FIA president Jean Todt has again ruled out the possibility of Formula E taking over from Formula 1 as the pinnacle of motorsport.
The all-electric series was recently given world championship status from Season 6 and a new tender for the Gen3 car recently released includes a hope to include fast-charging technology that could make pit-stops possible.
However, while the gains have been remarkable since Formula E began in 2014, Todt believes performance will ultimately, always keep F1 ahead.
“You could not envisage having Formula E substituting Formula 1,” he was quoted by RaceFans.
“FE races last three-quarters of an hour at average speeds of up to 118kph (73mph). F1 races run for more than twice as long and the average speeds more than twice as high over distances in excess of 300 kilometres.
“There is not one [electric] race car able to do 300 kilometres at Formula 1 speed today,” Todt added. “I mean, it would be decades before it can happen – if it does happen.”
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The Frenchman has also constantly played down a belief that F1 will one day merge to become fully electric and highlighted where he sees the next push in engine technology.
“Simply, today, a hybrid is the proper choice,” he said. “The next step is to see how well we can secure greener fuels.”
Perhaps the only level on which FE might offer more than F1 is on-track action, but CEO Chase Carey also played that down.
“Formula E is a very different vehicle today [to F1],” he told CNN. “[It’s] largely a social cause and, you know, it’s a street party.
“I think we compete with everything out there,” the Liberty chief added. “It’s important that we make our sport everything that makes it special. It’s a unique sport that combines technology and sport, it’s a sport that shocks your senses.
“It’s a sport that has incredible drivers, taking incredible risks, with incredible talent and it’s a sport that really is a spectacle.
“It’s not just a two-hour event. We’re here for three days, we’ve got a variety of things going on.
“There’s a depth and richness to it that really makes it unique and I think it’s important for us to highlight what makes us unique against everything else out there.”