Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and London: Ahead of the first race of Season 9 in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship this Saturday (14 January) in Mexico City, Formula E has revealed a new set of race winners’ trophies with an iconic design inspired by technology and electrification as part of their new brand identity.
London-based studio Beta Design Office designed and engineered the trophy to coincide with the debut of Formula E’s new GEN3 race car – the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built.
The energy burst-like design of the new trophy is heavily inspired by the power features of the GEN3 – the third-generation Formula E car racing at the very limit of innovation and pushing the boundaries of development in EV technology. The first electric open wheel race car to break 200mph, the GEN3 acts like a power station on wheels, generating more than 40% of energy used in the race during the race itself, and more than doubling the regenerative capability of the previous GEN2 car to 600kW.
The brief was to create an iconic new race trophy for the GEN3 era. It was vital that it conveyed electrification, speed, and movement, whilst also retaining elegance and modernity.
Designers at Beta were influenced by real life components of the world’s first all-electric motorsport world championship. The trophy comprises of 44 fins: 22 larger fins represent the 22 drivers competing in Formula E, and 22 smaller fins representing their cars on the track. The trophy form takes inspiration from automotive spokes, heat sinks and cores within a power cable, combined with flowing lines seen in automotive body panels.
Anodised aluminium was chosen as the primary material for its lightweight, rigid qualities, which also enabled an accurate gold and silver colour-match. It was vital that the final creation felt high-end and premium in keeping with the FIA World Championship status of the sport.
Henry Chilcott, Chief Marketing Officer, Formula E, said:
“We tasked Beta with creating a trophy that would be the pinnacle expression of our new brand identity. Inspired by the instant torque of electric acceleration, the trophy speaks to our sport’s role as a powerful catalyst for change, whilst also capturing the excitement and speed of electric racing. We can’t wait to see it lifted in celebration at our first race of Season 9 in Mexico City on Saturday 14 January.”
Mark Reilly, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Beta, said:
“We wanted the trophy design to create a sense of electricity, the essence of a cup but with the burst of acceleration. Creating a narrative in projects is important for us at Beta. Both Harry [Mitchell, Co-Founder & Creative Director] and I are fans of motorsport and we wanted the design to act as a symbol of the exciting and fast-paced evolution of Formula E, and a vision for the future.”
The 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix opens Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship this Saturday. Iconic motorsport names Maserati and McLaren will line up for the first time on a Formula E grid where they will compete with Porsche, Jaguar and Nissan among the 11 teams to race the GEN3 car for the first time.
Eleven world cities will host Formula E races in Season 9 which includes inaugural events in Hyderabad, Cape Town, São Paulo and Portland (Oregon, USA) plus returns to Mexico City, Diriyah, Berlin, Rome, Jakarta, Monaco and London.
Rounds 2 and 3 will take place in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on Friday 27 January and Saturday 28 January in the 2023 Diriyah E-Prix. Tickets are on sale now starting at 100 SAR and available from https://diriyahseason.sa.
About Formula E and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship:
As the world’s first all-electric FIA World Championship and the only sport certified net zero carbon since inception, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings dramatic racing to the heart of some of the world’s most iconic cities providing an elite motorsport platform for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to accelerate electric vehicle innovation.
The Formula E network of teams, manufacturers, partners, broadcasters, and host cities are united by a passion for the sport and belief in its potential to accelerate sustainable human progress and create a better future for people and planet.
About ABB
ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, ABB’s ~105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation.
About Beta Design Office
Beta. creates a better world through design.
As a multidisciplinary studio founded in 2020 and based in South London, Beta. helps clients push boundaries of new product innovation. In all projects, Beta. uses critical design thinking, implementing a three-phase user focused strategy to create experiences which are emotionally engaging. As a company, Beta. incorporates a playful approach to form and usability with an inherent focus on function. Beta. has partners, not clients – working through a highly collaborative process and offering a service that enables the company to become an extension of their team.
Harry Mitchell and Mark Reilly founded Beta Design Office in 2020. They have over 15 years combined experience previously working under Sebastian Conran. They have worked for some of the world’s leading brands and have now created an agency with innovation and sustainability at the core of what they do.
