Former Formula E driver and ex-Mercedes reserve Sam Bird has insisted that the grid in the all-electric series is "not far off" Formula 1, with it now being a "completely different ball game".
Formula E has come an extraordinarily long way since its first race back in 2014, an event in which Bird competed.
Bird took part in 11 consecutive Formula E campaigns before falling off the grid ahead of the current season, and now acts as Nissan’s reserve driver.
The championship could not look more different from how it did at its first race in Beijing well over a decade ago, particularly given that two cars were needed per driver to finish the race.
Since then, the machinery has come on leaps and bounds, with the power output having doubled—to such an extent that the current Gen3 Evo is the fastest-accelerating FIA single-seater, 30% quicker to 100 km/h (60 mph) than F1.
It boasts an incredibly talented grid, featuring not only former F1 drivers but also major young stars who arguably deserved a chance in the series.
The new Gen4, to be introduced next season, will only take Formula E to another level, which will attract even better drivers. However, Bird believes the current grid is on a par with the vast majority of stars in F1.
Asked on Lucas Stewart’s YouTube channel how much Formula E has changed, Bird explained:
"It's completely different. Can you remember in the Gen1 car, we had to change cars halfway through the race?
"So every driver had two cars to do one race, which I didn't mind. I thought the pit stop to do the car changes was actually quite good fun—yeah, quite exciting. But you look at the power output of the cars: back then, in the race, we were using 150 kW.
"Now we're using 300 kW, so the power is double. In qualifying, it's 350 kilowatts, now with all-wheel drive; back then, it was 200 kW. The teams are now world-class. The drivers are world-class. It's a completely different ball game.
"And back then, we weren't a world championship—now we are. You look at the driver calibre in Formula E and, you know, Formula 1 is perceived as the pinnacle of motorsport.
"You look at the grid in Formula E—it's really not far off. You've got the top names in Formula 1, and rightfully so, they are the best in the world. But besides the top seven or eight, I'd say a lot of the Formula E drivers could be in F1."
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