Formula E to give power boost based on Twitter mentions

Ho-Pin Tung testing a Formula E car here hopes to receive the most social media impressions to gain an extra power boost. Yes, nothing lends credibility to a sport like having Twitter play a role in the outcome.

No that headline is not a mistake. As you will see in the Mail Online article below, Formula E will reward a power boost on the final lap to the driver who gets the most mentions on social media during a race.

See below:

Watching motor racing can be a nerve-wracking experience, but from September viewers will be able to directly influence the results from the comfort of their homes.

Fans of the Formula E championship – the electric equivalent to the Formula One – will tweet drivers during each race, and the drivers' Twitter accounts will be connected to their electric cars.

The amount of tweets throughout the event will be counted and during the last lap, the driver with the most mentions will then be given a short power surge to help their chances.

The Formula E championship begins in September in Beijing. During each race, the 150mph cars will be given two short boosts of power. One can be used at any point, while the other can only be used in the last lap. This second boost is awarded to the driver who gets the most mentions on Twitter during the race.

WHAT IS THE FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP?

The Formula E championship, the electric equivalent to the Formula One, begins on September 13 in Beijing. It will run for 10 races, and end in June 2015 in London. Other cities on the schedule include Rio de Janeiro, Monte Carlo, Berlin and Los Angeles.

Each race will last about an hour, but because the car batteries only last up to 25 minutes at a time, drivers will make two mandatory pit stops to switch cars. This is in addition to a boost which every driver is given that can be used once, at any point during a race.

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Formula E boss, Alejandro Agag told Quartz he wants the championship to target a different demographic than Formula 1. This includes ‘urban 20- and 30-somethings, who are more likely than older people to buy electric cars, and use social media.’

The Formula E championship begins on September 13 in Beijing. It will run for 10 races, and end in June 2015, in London. Other cities on the schedule include Rio de Janeiro, Monte Carlo, Berlin and Los Angeles.