HWA Racelab’s Gary Paffett believes Formula E’s power increase in Attack Mode for Season 6 will make overtaking in the series riskier.
Attack Mode was introduced to Formula E at the start of Season 5, with drivers getting a 25kW power boost by driving through a designated zone out on track, with this lasting four minutes.
For the series’ 2019/20 campaign, which will commence on November 22 later this year, Attack Mode will see a 10kW power increase, maximising the available power to 235kW in race conditions – closer in performance to Formula E’s 250kW qualifying mode.
Reflecting on the decision to increase the power available when using Attack Mode, Paffett welcomed the change with mixed thoughts, stating that while overtaking will become easier, it will also become riskier due to increased energy consumption:
"The [original] 25kW makes overtaking possible but it’s certainly not easy,” Paffett told Motorsport Week.
"The thing is that you get 10kW extra which will make overtaking easier but it also means that you’re also going to be consuming more energy while you’re using it.”
Throughout Season 5, Attack Mode has been most commonly taken under Full Course Yellow or safety car conditions, with this minimising the projected time loss when utilising the device, with Attack Zones typically located off the racing line on most circuits.
For the 2019/20 season, however, drivers will no longer be able to arm the device under controlled yellow flag conditions while a subtraction of 1kWh of energy per minute when under safety car or Full Course Yellow conditions makes energy consumption higher, thus emphasising the importance of management.
"You’re using up more of your race energy,” he continued.
"You’re actually taking more of a risk to overtake, meaning that you’re going to have to save more before or later so it does add even more strategy to the whole Attack Mode concept which is good.”
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