Formula E "could become the premier series," Andretti says

Formula E and IndyCar Series team boss Michael Andretti said that the new all-electric series has exceeded his expectations so far.

"There's a buzz everywhere we go in the world, and it just keeps building momentum," he said of Formula E. "It's been way better than I thought it would be, and I'm quite excited about next year.

"I think this is here to stay. It's going to be around for a long time, and 10 years down the road it could be the premier series. It has that much potential in my opinion. I think they're doing everything right.

"Everything has been first class, and they're doing a fantastic job of pulling it off. They're doing everything they need to do to grow this into a world-class series."

AGAG: FE HAS SILENCED ITS CRITICS

Formula E has surprised its doubters so far during its first season, according to series boss Alejandro Agag.

The championship is six races into its first season, having most recently raced on the streets of Long Beach. Agag believes that the quality of the racing and the driver line-up so far has silenced the majority of the critics of the series.

"Racing fans know what they are talking about and they are quite demanding," he said. "People have made fun of us, making some jokes, comparing our cars to hairdryers, those kinds of things. But after they see a race, they are saying that the racing beat the silence. The racing is so good that afterwards there is no controversy about the noise of the cars.

"I think fans are surprised with what they see. They expect not so much fun from quiet cars. But when you see a great race, and it's exciting to watch, the noise becomes sufficient."

Agag said he had not expected Formula E to attract such a strong field of drivers in its first season.

"To be completely honest, the quality of the drivers has been a surprise, yes," he added. "It's been good to see how the interest has been for the championship, and it continues to increase.

"Good drivers like to race against other good drivers, and as long as we keep the level high, I think they are all happy to keep racing each other. They are having fun with each other – the races are very close, there's lots of overtaking, and they need to be clever."

Originally on Autosport.com