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Formula E - Attack Mode explained

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Recently, after one of the heartbreaking Formula 1 races,  I was watching highlights of a Formula E race when I came across an interesting concept called the "Attack Mode". Now for those of you who are unfamiliar with Formula E, it is a sister series of the more traditional and popular Formula 1 (F1) car racing competition. The difference is that the Formula E cars are battery powered electric vehicles. This series was started in 2011 to promote cleaner, environment friendly cars with the same spirit of competitive racing.

For those of you, who are bored by Formula 1 and its Drag Reduction System (DRS) which gives a free overtake if you don't hit you speed limiter, this is an innovative way of bringing "action" to racing.

In standard racing mode, all the cars are limited by a maximum power of 200 kW. So, during the race, all drivers are at the same level in terms of battery power. This increases the emphasis on driving skills rather than machinery/technology/engineering. From season 2018-19 onward, to make the racing more competitive, the organizers have come up with this great concept of "Attack Mode" wherein a driver will get additional 25 kW of power i.e. 12.5% increase in power for a limited amount of time. But there is a catch!

To get into the "Attack Mode", a driver needs to press a button on the steering wheel to arm the car and drive through an activation zone "off the racing line". When drivers leave the faster racing line and take a longer, slower route to get into the Attack Mode, they may lose track positions! And then, when they get into Attack Mode, they can use that extra power to try to get back the positions they have lost and possibly mount an attack on the drivers ahead of them.

Furthermore, the drivers have to execute a minimum number of Attack Modes in a race. Also, there is an upper ceiling on the duration for which you get the power boost as well as the maximum number of Attack Modes that can be used. Another interesting point is that this information about minimum, maximum number of Attack Modes and the duration of power boost is released by the organizers, only 60 minutes before the race. So, there is no overnight strategy decisions. Everything from racing preparation to race strategy with Strategy Plans A, B, C, etc need to be made in 60 minutes! And of course you don't know the strategy of your opponents so it is quite possible that they may have already trumped you in those crucial 60 minutes!

This is a nice video which explains the Attack Mode


In conclusion, qualifying will not be as much important now as the race. And even in the race there will be more importance to driving skills and strategy rather that just engineering. I only have one challenge for the Formula E organizers. Fit that Activation Zone at Monaco and I'll leave F1 :P
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