E-Paper
New feeder series for electric racing to be launched next year
We’re looking to provide representation to people interested in driving, and engineers, around the world, giving them a chance to level up, says its prime mover Dilbagh Gill.
Dilbagh Gill has been busy. After leading Mahindra Racing as CEO and team principal in the first eight seasons, he stepped down last year to take over a new role, organising the first-ever Formula E race in India.
Gill was instrumental in bringing the all-electric series to India and was the CEO of Ace Nxt Gen, official promoter of the Hyderabad E-Prix that was successfully held on the streets of Hyderabad on Saturday. Ace Nxt Gen is co-founded by Anil Kumar Chalamalasetty, who is also the founder of this E-Prix's title sponsor, Greenko.
Now that the race is over, Gill realises the need of a feeder series to not just Formula E but other series too. For Formula 1 – the pinnacle of motorsports – drivers usually graduate through junior categories like F4, F3 and then F2. But there are barely any feeder series for Formula E, the world’s premier electric racing series.
“It will be a great idea to have a junior category. At this moment, there is nothing that can prepare you for Formula E. It's a unique series and a feeder event will help the drivers a lot,” says Mahindra’s Lucas di Grassi.
Gill launched the Ace Championship, a new junior electric racing series that is set to begin globally in 2024. He is the CEO of the new project that aims to offer affordable entries to young drivers to hone their skills.
The championship will have an entry level Challenger Series and the top-tier Ace Championship. It will run in a regional format and on circuits across continents. The initial race car will be similar in performance to the Gen2 Formula E car that was raced from Season 5-8 before Formula E switched to Gen3 this season.
In a first, the same car will be used at both levels, meaning teams can run four drivers in two championships with two vehicles.
“We are looking to provide representation to people who are interested in driving, and engineers, around the world who have not had the opportunity and giving them a chance to level up. Each team can have two different drivers in the Ace Championship and Ace Challenger series, driving the same car but with two different power levels," Gill said.
The series found support from Alejandro Agag, Formula E chairman and founder.
“The Ace Championship is an important initiative. To create opportunities for young drivers to enter motorsport via the 'electric avenue' is crucial and was missing until now. The difference between this and other championships is that there is no other electric junior racing series," he said.
Former F1 and Formula E driver Nick Heidfeld has come on board as development driver and advisor. “When Dilbagh talked to me about this programme I was interested straight away – an electric junior racing championship has not been done before,” said Heidfeld.
