Formula 1 belongs in a museum? Damon Hill hits back at Fortescue boss with one demand for Formula E

Formula 1 belongs in a museum, and the future of motorsport lies in Formula E: Fortescue founder Andrew Forrest has caused a stir with his provocative claims. The Australian billionaire wants to see a Formula 1 car go head-to-head with a Gen4 machine. Now, Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill has responded with one clear condition. But just how close is Formula E's Gen4 car to Formula 1?

Damon Hill has hit back at Andrew Forrest's provocative comments about Formula 1. The Australian mining billionaire claimed that the pinnacle of motorsport belonged in a museum during the launch of his new Fortescue Zero Racing team in London. When British motorsport publication Autosport picked up the comments on X on Thursday, the 1996 Formula 1 World Champion was quick to respond.

"When Formula E can beat an F1 car over a full Grand Prix distance, yes," Hill wrote in response to Forrest's claim.

When Formula E can beat an F1 car over a full Grand Prix distance, yes.

— Damon Hill (@HillF1) November 12, 2026

The Fortescue founder had justified his provocative remarks by pointing to Formula E's rapid technological development. "I think Formula One has its place," Forrest told news agency Reuters. In his view, that place should be a large, illuminated limestone building with Formula 1 written across its facade - a museum.

Forrest believes younger generations will gravitate towards the fastest, most technologically advanced and most environmentally friendly form of motorsport. In his eyes, that is Formula E. While Formula 1 is a great racing series, he believes its time is running out. Forrest also drew parallels with the fossil fuel industry, likening Formula 1 to an old, noisy and smelly dinosaur.

Formula 1, meanwhile, highlighted its own sustainability efforts in response to Reuters. According to the championship, it has been using fully sustainable fuels since 2026. It also said it had reduced its CO2 emissions by 35 per cent compared with its 2018 baseline and remained committed to reaching net zero by 2030.

Forrest wants a head-to-head battle between Formula 1 & Gen4

But Forrest also wants to put his claims to the test on the racetrack. He told RacingNews365 that he wanted to see Formula 1 go head-to-head with Formula E. The all-electric championship, he argued, had achieved a level of performance in just a few years that had taken Formula 1 decades to develop.

Remarkably, Formula E would not even have to win such a contest for the Australian to consider it a success. Forrest wants to demonstrate how close the relatively young racing series has already come to matching Formula 1's performance. However, he did not specify a format for the comparison.

The Williams connection between Damon Hill & Andrew Forrest

Hill won his only Formula 1 World Championship with Williams in 1996. In 2022, Fortescue acquired Williams Advanced Engineering, which later became Fortescue Zero. Claire Williams is an ambassador for the new Formula E team, while Forrest himself described her father, Sir Frank Williams, as his mentor. The Gen4 car's livery even features a tribute to the late Williams founder.

Gen4 at Formula 2 pace? Monza test reveals gap to Formula 1

When it comes to acceleration, Forrest's vision of Formula E competing on equal terms with Formula 1 may already be within reach. With up to 600 kW of power, permanent all-wheel drive and a top speed of more than 330 km/h, Formula E is making[the biggest technological leap in its history for the 2026/27 season. The new cars are expected to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in around 1.8 seconds and reach 200 km/h in just 4.4 seconds.

Over a full lap, however, the picture looks rather different. A private Porsche development test at Monza in October provided an early indication of the gap. As e-Formula.news reported, the new Porsche 975 RSE reportedly lapped the iconic 5.793-kilometre circuit in around 1:32 minutes.

By comparison, Pierre Gasly secured pole position for September's Italian Grand Prix with a lap time of 1:21.786 minutes. A year earlier, Max Verstappen had been almost three seconds faster with a time of 1:18.792 minutes.

Based on its unofficially reported lap time, the Gen4 Porsche was therefore around ten seconds adrift of the current generation of Formula 1 cars. However, the electric single-seater was already in the same ballpark as Formula 2: Rafael Camara secured pole position at Monza in September with a time of 1:31.326 minutes.

Porsche has not released any official lap times, and the different testing and track conditions limit the validity of any direct comparison. Nevertheless, the reported time is all the more impressive given that it was apparently set on used tyres and without a dedicated qualifying simulation. The new Formula E cars may therefore have even more performance in reserve.

Formula 1 to shorten races in 2027 - but full distance remains a major hurdle for Formula E

The full Grand Prix distance proposed by Damon Hill presents an even greater challenge for Formula E. From 2027, Formula 1 will reduce its standard minimum race distance from 305 to 290 kilometres, equivalent to around two or three fewer laps depending on the circuit. The change comes alongside adjustments to the powertrain regulations in favour of the combustion engine: a higher permitted fuel flow rate allows for increased power, while the shorter race distance accounts for the additional fuel consumption. Monaco will retain its special status with a minimum distance of 260 kilometres.

Formula E, meanwhile, is introducing two considerably shorter race formats for the Gen4 era: a sprint race and a longer efficiency-focused race featuring a mandatory fast-charging pit stop. In a head-to-head contest over a full Grand Prix distance, one of the biggest questions for Formula E would be how often a car would need to recharge. In Formula 1, by contrast, refuelling during races is prohibited.

The Gen4 car's maximum power output is also not available throughout a race. Drivers can use up to 450 kW in normal race mode and up to 600 kW in Attack Mode. In addition, the FIA Sporting Regulations allow power to be reduced at higher speeds.

The difference in race distance is also illustrated by the official pre-season test at Jarama, which begins on Monday: the planned efficiency race simulation covers just 90 kilometres. Formula E will also trial its new power scheduling system, which reduces the maximum available power in normal race mode from 450 to 200 kW between 180 and 250 km/h.

Beyond power output and energy management, car weight, aerodynamics and tyres also play a crucial role in comparing the two championships. While Formula 1 uses slick tyres in dry conditions, Formula E will continue to race on treaded all-weather tyres in the Gen4 era.

Just how much of a performance gap remains between the two championships could become clearer in Monaco in 2027, where Formula 1 and Formula E have been racing on the same circuit layout for several years. However, the head-to-head contest envisaged by Forrest is not currently on the cards. And while Formula E is making an enormous performance leap with Gen4, it may still have a long way to go before it meets Damon Hill's condition.