In recent days, Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, gave an extensive interview on the Business of Sport podcast. What we bring you today is the second part of his appearance, in which he discussed the Melbourne Grand Prix and the latest comments made by Max Verstappen regarding the new 2026 regulations. If you would like to read the first part of the interview, CLICK HERE.
Dodds and the Melbourne race
Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, Jeff Dodds also shared his views on the Melbourne race, which marked the opening round of this new regulatory era—one that has convinced some fans while leaving many others less impressed. Addressing the topic, the British executive explained:
“First of all, for them this is an incredibly complex set of rules. Let’s not forget that the FIA president and several team principals and owners went through a period where they were actively discussing whether to simply switch to a pure V8 formula and focus on being a combustion-only series. Understandably, many of the manufacturers involved are developing electric and hybrid vehicles, so they want to race with hybrid cars. They chose not to go in the direction of a pure V8. When you try to make two different power sources work within the same car, you need compromises. It all becomes incredibly complicated to manage.”
“The drivers will have to adapt. Ours drive fully electric from the very beginning. There is no alternative. So they are used to saving energy, recharging on track, and driving in that way. Formula 1 drivers are not. They will have to adjust to a completely different driving style. The teams will also need to adapt in terms of strategy. Right now, you have this complexity of different cars operating at different speeds on track at the same time. As a spectacle, as a fan, you need to get used to how it unfolds and the various strategies the teams will use. No one should judge it after just one race. It will take several races for fans, teams, and drivers to fully understand it. Only then will people decide whether they like it or not.”
“For me, it’s still too early, but there are things I liked. It’s unpredictable. I think many people had the feeling that Mercedes looked strong heading into this season, and that Ferrari might have built a potentially competitive car. That seems to be true. But there is still a high level of unpredictability, something Formula 1 hasn’t seen for quite some time. And I like that. The kind of overtaking we are seeing—much more linked to one driver slowing down and regenerating while another is deploying power—will take some time to understand. To me, it felt a bit confusing, but I expected that.”
Max Verstappen and the “Formula E on steroids” comparison
In conclusion, the Formula E CEO also addressed comments made by the Dutch world champion, saying:
“Max Verstappen talked about the slightly ‘Mario Kart’ side of things. He put it very simply. And I understand that he finished seventh, so maybe that made the comment easier… Max is a generational talent. He will extract every possible position from every race. He makes very few mistakes and is an exceptional driver. But he has also been very open, without apologizing, about the kind of racing he enjoys. I think what he has seen so far may not excite him as much as racing at the Nürburgring in a GT car or the Formula 1 of the past. But we should also give him time to understand how to extract the maximum from the car and how this type of racing works.”
“We have had Attack Mode for a long time. You pass through a specific section of the track and unlock extra power, which gives you an advantage for defending or attacking. We also have Pit Boost, which is similar to a pit stop, but instead of changing tyres you recharge the battery: 10% in a 30-second stop. Our races are highly tactical, because there are moments in the race when you need to regenerate energy in the battery.”
“Interestingly, at the start of our races we only have around half of the energy needed to reach the finish. The other half is generated during the race itself. So our drivers are used to the fact that you cannot just keep your foot down and go as fast as possible, because in that case you would not finish the race. It’s a high-speed chess match. They have to use the power when they have it, but also take advantage of certain phases of the race to recharge energy, otherwise they won’t have enough to make it to the end.”
Dodds concluded his remarks by saying: “I think the regulation change in Formula 1 is actually positive for us, because a broader base of motorsport fans will begin to understand the concept of battery regeneration and how important it is during a race. And for us, that’s a positive, because it’s exactly what we do.”
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