Ahead of its global launch on May 2, Motorsport Week gained early access to Amazon Prime’s docuseries Formula E: Driver, the all-electric championship’s first big exposure to this kind of television experience.
One of Formula E’s biggest problems over its near 11-year existence is that comparisons have often been drawn to Formula 1, either by itself or others.
The fact is: it isn’t F1, and it never will be. It’s always likely for such conversations – it is the only premier single-seater series outside of F1 that isn’t an F1 feeder series.
But, this is a comparison that should be drawn, or an emulation that needs to be made. Streaming service programming is an area Formula E has desperately need to work its way into before.
And now it has.
Previously, a Drive to Survive-style series called Unplugged was previously available on YouTube and on TNT Sports, and the show did have brilliant production values and showcased Formula E well.
However, no-one really knew it existed.
Now Amazon has stepped-in, FE has a genuine shot of engaging itself with mainstream audiences.
Interestingly, one of the key takeaways from the programme is that it feels very much like Drive to Survive, but without the faff and overdramatised nature.
Instead, it is able to capture Formula E and all its drama without creating it inorganically.
‘We are normal people with big goals and big dreams’
One of the most true and human moments comes at the end of the final episode, when a tearful Antonio Felix da Costa – one of the four drivers featured – profusely apologises to an equally-upset Nick Cassidy, the former having taken out the latter in London, ending his title chances.
Moreover, da Costa’s mid-season existential crisis amid the uncertainty of his future with Porsche was captured brilliantly, as was his own personal fightback which seemed like a true renaissance moment of the whole championship’s decade-long history.
We also see one of the other of the quartet – Mitch Evans – have unhappy moments, but also a genuine moment of personal triumph, winning Monaco, an achievement he always wanted to unlock.
Da Costa himself has been, despite being a naturally private person, very welcoming of the series. He told media including Motorsport Week about he hopes it will show the drivers as just people.
“I think we’re normal people with big goals and big dreams and it’s good to show that it’s good to dream big.
“I feel put of place so many times, you know. I’m have two arms and two legs like you guys, I’m the lucky one that gets to drive the car and sometimes win and hold the trophy.
“So I think the way I see it is: let’s give people what that feels like, maybe we can inspire to someone to go and chase some kind of dream.
“I don’t do it for the fame, not at all.”
‘We need to go even further’ in terms of authenticity
Dan Ticktum was accepting of the fact that there, was, as he told Motorsport Week, “definitely a narrative to how my character’s portrayed, you know, sort of a bit more of a bad boy.”
Ticktum was quite open upon the global launch about how his personal life was shown, and how his motorsport dream caused certain issues within his family, but says there is room for more scope.
“I think the only thing they could have done better with it is have longer episodes and more of them, because there was a lot of my stuff that was cut.”
Ticktum also made the comparison to Drive To Survive, saying that Amazon’s incarnation is a case of keeping it real.
“I don’t think we’ve done that [overdramatised],” he said. “I think there’s definitely a bit of narrative of that they’re trying to paint with the four drivers, which is good though, because you need to make that engaging and have ‘this guy does this, this and this,’ you know.
“In Drive To Survive, they’re just making it this circus show now, and I haven’t watched it since the second series.
“I watched the first series and I was like ‘this is probably going to be s**t, and it was actually great. Very real behind the scenes, and it was bloody brilliant.
“And then after a couple of seasons, it’s obviously exploded.
“I don’t think that’s where we are. We need to go even further in the authentic way, you know. That’s the thing.”
Despite the drivers featured have contrasting personalities, they are all very much straight shooters, and the fact their positive response to it is glowing to this extent, it proves that Formula E has scored.
With any luck, the response from the public will be positive, and then the expansion of the series can happen, and progress the championship to a place where both its feet are in the mainstream.
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