i3 - November/December 2016 - 9

cars, and I want CES attendees to all
become fans of Formula E.

What role will technology companies and manufacturers play with
the development of Formula E and
your teams?

that will develop the technology of future
electric vehicles.

FROM LEFT: DPA PICTURE ALLIANCE/ALAMY; ADAM WARNER/FORMULA E MOTOSPORTS

You spoke at SBI last year and will
host an eRace at CES 2017. Tell us
about your interest in eSports and
expanded involvement with CES.

We think bringing
eSports to CES
is a great mix of
technology and a
new way of enjoying
the event and
sport together.

involvement. Tell us about this
evolution and your plans for the
race schedule.
All the major OEMs are joining the
electric revolution. Everybody is pushing
for electric. This is just a consequence
that brands are going towards electric.
We are the only platform out there that
can be both a technology platform and
a marketing platform for those brands.
We are really happy that they are joining
Formula E because they will be the ones
C TA . t e c h / i 3

CES is for me, the coolest industry
event in the world. This is where all
the brands in the world come together
to show their latest developments. It
has also become almost a motor show.
It's bigger than a motor show because
technology is converging between
electronics, connectivity, mobile and
cars. That is what makes CES so unique,
you're seeing more and more car brands
involved in CES and that's why we think
this is absolutely the right place for
Formula E. We showed for the first time
ever our Formula E car on the streets
of any city in the world here in Las
Vegas at CES, three years ago. We were
there last year and we will continue to
participate in CES because we think
this is the coolest industry event in the
world. eSports is a key part of our future
development. We believe in eSports.
We believe in giving fans access to the
experience of racing, and we think
bringing eSports to CES is a great mix
of technology and a new way of enjoying
the event and sport together.

What do you want CES attendees
to know about Formula E?
I want CES attendees to see Formula E
as a technology platform and as a fun
way of promoting technology and electric

Technology companies are absolutely
essential for the development of Formula
E and the teams. They will be the actors.
We just build the theatre, we need the
actors inside the theatre to develop this
technology and improve electric cars.
Technology companies and manufacturers
are actually the key actors in our movie.

What mobility trends do you see
driving the automotive industry?
Definitely the trends are electric, connected and driverless. Because all those
trends completely transform the automotive industry and will transform the
way we move around, particularly in cities.
Cities are a revolution waiting to happen
in terms of mobility. We are going to see
huge changes in terms of mobility in
cities in the next few years and driverless
(vehicles) will have a lot to do with that.

Will drones and driverless cars
impact Formula E in the future?
Will all cars be electric?
I am absolutely convinced all cars will
be electric one day. And I am absolutely
convinced that all cars in the world will
have some sort of driverless function and
this is going to change the way we see
transportation. Drones? I think that is
probably the next step. We will see where
that goes. I am actually meeting some
people myself who are doing something
really interesting around drones.
We could even now call them flying cars.

Where do you envision the
company in five years?
In five years, I think this company is
going where the world is going and where
the industry is going. It is probably going
to be the most relevant motorsport
championship in the world.
n
Visit Formula E at CES 2017.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

9
http://CTA.tech/i3
i3 - November/December 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - November/December 2016
