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Formula E is set to have a manufacturers’ world championship in addition to the drivers’ and teams’ titles next season.
The Race has discovered that a process is already under way and there is cross-party agreement to introduce a third title race, which should be ratified officially later this year.
The all-electric world championship currently has seven registered manufacturers: DS Automobiles, Jaguar, Mahindra, Maserati, Porsche, Nissan and NIO 333. Despite not designing and building its own powertrain, Maserati has a special arrangement via the registration process that allows it to be a manufacturer through its inclusion in the Stellantis Group that also owns DS.
Lobbying for the establishment of the manufacturers’ crown has stepped up in recent months, with Jaguar being particularly vocal. Its powertrain claimed eight wins last season – four for works driver Mitch Evans and four for then Envision Racing driver Nick Cassidy – and would have won that title race had it existed.
“I think I’ve probably, fair to say, been the vocal one on that [pushing for a manufacturers’ title],” Jaguar team principal James Barclay told The Race.
“We’re a world championship, we absolutely are missing having a manufacturers’ world championship. If you look at the investment that is coming into this championship, the biggest investment is coming from the manufacturers. We’re developing the cars, we’re developing the powertrains, and when our powertrains and our cars goes onto success we should be able to celebrate that.”
Barclay described the expected creation of a manufacturers’ crown as a “really fundamental thing which Formula E and the FIA, I believe have taken on board”.
Nissan and Porsche representatives essentially echoed Barclay’s opinion, with Nissan team principal Tommaso Volpe saying he would be “absolutely backing” that push.
“The investment and the way the business model is [in Formula E] means we must have a manufacturers’ championship,” he added.
Porsche’s head of motorsport, Thomas Laudenbach, said such a title should be introduced quickly, describing Porsche’s stance as being “positive about” its establishment, which was something that “we are pushing for”.
But he also warned that the rules would not allow for “that we just do it by a mass of cars”.
“That’s not our intention by the way,” added Laudenbach. “We are happy with having four cars and what Andretti is executing, so we are looking forward to having an official manufacturers’ title.”
Andretti itself, which was once a registered Formula E manufacturer in the Gen1 era before entering into relationships with BMW and now Porsche, was also positive about the move.
Its team principal, Roger Griffiths, told The Race: “It should have happened for this year, it should have happened last year, it should have been there from day one when we moved to world championship status.
“For me, it was a massive omission when we became a world championship.
“We’ve always focused on the teams or the competitors and we’ve not really given the credit that the manufacturers are due for their commitment to the championship.
“Beyond brand recognition, they don’t get anything financially from competing, there’s no prize money for manufacturers, and not until next year will they get a trophy for all their efforts.
“Nobody could actually advertise that they were Formula E world champions. So, this has been long overdue in being addressed.”
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