Felipe Massa Gets First Formula E Running Ahead of 2019 Debut

Paul Jeffrey · May 31, 2018

Felipe Massa completes first Formula E test for Venturi in France, completing over 800km in a trouble free day of running.

Former Ferrari Grand Prix winner Felipe Massa has sampled a Gen2 Formula E car for the first time, completing over 800km in a successful test for his new 2019 Venturi Formula E team at the Ales-Cevennes in France, declaring himself happy with his new surroundings as preparations build ahead of the commencement of his three year contract starting next season.

Run partially behind closed doors at the little known Ales-Cevennes circuit in France, the test was solely to help Massa acclimatise to his new surroundings, and as such no times have been released from the test, however it was an important milestone for the Brazilian driver as he racks up experience in the next generation Gen2 Formula E car, set to make its debut next season as the organisers push the still young electric racing series to run with a single, more powerful battery than has been the case in early seasons of the championship.

Massa is expected to get further running throughout the year in preparation for the new season, with Venturi yet to decide who is to partner the popular Brazilian for the coming year.

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Looking forward to seeing Massa in a Formula E machine? Do you like the look of the new Formula E car? Let us know in the comments section below!

Sky · May 31, 2018

wow that car looks like a mess

Mitja Bonca · May 31, 2018

hmm...

dcollins22585 · May 31, 2018

Just stop with this series already. Just stop.

logintodownloadbtw · May 31, 2018

"Former Ferrari Grand Prix winner Felipe Massa"
Or how we really like to call him: 2008 F1 World Champion Felipe Massa.

CC · May 31, 2018

logintodownloadbtw said:
"Former Ferrari Grand Prix winner Felipe Massa"
Or how we really like to call him: 2008 F1 World Champion Felipe Massa.

Champions are champions its like me celebrating winning the lottery the day before the numbers come out

Enagee · May 31, 2018

dcollins22585 said:
Just stop with this series already. Just stop.

Fact that you took a look and time to reply say's you have at least 1% or more interest

......not a Formula E Fan but if its on and i catch it, I'll watch it, it's all racing .... Formula E is like a heaven for F1 drivers who are not ready to go.

Watching the series with drivers you know already makes it easier to follow.

snyperal · May 31, 2018

I'm surprised he's still racing. I thought he would be retiring for good.

I hope he does well, but I think he's a little old.

NASCRAP · May 31, 2018

Formula E is to racing what Michael Bolton is to music.

RichardHessels · May 31, 2018

snyperal said:
I'm surprised he's still racing. I thought he would be retiring for good.
I hope he does well, but I think he's a little old.

This guy will never stop racing. If he ever ends in a retirement home with a wheel chair he will race that too.

NASCRAP · May 31, 2018

Richard Hessels said:
This guy will never stop racing. If he ever ends in a retirement home with a wheel chair he will race that too.

And it'll be faster than what he's driving now.

And more people will watch it.

snyperal · May 31, 2018

NASCRAP said:
And it'll be faster than what he's driving now.

And more people will watch it.

What if it's an electric one??

Yrgfilosoof · May 31, 2018

Sky said:
wow that car looks like a mess

Minus the halo I think it looks quite cute.

You know guys what you say about age is absolute horse crap really. It's about preparation and motivation. Look at Craig Lowndes - can't qualify properly but he sure aint too old to mix it with the young guns (see picture below)
But Massa in Formula one, retiring and un-retiring and retiring again was a joke and I'm glad it's over. Plenty of young drivers want to try and fail in F1. In the most boring racing series in the world... Formula E has better racing probably overall and a very good bunch of drivers.

Andrew Harper · May 31, 2018

The whole point of the new car was FE wanted it's own brand "look" and image. They didn't want another F1 wannabe type chassis so I applaud them for the way the car looks.

If I remember it pretty much generates all it's downforce from the underfloor and a pretty huge diffuser.

I don't think the shape is too bad. The HALO seems to blend in better than any F1 car, yes I would prefer it without it but it's here and we have to deal with it.

I'm neither here or there with FE (I watch Sportscar and GT), it's not going to go, factories are becoming more and more interested in it and it'll be around for at least another ten years I would imagine.

As I've said before though my only gripe is just the tracks, they are so unimaginative. Just wish they were more special.

As for Massa's drive. Well he wanted to do this a few years back so I wish him all the best. As mentioned above I think he's like most brazilian race drivers; they just love to race. Rubens still races and is still loving his racing back home. Look at some of the drivers in WTCR, they were racing in BTCC in the mid 90's and are still winning races.

dersirromet · Jun 1, 2018

I normally don't get involved in these things, but it's gotten quite annoying.

Here's the thing: If you don't like the size, shape, smell, sound or taste of Formula E, its drivers, its concept, engines or tracks, don't watch it. You're free to ignore its existence, you're even free to not like it. Yes, in principle you're also free to say it's stupid, but to be honest: It only shows that you feel threatened on a quite primitive and most probably unreflected level. The information provided ("It's slow, it looks weird, it sounds dull) is not really new, you're not providing anyone with a new insight, just blurting out your emotion, basically saying: "Help! It's different to what I know and I feel threatened."

Because rationally you wouldn't have to care. There are still about 100 racing series left that don't have electrical engines. Watch some of them. Believe me, there are also racing series that I don't like in any way, neither its concept nor culture, but I don't feel the need to bother its fans with it. I just switch to a different racing series and that's it.

Oh, and if you don't like all those pretentious sustainability people: Even I as a person that doesn't really care about the environment understand that it is a legitimate motive to protect future generations by trying to find alternatives to gas, which will run out anyway in a couple of decades.

Yrgfilosoof · Jun 1, 2018

Andrew Harper said:
The HALO seems to blend in better than any F1 car, yes I would prefer it without it but it's here and we have to deal with it.

YES! Absolutely! I wanted to point that out but forgot to mention. I think the halo blends in very well with the car unlike F1 where it's just an annoyingly badly integrated part both design and aero wise, since it came late as an addition. For the Gen2 FE car it was always going to be there which helps I guess.

That said tho, it would still look better without it. But as you said, it's here and we have to accept that it is.

Sky · Jun 1, 2018

dersirromet said:
I normally don't get involved in these things, but it's gotten quite annoying.

Here's the thing: If you don't like the size, shape, smell, sound or taste of Formula E, its drivers, its concept, engines or tracks, don't watch it. You're free to ignore its existence, you're even free to not like it. Yes, in principle you're also free to say it's stupid, but to be honest: It only shows that you feel threatened on a quite primitive and most probably unreflected level. The information provided ("It's slow, it looks weird, it sounds dull) is not really new, you're not providing anyone with a new insight, just blurting out your emotion, basically saying: "Help! It's different to what I know and I feel threatened."

Because rationally you wouldn't have to care. There are still about 100 racing series left that don't have electrical engines. Watch some of them. Believe me, there are also racing series that I don't like in any way, neither its concept nor culture, but I don't feel the need to bother its fans with it. I just switch to a different racing series and that's it.

Oh, and if you don't like all those pretentious sustainability people: Even I as a person that doesn't really care about the environment understand that it is a legitimate motive to protect future generations by trying to find alternatives to gas, which will run out anyway in a couple of decades.

i don't watch it.

also, see my signature for further info.

dersirromet · Jun 1, 2018

Sky said:
i don't watch it.

also, see my signature for further info.

How is that relevant to my point.

Your signature is incorrect. Anyone with a basic knowledge in neuroscience would know that to attend a stimulus, it needs to be considered relevant to your personal situation. When you type something into your keyboard and share it with other people, this presumes that you've thought about it, meaning that you must have cared. The default mode network doesn't just automatically do that, thus rendering your hypothesis in the signature false.

Sky · Jun 1, 2018

where did i say i haven't thought about it?

looks like rubbish. not going to watch. don't care.

theres the thought process.

what was yours when you mistook 'don't care' for 'don't think'?

dersirromet · Jun 1, 2018

Sky said:
where did i say i haven't thought about it?

looks like rubbish. not going to watch. don't care.

theres the thought process.

what was yours when you mistook 'don't care' for 'don't think'?

You're clearly not interested in an actual discussion, elsewise you would've understood that the directed thought process requires attention to the stimulus, which subsequently requires caring about it. You can dispute the content of that argumentation(well, in principle you can, I doubt you're qualified to do so), saying I mixed up caring and thinking just shows me that you were incapable of or unwilling to follow my argument.

Oh, also your thought process does miss the motivation to share this opinion, which is what my argument was about.