Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson believes Formula E will overtake Formula 1 as the premier motorsport series within a decade.
Branson became involved with F1 in 2009 when he sponsored the Brawn GP team before becoming a team owner in 2010 with Virgin Racing. However after two unsuccessful seasons the outfit was sold to Marussia.
Branson then moved into Formula E for the series debut season in 2014, finishing fifth. In 2015 the team were third, fourth in 2016 and are currently second in season four thanks to Sam Bird's Hong Kong victory.
The British billionaire reckons the series has what it takes to overtake F1 in terms of popularity.
"It’s just a fantastic platform to shine a light of advancing technologies in electronic vehicles," Branson told China's The Post. "And also to show the world electric cars aren’t slow and boring, but they’re cool, fun and sustainable.
"It’s been incredibly exciting. It’s growing very rapidly, every season they’re bringing in new initiatives.
"I’m willing to forecast that 10 years from now, if Formula 1 continue in their current way, I think Formula E will overtake it.
"And so it should, because the world should be powered by clean cars. We’ve all got to wean ourselves off dirty cars, and Formula E can lead the way in that."
The series also aligns with Branson's push for renewable energy and says Formula E can play an important role in raising awareness.
"Formula E has done a lot to raise awareness of things like climate change," he added. "We’re in a position to inspire people from both race fans to governments to play their part in tackling things like climate change.
"The team really wants to use it to accelerate initiatives that help the world achieve the goals of Paris Climate Accord."
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