FORMULA E E-STREET FIGHTERS FOR SUCH A LITTLE CAR, THE JAGUAR I-TYPE CARRIES A LOT OF EXPECTATIONS. AS GQ’S JASON BARLOW FOUND OUT IT’S TASKED NOT ONLY WITH PUTTING JAGUAR BACK ON THE PODIUM BUT WITH INSPIRING A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF ELECTRIC JAGUARS, STARTING WITH I-PACE Jaguar is the creator of some of the most soul-stirring internal combustion engines in automotive history. But the company is also embarking on a radical new electric mission, and by getting involved with the rapidly evolving Formula E global electric race series the communication couldn’t be clearer. They mean it. “Formula E is an innovative series with competitive, close racing in front of urban audiences. It develops EV tech and helps change the perception of electric cars,” says Panasonic Jaguar Racing chairman, Gerd Mäuser. “Electrifcation is the future,” Jaguar’s Group Engineering Director Nick Rogers adds. Team Director James Barclay is charged with directly surmounting the new challenge for Jaguar, building the whole team to operational fitness at each race, and masterminding strategy. “We’ve been looking to return to motorsport for a while, but it had to be for the right reasons,” he says. “Formula E is going to become a very interesting championship, and it’s a great proving ground for EV technology. We wanted to come in with a full works programme, so we could control our destiny. There are still many pluses to doing a sports car programme, but this is a bolder step, and also a step into a new technology. We want to be a leader in this field.” To which end, the team has appointed Williams Advanced Engineering as a technical partner. One of a handful of top-line names involved in this bold racing initiative, Williams has supplied the batteries that power every car on the grid since the series’ inception in 2014. Williams, of course, is a Formula One grandee. But mastering the science of F1 has led to tangential competencies in other industries and disciplines. F1 is essentially a fortnightly problem-solving pressure cooker, and with its focus on lightweight, hi-tech materials, the spin-offs are multifarious. “Williams wants to be in motorsport, and we want to be in the most technically advanced and challenging parts of motorsport,” Paul McNamara, Technical Director at WAE, explains. “Energy efficient performance is our mantra as an engineering organisation, and we’re building high performance, high power, high storage batteries that will go on the road. Formula E has provided a great platform for evaluating the technology. A racetrack provides a very clear and understood test regime. We can push the boundaries.” And what racetracks they are. Formula E’s city orientation – with Hong Kong, Marrakesh and New York thrilling new-for-season three venues, along with Monaco, Montreal and others – isn’t just a novel entertainment USP, it underscores the need for sustainability. Formula E knows it can’t rely on the local grid to charge the cars, so a Cummins diesel generator has been converted to run on a glycerin PHOTOGRAPHY: SPACESUIT, LAT 38 THE JAGUAR
“IT’S A STEP INTO A NEW TECHNOLOGY. WE WANT TO BE A LEADER IN THIS FIELD” THE JAGUAR 39
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