Formula 1 must merge with Formula E, says founder. F1 must merge with FE, says founder.

Formula E founder Alejandro Agag believes the future of both that series and Formula 1 is a merger between the two.

The two World Championships are becoming more and more connected, with Mercedes already having a Formula E team while McLaren and Alpine are considering joining the grid in the future too.

What’s more, the team principal of Mercedes Formula E, Ian James, thinks we are now approaching the stage where Formula E can actually start supplying the Formula 1 paddock with drivers and personnel, rather than the other way around as has previously been the case.

Formula E founder Agag, though, thinks there needs to be even more collaboration, believing F1 needs to go electric soon and that a merger is ultimately the only way to do so.

“Bernie [Ecclestone] should have taken control of Formula E, created it inside the fence and controlled it so they could decide where to take it,” he told Car Advice – “Formula E is very different in terms of the level of prestige and audience to Formula 1, but I still think the future is a merger between them. I don’t know when this will happen and if the shareholders will want to do it. But I think Formula 1 needs to make the transition to electric and if it doesn’t do something with Formula E they can only do that in 19 years, because that’s when our licence ends – supposing they get a licence – and that’s too late. We got the rights for 25 years, we’ve done six and we have another 19. There is lots of talk about e-fuels, but they are an artificial invention for people who really can’t see beyond combustion. There is no way e-fuels make any kind of sense except if you are determined not to change. I like combustion too, but it’s going to be over.” – Formula E founder Alejandro Agag added.

Of the current F1 grid, McLaren look set to be the next to join Formula E, signing an option to join the grid as soon as the 2022-23 campaign.