There are some sports that are easy to explain to people.
Football? Simple.
Ice hockey? Fast, physical, chaotic — job done.
Formula E is a little different.
You can explain the electric cars, the street circuits, the technology and the racing, but none of that quite captures what makes the championship so enjoyable when you’re actually there.
And after spending the weekend around Formula E in London, I was reminded exactly why I’ve grown to love the series.
It Feels Different
The first thing that always strikes me about Formula E is the atmosphere.
It doesn’t feel like Formula One trying to be slightly smaller, and it doesn’t feel like a traditional motorsport event with electric cars bolted onto it.
It has its own identity.
The music, the presentation, the city-centre locations and the way the paddock feels all contribute to something that is genuinely different from most other forms of motorsport.
That matters.
There are plenty of racing championships competing for people’s attention, so simply being “another motorsport series” isn’t enough anymore.
Formula E has managed to create something that feels modern without losing the thing that actually matters most:
good racing.
The Racing Is Still the Biggest Selling Point
You can have all the technology and flashy presentation in the world, but if the racing is boring, eventually people switch off.
Formula E rarely has that problem.
The races are unpredictable, the margins are tiny and strategy can change incredibly quickly.
You can go from thinking someone has complete control of the race to suddenly watching them fall down the order because of energy management, an Attack Mode decision or one small mistake.
That uncertainty keeps you watching.
It also means you can’t necessarily judge a race after ten laps.
Things constantly evolve.
For me, that’s one of the strongest parts of Formula E.
The London Setting Is Brilliant
There’s also something special about seeing motorsport happening in the middle of a major city.
London gives Formula E a completely different backdrop from a traditional permanent circuit.
You’ve got the indoor-outdoor nature of the ExCeL track, the city around you and a crowd that often includes people who might not necessarily spend their weekends travelling to racing circuits.
That accessibility is a massive strength.
Motorsport can sometimes feel slightly removed from everyday life.
Formula E brings it directly into cities.
For someone who might never travel to Silverstone or another traditional circuit, suddenly there’s top-level international motorsport happening almost on their doorstep.
That can only be a good thing for the sport.
The Technology Is Fascinating — Without Needing to Be the Whole Story
One of Formula E’s biggest selling points has always been the technology.
Electric cars.
Energy efficiency.
Regeneration.
Battery development.
All of that is genuinely fascinating, particularly when you think about how quickly electric vehicle technology has developed over the last decade.
But what I like about Formula E now is that the technology doesn’t need to dominate the conversation.
You don’t have to be interested in battery chemistry to enjoy the racing.
The cars are fast, the drivers are world class and the competition is incredibly close.
The electric technology becomes another layer to enjoy rather than something you need to understand before you’re allowed in.
The Drivers Deserve More Credit
The level of driving in Formula E is ridiculous.
These are difficult cars to drive, often racing on incredibly tight street circuits with almost no margin for error.
Add energy management into the equation and the drivers are constantly balancing outright speed with efficiency.
And because the field is so competitive, one tiny mistake can completely change your weekend.
There are drivers in Formula E with Formula One experience, Le Mans experience and huge success across different categories of motorsport.
Yet I still think the wider sporting public sometimes underestimates just how strong the field is.
These are seriously talented racing drivers.
It’s Motorsport That Isn’t Afraid to Experiment
Not everything Formula E tries works.
And I actually think that’s part of the appeal.
The championship has never been scared of experimenting.
Different qualifying formats.
Attack Mode.
Fan engagement ideas.
New technology.
Different race formats.
Some things work brilliantly. Some get changed.
But there’s something refreshing about a championship willing to try something rather than simply saying, “That’s how motorsport has always done it.”
Sport needs tradition, but it also needs innovation.
Formula E is prepared to challenge the traditional idea of what a major motorsport championship should look like.
And Now GEN4 Is Coming
Perhaps the most exciting thing is that Formula E is about to enter another completely new era.
The GEN4 cars arrive for the 2026/27 season, with the new campaign getting underway with a double-header in Jeddah on 18 and 19 December 2026.
These will be the fastest and most powerful Formula E cars yet, capable of delivering up to 600kW — more than 815bhp — as the championship takes another significant step forward technically.
That’s what makes the timing particularly exciting.
London wasn’t just the end of another Formula E season. It effectively marked the end of the GEN3 era and the point where the championship starts looking towards its next generation.
Formula E has changed enormously since its first season, and GEN4 feels like another opportunity for the series to show just how far electric racing has come.
If the cars deliver the kind of racing Formula E already produces — only faster, more powerful and with another leap forward in technology — December suddenly feels a long way away.
Why I Keep Coming Back
Ultimately, the London weekend reminded me that Formula E ticks a lot of boxes for what I enjoy about sport.
It’s unpredictable.
It’s competitive.
It has personality.
The drivers are talented.
The technology is interesting.
And when a race gets going, you genuinely don’t know exactly how it’s going to play out.
That’s the most important bit.
For all the talk about electric cars, sustainability and the future of motoring, Formula E succeeds when you forget about all of that for 45 minutes and simply become invested in who is going to win the race.
And that’s exactly what happened to me again in London.
I walked away from the weekend thinking the same thing I usually do after watching Formula E:
I can’t wait for the next one — and with GEN4 coming in December, I’m already counting down.