At first glance, Formula E cars don’t look that different from Formula One cars. However, the contrast is huge. What are the main differences?
The main difference between Formula E and Formula One is obviously the engine. We have a battery that replaces the fuel tank, and we have an electric motor that replaces the combustion engine. So we don’t use any fuel. If you look at the performance of the car, which can accelerate from 1 to 100 kilometres per hour in around 3 seconds, it’s quite impressive, especially if you consider that we are just at the start of the electric revolution.

In what sense is there a different sensation when entering an electric racing car? What about the reduced top speed?
When I first drove the car, it was really special not to hear the noise of the engine. You hear some mechanical noise when you drive very slowly, but as soon as you go over 100 kilometres per hour, you only hear the wind. This can be quite stressful at the start. But you get used to it and it’s very peaceful. You are relaxed and your ears are fine after an entire race. At the same time, the behaviour of the car is not too far from that of a Formula One car.

Did you miss the sound of a Formula One engine when you first entered an electric car?
We are in a revolution with electric cars, which will certainly be the cars of the future. You can find some positive things about the fact that there is no noise, and there could be some negative ones. The pure fans, they like the sound, they like the smell of the normal combustion engine, but there are many other great aspects to Formula E.

Formula One is engineering pushed to the edge. Is the technology in electric race cars as sophisticated?
Of course a Formula E car is a little bit slower than a Formula One car. But Formula One has been around for 60 years, while we have only been around for three seasons so far, so it’s not easy to compare. Who knows whether in 57 years Formula E will be quicker than Formula One. And even though we only race in city centres, we still reach over 210 kilometres per hour, as for example here in Monaco. The engineers spend a lot of energy developing the powertrain – the electric motor together with the battery and the transmission. We don’t put any effort into wings, trying to put more downforce on the car, which of course would make it quicker. But it would not really serve the normal automotive world because you would never find any wings on a normal car.

How would you describe the different atmospheres of the two racing series?
I very much like Formula E because it’s very innovative. The format runs over a single day. If you are a pure fan, you come in the morning on a Saturday and you see cars drive very often during the day – at the free practices, the qualifying and finally at the race. It’s very important for city centres not to be blocked for too long, and clearly Formula E belongs into the city centres. That’s why we do it there, and that’s why we do it over a day.

Formula E wants to raise awareness of the risks of climate change. Does this mission influence your attitude towards your job?
Of course I don’t only compete in Formula E because I want to drive in a clean and greener racing series. I do it because I love the sport, I love the fights between the drivers. If you go to the city and ask if people know Formula E, they will all say that they have heard about it. So it has a very positive impact on people, and it also pushes the boundaries of electric cars. We have seen over the last two years all the manufacturers spending a lot of money developing new electric powertrains. Since in the future everyone will have electric cars, Formula E is definitely a good tool to develop the technology.