Formula E has been on a fast track over the past decade, quickly evolving into one of the most gripping motor-racing series, with TV viewership figures of 491 million worldwide, more than a billion impressions across social channels, and a global fanbase of 374 million.
Given its exposure as the “noisiest quietest” motorsport, it’s important that when racing fans around the world see their racing heroes hold a trophy aloft, the sculpture they hold in their hand embodies the Championship’s race of innovation towards a greener future and an optimum use of resources. Especially when it comes to increasing the global visibility of the sport and its Founding Partner Julius Baer’s commitment to next-generation topics such as electric mobility.
The strategy behind the artwork
“The Pole Position Winner’s Trophy is one of Julius Baer’s main assets in our partnership with Formula E and we were looking for new ideas on how to develop the trophy for the next generation of the championship,” says Chief Marketing Officer Marco Parroni. “We wanted something sleek and beautiful that also aligned with our principles of sustainable design and manufacture.”
To make this vision a reality, Julius Baer and Formula E challenged three BA Product and Industrial Design graduates from the prestigious Central Saint Martins University of the Arts in London to come up with a bespoke design for the all-electric car series. The concept selected, ‘Dance with Strategy’ by design graduate Cassorde Zafari, aimed to embody the balance between variables like speed, timing, energy management and practical awareness, all of which influence the outcome of a race.
For Cassorde, the main challenge was finding the right narrative for the design. “I wanted to bring the research I took from qualifying formats into a physical form. ‘Dance with Strategy’ is about the precision of teamwork, strategy and driving perfection. It was important for me to shine a light onto the other aspects of racing, where it’s not just about the driver having a perfect line but also the engineering aspect and the pit crews.”
Cassorde drew energy from his own passion for motorsport. “My passion for cars comes from the way they make me feel. The way they move through space. It’s like an extension of your body and mind.” He says the creative process isn’t about forcing an idea but allowing it to evolve. “It’s like chasing a feeling that you know exists, but you don’t know how you’re going to get there.”
Moving from waste to beauty
The work of turning Cassorde’s prototype into a sleek sculpture fell to Gomi, a UK design agency with a philosophy of using waste plastics and second-life batteries to make beautiful products that last. “We’re all about taking the material that no one wants and turning it into something that everybody wants,” explains Tom Meades, designer and co-founder of Gomi.
When Tom and his fellow designers and engineers first received Cassorde’s design, its shape and the combination of materials posed a conundrum. “The concept was very abstract compared with some of the projects we’ve done before,” he says. “The biggest challenges in manufacturing the trophy were moulding the plastic parts to fit onto the metal part. The metal parts are milled and cut down to the nearest micron, but the plastic is a waste material, so inherently it warps and moves. We had to marry those two processes together to create something that was really premium and desirable.”
End product takes form of a ‘shimmering duel’
The final product that Tom and his fellow designers and engineers machined into life does justice to Cassorde’s innovative concept. Combining gleaming metal with a colourful, marble-like plastic, the trophy’s sleek form embodies the sharp lines of the Formula E cars, with their angular, futuristic feel, while the two-pronged levels of the trophy suggest two drivers vying against each other for pole position.
“It has a lot of sharp angles, a lot of sharp lines. It looks really striking as an object,” says Tom. In his eyes, what sets the new Pole Position Trophy apart is the narrative it conveys. “So many trophies are just a piece of metal. They might be pleasing on the eye, but they all just look pretty. We’re really happy to have combined the sleekness of the design with this really strong sustainability story.”
Sustainable design in good hands with next generation
For Marco, the imaginative new approach to this season’s trophy design also sends out a message about the spirit of ongoing innovation in Formula E. “This year’s design is amazing because it’s completely new compared to the different trophies we’ve had in the past,” he says. “The trophy not only rewards victory but also symbolises the pinnacle of achievement in a forward-thinking sport.”
Marco says that it was a personal thrill to be involved in the design process with the talented young designers. “I met with them when they presented their sketches and prototypes. The wow effect was there for me from the very beginning. It’s been exciting to see the energy and creativity with which they’ve taken their passion for design and motorsport and produced this wonderful trophy.”
As a reward for his efforts, Cassorde was invited to São Paulo in December to personally hand the trophy over to the winning driver [Pascal Wehrlein] on the first race weekend of the season. How pleased was he with the end result? “It was the culmination of months of hard work, dedication and passion – a truly unforgettable moment for me. When I actually saw the trophy in the driver’s hands, it was a really humbling experience, but super fulfilling.”
If the creativity and passion brought to the design and manufacture of this season’s trophy are anything to go by, the next generation of sustainable design is in good hands.