It’s Prost v Senna again – and this time the racing really is electric

The first Formula E championship wraps up in London next weekend, having sold out in cities round the world. But organisers say the true measure of its success lies beyond the circuit

Everything seems familiar. Piquet, Prost and Senna are all just millimetres off the ground in state-of-the-art racing cars, their breakneck speed round the track being watched by millions. But something is missing: the roar of engines.

This is Formula E, the nascent form of motor racing coming to Battersea Park in London next weekend for the conclusion of its inaugural championship. Staged in 10 cities and featuring Nelson Piquet Jr, Bruno Senna (nephew of Ayrton) and Nicolas Prost (son of Alain), the championship is a showcase for the potential of the electric car. But despite the famous names, and the $100m that Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag says it has cost to launch, many people may know little about a competition that held its first race in Beijing only last September.

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