Formula E to celebrate landmark 150th race after 12-year survival

Formula E veteran Sébastien Buemi has hailed the championship for surviving where others would have "collapsed", as the series prepares for its landmark 150th E-Prix.

The Mexico City E-Prix on Saturday will represent race number 150 for the all-electric series, which has navigated numerous hurdles.

Having been part of the championship since the very first race in Beijing in 2014, Buemi remembers many of those challenges, when it appeared that Formula E’s existence could quickly come to an end.

However, despite the odds at times being heavily stacked against the category, it has ploughed on and is now preparing for the arrival of the game-changing Gen4 era.

One question pondered by Buemi is what Formula E might look like today had the COVID-19 pandemic not occurred, as it caused havoc during what was a highly competitive and enjoyable Gen2 era.

Overall, the Season 2 champion is proud of the championship reaching 150 races, particularly with other new categories having fallen by the wayside.

Discussing many people having expected Formula E to fall after one race, Buemi explained to RacingNews365: "Yeah, as you say, obviously I’ve often said it, but when I got to Beijing for the first race, I had never seen anything like it. 

"I mean, I had seen street circuits, but I’d never seen a new category able to put on such a display. We arrived in Beijing and there were grandstands everywhere. I was already surprised, thinking, ‘Wow.’

"Then, obviously, we knew in Miami that the situation wasn’t good. After that, Liberty came on board and, since then, it grew very fast, I would say, up to COVID. Then it got all those manufacturers involved for Gen2.

"I feel like COVID was a bit difficult. I wouldn’t say it went down, but it didn’t grow that much. Now, obviously, with Gen3 and Gen4 coming, I feel like there’s good momentum. A few manufacturers have left, some new ones have come in, but it looks like a return to 24 cars next year.

"So honestly, it’s a pretty impressive job from Formula E in general. I don’t remember seeing any new championship that came in, survived, and did such a good job. Most of them came in, did okay, but then collapsed. Twelve years is something big."