Formula E: Has ATTACK MODE been a success?

Prior to season five of Formula E, Alex Cormack asked if whether ‘ATTACK MODE’ would be a stroke of genius? After seven rounds we have seen nothing but stunning action and great racing around the globe.

Part of the reason why Formula E has had so many of these great races is due to the introduction of Attack Mode.

Attack Mode is an increase of power that drivers can activate to see their cars jump from 200kw of power to 225kw. Drivers activate this by running through an Attack Mode zone that is off the racing line and to arm it they have to push a button as the car goes over the Attack Mode sensors. As soon as they do this, Attack Mode is engaged and the extra 25kw of power starts for a set amount of time.

So far, at every single ePrix this season the drivers have been able to use Attack Mode twice, for four minutes each time. It has not varied even though we thought it would for each race.

Nevertheless, it has been a massive success. To be honest, I did not understand Attack Mode and how it would work until I saw the opening round in Ad Diriyah. As the season has progressed we have seen Attack Mode being used very tactically and I believe it has been a fantastic addition to Formula E.

Strategy is a key aspect to motorsport and with no pitstops in Formula E, Attack Mode has more than delivered for what would have been a big loss in the strategic element of the sport.

If we take Formula E’s latest race in Rome as an example, we can see how Attack Mode added to the excitement the battle between Mitch Evans and Andre Lotterer for the race lead. Evans was in Attack Mode when he made the move to overtake Lotterer into turn 11/12 chicane.

Beforehand, he was pressurising him but opted to go into Attack Mode (costing him around one second) and then hunt Lotterer back down again with the extra power. When a car is chasing another car down for the lead and gaining time, that is when motorsport is at is best.

Both drivers were leaving nothing left in the table, just millimetres away from the wall and smashing over the apexes and the kerbs to maximise their cornering speed and minimise the cornering angle.

In the final 10 minutes of the race, Lotterer himself used Attack Mode to fight back and he was nearly in a position to retake the lead until Evans used his final Attack Mode. It was one of the battles of the season; a race-long battle – 40 minutes of two world class drivers pushing the limits and treating us to a stonkingly good battle.

The position of activating Attack Mode has been interesting. In Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Hong Kong and to some extent Rome, the Attack Mode activation zone was on the inside of a corner. Whereas in Morocco, Chile and China saw the designated zone on the outside of a bend.

Is there a ‘better’ position? I don’t think so. If it on the inside then it is easier for things to get messy because if you are have a car directly behind you and you have to slow down more to get into the activation zone then the car behind could easily hit the back of you. So in that sense the outside is better as it is less accident prone.

But, it does not really matter too much. What does matter is how much time Attack Mode costs you. In Rome, it did not cost a lot – probably one second maybe even slightly less. But at other tracks Attack Mode cost over two seconds – Santiago and Sanya for example.

Anywhere between 1-2 seconds time loss seems about right. If you have a car right behind you, you should not be able to take Attack Mode and then stay ahead but you should also not be able to take Attack Mode but then lose 3 or 4 positions doing so. Attack Mode should not result in an overall disadvantage.

As mentioned before, every ePrix so far has seen two lots of Attack Mode used in four minute bursts. Should this be changed each race to spice things up even more? Would 3 or 4 lots of one or two minute bursts work for instance? It would be interesting to see the effect this would have.

For now though, I think it is best if Formula E sticks with the two lots of four minute bursts. Changing things each round can be a good thing but Attack Mode is still very much a new innovation and is very much working successfully so why change it if it is working well?

Something that definitely does need to change is a rule which means you can NOT take Attack Mode under a safety car or full course yellow. It means that you can not lose any time or positions on the race restart and it also means nearly everyone takes Attack Mode at exactly the same time because it is obviously better to take Attack Mode in a situation when you won’t lose any time doing so compared to a green flag situation where you lose over a second.

Too many races have seen drivers using Attack Mode under the safety car and running the strategic element of an ePrix – Ad Diriyah, Marrakesh and Hong Kong spring to mind as to races that have been effected by drivers taking advantage of Attack Mode by using it at the end of a safety car period. In fact I think most races have seen this.

It is a simple fix but it does need to change. I am surprised the FIA and Formula E haven’t changed this already but it needs to be fixed immediately. That is my only problem with Attack Mode but the actual usage of it is working perfectly.

So that is the story of Attack Mode. It has been a brilliant addition to Formula E. What I love most about it is that it is pure. Everyone has the same amount of usage of Attack Mode and it just up to the teams and drivers to decide when best to use it – just like a pitstop in F1, WEC, Blancpain or any motorsport. Attack Mode is not artificial at all so it is a pure strategic addition.

Whoever came up with the idea is a genius and I look forward to the rest of the season and how Attack Mode can create yet more excitement on the track.