Formula-E ePrix - Punta del Este

"Telumektar" (telumektar) 12/15/2014 at 17:12 • Filed to: Formula-e, Electric, Racing, Punta del Este, Uruguay

3

3

I went to this Formula-E prix last Saturday, in Punta del Este, Uruguay. A little more than a 130 km from Montevideo, where I live.

I couldn't watch much of it, for reasons I'm going to explain next. But luckily some good soul uploaded it to Youtube. So, I just finished watching the race.

All in all it was a nice race, go ahead and watch it, it only lasts 50 minutes.

The reasons, also some ranting:

Bad organization was the underlying reason a LOT of people, including my friends and I, couldn't actually watch the race. This was because from the Bronze sector (most economical places) it wasn't possible to SEE any action at all.

This was the best view possible from where I was... for my camera. I'm not 2,20 meters tall.

There weren't any stands for seating, none at all. Everybody was standing on their feet or on top of makeshift boxes and chairs, only those up front could see something, but not much.

For the rest of us it was mostly other people's heads and big-ass trackside publicity signs that blocked one third of the available view. So some people, even on the front row, couldn't see jack shit.

We got there when the race was one or two laps in already (there was no designated parking zone, we had to park one Km away at some street) and even that early on people were getting out of the premises, furious, having realized they had been scammed in their eagerness to watch some actual racing. This had apparently caught the whole lot of us by surprise.

The race was heavily publicized for about 3 weeks, and only that very day, when everybody had already bought their tickets and was on their way they decided to clarify that the bronze sector (the cheapest and most sold tickets) had no seating.

This is what it looked like

There's a saying here that goes like this: el que se quema con leche, ve la vaca y llora . (Those who get burnt with milk, see a cow and cry). It doesn't translate very well but it means that once you feel cheated or harmed by something or someone you are very unlikely to come back for a second serving.

I'm sure most people liked the experience, but I find it unlikely that they (and I) will be so easily convinced next time...

Also, electric racecars don't sound bad at all, a little funny yes, but racing is racing.

Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight > Telumektar 12/15/2014 at 17:56

0

I was wondering about that, having seen all three races via internet, it looked like general admission viewing was a serious problem because the courses are such tight street courses. I saw the same type problem the first F1 race at COTA (US Grand Prix) with the parking miles away from the track - hated it! But don't write them off just yet. F1 and COTA had growing pains that they seemed to overcome for the most part.

I may be in the neighborhood for one of the Formula E races here in the States. Let's hope folks like you voice their opinions directly to the Formula E promoters and they make some changes. Thanks for your report.

Telumektar > Gizmo - The Only Good Gremlin, but don't feed me after Midnight 12/15/2014 at 18:10

0

I'll see what I can do about getting the message to those at F-e

The parking problem wasn't that serious, but the available viewing places were abysmal. I felt like we were being treated a fourth-rate spectators. Like they didn't even care.

Money for a helicopter? Hells yes!
Money for some stands? Are you mad? It's not like they paid with real money.

Leon711 > Telumektar 12/25/2015 at 12:25

1

I watched it live on TV in the UK, it was better than Battersea Park E Prix. Whilst I appreciate the City courses are a novelty I think they don’t lend themselves to a great experience for people who go and see it. The London one at battersea park wasn’t even good for TV, too many trees overhanging the course and almost no space for seating. Maybe a few E Prix at tracks would be better, Brands Hatch Indy is short and fast enough to keep things interesting and be better than Battersea Park.