hopes to maintain the planned schedule of 14 races across 11 venues" for '17-18, and will present a replacement race for São Paulo to FIA's World Motor Sport Council next week (MOTORSPORT, 11/30).
TWEAKED FORMAT: Mitchell also reported Formula E "changed its controversial qualifying group lottery after all," with a "tweaked format" to be introduced from the second part of this weekend's doubleheader. FIA told teams on Thursday in Hong Kong that the groups will be "decided by championship order instead." A lottery element "will remain, to determine the running order of the four groups" (MOTORSPORT, 11/30).
