How ‘incredible technology’ has taken one team to the brink of a world title – and why road cars will benefit

Exclusive interview: Envision team boss Sylvain Filippi talks to The Independent ahead of the Formula E season finale

The progress from one year to another can bring change and challenge in any sporting environment, but in Formula E it has been more of a quantum leap.

A brand new third-generation electric race car – the Gen3 – has been on show all season long, from the opener in Mexico back in January through to this weekend’s finale in London.

Increasing electric mobility and sustainability are the two broad spectrum keys behind Formula E’s existence, but add in the ever-growing desire for elite competition and it was always set to be the case that this year’s vehicle was going to produce something special. Back in December, as the 11 teams in the championship conducted preseason testing, Envision team boss Sylvain Filippi told The Independent that the “rapid” advancement from a technical perspective meant “nearly no energy loss between battery to wheel”; while this is a big deal for motorsports, the manufacturers involved means the data inevitably and eventually feeds back into the commercial world too.