Posted on 24th March 2016
Last weekend, Formula E's two most recent race winners went head-to-head in the second edition of the Formula E Race Off, with Jerome D'Ambrosio edging out Sam Bird at ESL Studios in Leicester.
The Dragon Racing and DS Virgin drivers were joined in the arena by a selection of lucky gamers who competed online alongside fans from all over the world, with the races streamed live across Formula E's official Twitch and YouTube channels.
In a statement to the media last weekend, D'Ambrosio believes that the Formula E Race Off is about interaction with fans of the series and also of gamers and supports the idea. D'Ambrosio stated the following:-
It's not about winning, it's about the interaction with the fans and gamers. There are so many things we can do together – it's two different worlds but we all love racing. This is only the beginning in terms of what we can do together. I think it's great that Formula E is trying to connect in a different way with the fans and the community. Incorporating eSports is a great idea. What we do on track and what they do on their consoles – there is space for both of them and it's great that we can take each other on.
In his own statement to the media last weekend, Bird was disappointed to have lost but did have great fun engaging with the fans. Bird said the following:-
Finishing runner-up is obviously disappointing but I had a lot of fun! It's always good to interact with the audience and those that are online, and it's great to be part of this adventure with Formula E and the gaming platform.
A number of the world's best Forza Motorsport 6 players also competed in several rounds of racing, culminating in a dramatic final showdown in Long Beach. The final was won by Team Maxou, led by Maxime Potar from Belgium.
In a statement to the media last weekend, Potar believes that its important series of motorsport engage with the fans in order to grow. Potar stated the following:-
It's a bit of a surprise. My team was very strong but also part of my community. There are strong Forza players all over the world. It's important to be where the fans are, and Formula E has shown that with ideas such as FanBoost. It's great that I can go from racing in my bedroom to racing against a Formula E driver that won last week!
For more information on the Race Off Pro Series visit www.fiaformulae.com/raceoff
Fanboost is open for Long Beach ePrix
On Monday, voting was officially open for FanBoost ahead of the Long Beach ePrix on April 2.
With Lucas di Grassi, Salvador Duran and Jean-Eric Vergne being the winners of the 100kJ energy boost last time out in Mexico City, and now is your opportunity to decide who will get the extra energy in round six.
There are four ways in which you can vote for your favourite Formula E driver to receive the FanBoost. These are as follows:-
1. Web
Log on to www.fiaformulae.com/fanboost
2. App
Available on iOS and Android for free
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/fia-formula-e-championship/id1055039653?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fiaformulae.formulae
3. Twitter
Simply Tweet #FanBoost #DriverName – please note you have to use the driver's full name
4. Instagram
Simply post a picture or video along with #FanBoost DriverName
You can vote via each of these methods once every day. The vote will close six minutes into the Long Beach ePrix.
Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa
