Formula E Raced In Monaco This Weekend And It Wasn't A Boring Parade, So What Is Formula 1 Doing Wrong?

Formula E ran its first double-header weekend in Monaco over the weekend, and both races were extremely fun and exciting to watch, which is a welcome change from the last two decades of Formula One running a multi-billion dollar parade in the principality. With different strategies, rain-to-dry changing conditions, and smaller-scale cars, Formula E proved you can race side-by-side on the streets of Monaco without wrecking. 

Last year, when Formula One raced in Monaco, the top ten finished in exactly the same place they started the race. Last weekend, in contrast, the electric open wheelers saw a winner who started eighth on the grid, and a podium finisher who improved 11 positions, among others, and that was done without the help of DRS, mandatory tire changes, or hundreds of millions of dollars of development. Passing is possible in Monaco, just not in Formula One. 

Don't get me wrong, I love Formula One, and it can be exciting as the first dozen or so laps of Sunday's Miami Grand Prix in slippery conditions demonstrated. But Formula One can also be a boring slog, as the final dozen or so laps of Sunday's Miami Grand Prix proved as the McLaren drivers slid out to a 37-ish second dominant victory. Meanwhile, both Formula E races this weekend saw close nail-biting nose-to-tail unpredictable finishes, with tight racing all the way through the field the from lights to flag, as they typically do. The F1 weekend in Monaco is typically decided in qualifying, while neither Formula E race this weekend was won by the polesitter. 

So what's the difference? Why does the electric series seem to get elbows out while the hybrid F1 cars sit back helpless to push at any point in a tight race? There are three things benefitting Formula E here; durable tires that last the entire race without needing significant conservation, less overall aero-dependent grip, and smaller cars with a more compact footprint. 

Formula One decided a few years ago that it was exciting for tires to "fall off" during the race, and forced tire supplier Pirelli to build artificially degrading tires to add some sauce to the show. Unfortunately all it has done is lead to drivers spending an entire race trying to preserve their tires. Instead of giving drivers extra incentive to push for the full race, they fall into a gap a couple of seconds behind the driver ahead and can't seem to make any inroads. Meanwhile, Formula E asked tire supplier Hankook to create a tire that will last a long time, using no more than three sets in a double-header weekend. They have to last the entire race. Which leads us to the next point. 

The aero-dependence and downforce of Formula One grip is affected significantly by the car ahead creating turbulence. This means that the car behind is forced to "use up" its tires to stay closer to the car in front, making passing difficult and potentially ruinous for the remainder of the race. Formula E has some aero downforce, but significantly less and a lot less turbulent following air. Formula E cars can ride nose-to-tail for an entire race and not see a significant reduction to their mid-corner grip, either mechanically through the tires, or with aero downforce. 

The biggest difference when it comes to Monaco, however, is the size of the cars on the track. F1 cars are dimensionally larger at 18 feet six inches long, six feet seven inches wide, and two feet 11 inches tall. Comparatively, a Formula E car is a full two feet shorter in length, and about 5 inches narrower. Even better, a Formula E car's wheelbase is more than two feet shorter than an F1 car's allowed wheelbase, making turning tight radius corners significantly easier. 

You want to know why Formula E races better than F1 at Monaco? They're just built different. 

There's good news on the horizon, however, as Formula One has reduced the size of the cars for the 2026 season. They still will be much larger than a Formula E car, but it's a move in the right direction. Next year F1 cars will be mandated a little under eight inches shorter, and about four inches narrower. Will that be enough to make Monaco anything other than a boring slog? We'll have to wait and see.