Formula E in India, what you need to know
After nearly a decade, India will once again play host to a premier motorsport championship when Formula E’s Hyderabad E-Prix takes place on February 11.
Everything you’ll want to know about the centerpiece event is provided below:
The electric version of a Formula 1 race is called an “E-Prix.” T Hyderabad is now the 30th city to hold an E-Prix, making this the pinnacle of electric motorsport.
From 2011 through 2013, the Indian Grand Prix was held at the Buddh International Circuit in Delhi. However, Sebastian Vettel’s doughnuts on the way to capturing his 4th successive championship were something we did get to see.
How does this differ from Formula-1?
There are primarily two distinctions, namely :
First, the name implies that the “E” in Formula E stands for electric, meaning that a battery powers the entire racing vehicle. To “greenify,” Formula 1 did debut a hybrid motor in 2014, and as of 2026, it plans to use carbon-neutral synthetic fuels. However, F1 is still mostly a non-electric sport.
The increased number of automakers who have joined Formula E is understandable given the global shift toward electric vehicles since any innovations in the sport are likely to be reflected in their on-road production as well.
The chassis and battery are identical for all of Formula E’s teams and drivers, which is another significant distinction.
There are no “It Was the Car” memes of Lewis Hamilton’s domination in this situation because every team has the same hardware at their disposal. Instead, superiority is demonstrated by a driver lineup, track configuration, and even software.
Indian Team
Jehan Daruvala is present in the pit area, however, he is driving as a reserve for Mahindra Racing (in addition to his duties in Formula 2). Lucas di Grassi’s third-place finish in the first race of this season gives the Indian team a chance to finish on the podium, but colleague Oliver Rowland is still without a point. Even if there are no Indians on the grid, there are teams to support thanks to the Tata-owned Jaguar TCS Racing team.
Formula E often wraps up in a day or two, as opposed to Formula 1’s three-day weekends. The schedule so far is set at Free Practice 1 which will be taking place on Friday at 4:25 p.m., followed by FP2 at 8:05 a.m., qualifying at 10:40 a.m., and the race starting at 3 p.m.
Although Formula E takes pleasure in hosting largely street races in the middle of cities, that is also a result of its “flaws.” A purpose-built course couldn’t support battery technology from earlier seasons, which resulted in the odd sight of drivers switching vehicles in the middle of a race. With the Gen 3 cars in the series, none of it applies.
Along with Hussain Sagar Lake and NTR Gardens, the 2.83 km long Hyderabad track has 18 bends that are built to take use of the improved regenerative braking of Formula E.
Qualifying / Straight Shootout
Odd and even groups are split up into the grid based on their rankings, and each group runs at full speed for 10 minutes while attempting to record the fastest lap time. The top four finishers from each group go to “duels,” where the fastest finisher from Group A, for instance, competes against the fourth-fastest finisher from Group B in a knockout round.
The losers of the quarterfinals from positions 5-8 are determined by lap timings, with the eventual shootout between the semifinal winners—who get the first row—following. If the polesitter is from Group B, the time with the fifth-highest ranking in Group B is ranked ninth, the time with the same ranking in Group A is ranked tenth, and so on.
Drivers must make sure their charge lasts the entire race because, aside from that, it’s a straight shootout. In previous seasons, Mahindra Racing had infamously missed out on victories when their battery ran out, with their driver coasting to the finish line without power after the final corner and missing out on the win at the bar.
Conclusion
Formula E is rapidly transforming the global motorsport landscape, bringing together some of the world’s most iconic cities, teams, and drivers for exciting, sustainable, and accessible racing.
Formula E provides an exciting and unique experience for spectators, with races taking place in the city’s heart and right next to iconic landmarks. The race format has been designed to maximize excitement and entertainment, with races taking place over a single day and the entire field of drivers competing in a single race.
It has also become a leader in sustainability, with cars powered entirely by renewable energy, including solar and wind power. The racing series is also committed to making motorsport more accessible, with tickets available for a fraction of the cost of a Formula One race,
