Nico Müller on the development of Formula E: "Gen 4 could be very, very exciting"

If you compare the Formula E race in Mexico City a few weeks ago with the very first round of the racing series in Beijing in September 2014, it's hard to find any similarities. Although the cars are still battery-powered, a lot has changed in other respects: The technology and racing format, but also the professionalism and - not to be neglected - the budgets of the teams are now at a much higher level than back then. This has not gone unnoticed by the rest of the motorsport world, as Andretti driver Nico Müller explains.

"Technically, it's pretty obvious that the cars have become much faster and much more efficient", says Nico Müller, describing the development of Formula E in episode 350 of our German-language podcast ePod. The Swiss driver should know: back in 2016, he confirmed in an interview with e-Formula.news in 2016, he confirmed his interest in the electric series, In January 2018, he was allowed to test a Formula E car for the first time at the rookie test in Marrakesh. "The step from Gen1 to Gen2 was already big: you no longer swapped cars during the race, the cars became much faster and you could drive much, much longer and at a higher level. The efficiency has improved drastically."

"Gen3 was another big step in terms of the pure performance of the car, that was quickly recognisable," he continues. "You could almost say that the step up to the Gen3 Evo was perhaps almost bigger than you might have expected with the changes, which on paper are manageable. It is not a completely new car, but a few changes have been made that have a very, very big effect. This makes it clear to the spectators that the evolution is anything but levelling off, but that things are still moving forward in big steps. I think that's the exciting thing. And if you look a little further towards the horizon - towards Gen4 - that could be very, very exciting."

But even if you look beyond the pure technology of Formula E, Müller has observed significant changes in Formula E. Even though the series is still a niche product in its eleventh season, especially in comparison to Formula 1, and barely attracts any attention in the big media world, this is no longer the case in the paddocks.

Müller: "Things are moving in the right direction"

"I have the impression that the acceptance among motorsport professionals from all corners - drivers, teams, journalists - from the motorsport industry to automotive experts has grown a lot," says Müller. "You also have the feeling that the respect for the job that teams, organisers and drivers deliver has grown again. Because on the one hand the challenge is different, there are even more components to 'successful racing' than just driving fast in circles and these cars are difficult to drive at the limit. That has increased."

With regard to the popularity of the racing series, however, he sees an imbalance locally. "I have the feeling that the broad acceptance in Europe has perhaps not grown quite as much as in other parts of the world. I have the feeling that if you look at Asia or America, the development has progressed a little faster in terms of how Formula E is perceived. But basically, things are moving in the right direction. If we could accelerate that a little more - all the better."

The next opportunity to increase awareness of Formula E will be at the double header in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) on 14 and 15 February. Another technical development will also be used for the first time: pit stops with fast charging.