Todt: ‘Nonsense’ to suggest F1 could go all-electric

FIA president Jean Todt says it is “nonsense” to think Formula 1 could become an all-electric series, believing it is "boring" to draw comparisons between the championship and Formula E.

F1 motorsport director Ross Brawn said last month there was “nothing to stop us having electric Formula 1 cars in the future” should there be a desire from the sport’s stakeholders to make that switch, adding: “I don't see Formula 1 being locked into internal combustion engines forever, but who knows where we are in 10 years?”

The FIA launched its first all-electric single-seater championship, Formula E, in 2014, with the series set to enter its fifth season this December.

Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag was quick to rebuff Brawn’s comments, saying that the series had a 25-year exclusive license, meaning F1 could not go electric until 2039 at the earliest.

Speaking at Monza last weekend, Todt dismissed the idea of F1 becoming an electric series in the future, and said he felt it was not worth comparing it with Formula E given the stark differences between the championships.

“It would be nonsense to say in the coming future Formula 1 is going to be electric. It’s not going to happen, simply you could not do it,” Todt said.

“We are talking about two completely different categories. Formula E has not got the performance of Formula 1. At the moment one of the reasons Formula E is in cities is because it would not create any interest to have Formula E on a circuit like Monza, for example. We are talking about two different categories.

“It is completely misleading to compare Formula E and Formula 1. Formula 1 is a very well-established category, and I keep saying, for me, Formula E is the baby of the FIA. So still a lot to learn.

“But saying that, it’s growing very well. We started four years back, we needed to have two cars to do a race of 45 minutes.

“At the end of the year first race in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, when a woman will be allowed to drive, we will be able to do the race with one car.

“It shows how motor-racing can be a laboratory, not only a show, a laboratory. But to lose time by comparing the two categories is just boring.”