Formula E embraces Gen4 hype amidst thrilling Gen3 Evo title fight

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds has made it clear that the all-electric series intends to fully embrace the hype surrounding its brand-new Gen4 race car, even if it means "overshadowing" the current Gen3 Evo machinery with half a season still left to run.

However, this surge of anticipation presents a unique challenge for Formula E: managing the excitement for the future while keeping the spotlight on a current campaign that still has 11 races remaining, kicking off with this weekend's double-header in Berlin.

Balancing the present and the future

Dodds acknowledges the inevitable attention the Gen4 car will command during this final season of the Gen3 era. Rather than fighting the distraction, Formula E has a strategic plan in place. To ensure the current, highly competitive title fight is not forgotten, the series will showcase the new car at select upcoming races through circuit demonstrations and static displays.

The ultimate ambition is for the two narratives—the dawn of the Gen4 era and the climax of the current championship—to complement each other rather than compete for attention.

When asked about the difficulty of maintaining fan focus on the current season amidst the Gen4 distraction, Dodds explained the dynamic to RacingNews365: "It's such a good point, with six locations to go, and I think it's probably going to be one of the most closely contested title races in the history of Formula E."

A championship down to the wire

The current on-track product is delivering exactly what the series desires. The battle for supremacy is fierce, with Jaguar and Porsche looking incredibly evenly matched in the manufacturers' and teams' standings. Mahindra remains a looming threat not far behind, while Pascal Wehrlein faces intense pressure from the Jaguar driver lineup and Edoardo Mortara in the drivers' championship.

"So it does feel like it's coming down to the wire this season," Dodds continued. "I think it's super exciting, but it is quite tricky, isn't it? Because we've got a race car today that we know creates really competitive on-track racing and is a brilliant racing car, but it's going to be overshadowed by this incredible Gen4 car that's coming."

Rather than downplaying the new arrival, Formula E's leadership is choosing to lean into the momentum.

"And I think we can try to resist that, or we can try to lean into it a little bit," Dodds noted. "So we're going to very much be focusing, in equal measure, on what's happening on track and the excitement of this race series, but we're not going to shy away from the fact that people want to see the new car, they want to hear a bit more about it, and they want to see it on track."

"So what we will do is kind of partner those two things together."

By integrating the Gen4 car into the remaining race weekends, Formula E hopes to deliver a seamless transition that celebrates both the pinnacle of the Gen3 era and the thrilling future that lies ahead.