Two-time Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne says he dreams of seeing the all-electric series merging with Formula 1 in the future.
Since its inaugural season back in 2014, Formula E has emerged as a growing threat to F1 perhaps not in terms of popularity or performance but mostly its appeal to manufacturers with eight currently on the grid compared to just four in the latter.
Because of the push towards electric cars, there is often a debate on whether FE will eventually overtake F1 as the pinnacle of motorsport.
But Vergne, a former Toro Rosso driver, believes the two could one day co-exist.
“As a driver what I can tell you, what I would love to see in the in the near future is not Formula E replacing Formula 1, but since we have so many manufacturers in Formula E and there are also important manufacturers in Formula 1, would be that one day those two championships merge,” he said to Motorsport.com.
“You do half a season in Formula E – so, electric Formula 1, whatever you want to call it – on the streets that we know and the circuits that we know, maybe a little bit bigger, and then the other half of the season in Formula 1 on tracks like Brazil, Abu Dhabi and Singapore.
“Do 10 races and 10 races, with the same drivers both in Formula E and in Formula 1, that would be amazing. This is something I would love to see.
“I don’t know if that is ever going to happen but that’s my dream as a driver.”
Due to the current gulf in performance between the two series, some predict it could take decades for that gap to close, despite the rapid pace of development in just the first six seasons of Formula E.
Given the financial impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic though, which has seen both F1 and FE take steps to reduce costs, economics may well be more crucial in how the future of motorsport shakes out.
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