Formula E develops sonic identity with unique sound of GEN3 race car

HYDERABAD: Formula-E has reimagined its entire music and sound suite used across broadcast and digital channels, inspired by the power of electric acceleration and incorporating the sound of the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built – the GEN3.

The new sonic identity is part of an overall refresh of the Formula E brand, unveiled at the 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix in January, and aligned to the beginning of the GEN3 era in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The GEN3 is the third-generation Formula E race car and represents a huge leap in technology that pushes the boundaries of EV development. Incorporating the unique sound of the GEN3 into the new sonic identity was a key creative objective.

Tom Player of Lost Track Productions, working alongside Alex Bingham of sound design company Machine, was commissioned by Formula E to develop the full music and sound suite. They attended private GEN3 testing sessions by two teams in the championship - NIO333 Racing and Mahindra Racing – where they recorded audio of the race cars being pushed to the limit ahead of their debut in Mexico City.

The recordings were then developed into a range of sonic assets and embedded into the revitalised music and SFX package used across broadcast and digital content. The all-new soundtrack, including broadcast titles music, was composed by Tom Player and recorded live with a 55-piece orchestra at Abbey Road Studios.

The music accompanies a new broadcast intro titles film produced for Formula E by production partner Aurora Media Worldwide in collaboration with The Berry. The film features drivers in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship including defending champion Stoffel Vandoorne, Mitch Evans, António Félix Da Costa and Jake Dennis with CGI-footage of the new GEN3 car racing through some of this season’s host cities including Cape Town, São Paulo, Monaco and London.

Channel 4 viewers in the UK will experience the new title sequence for the first time on linear TV this Saturday with the live broadcast of the 2023 Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix from 9am. The titles can also be viewed at: https://youtu.be/S-SD_4-zzrM

Henry Chilcott, Chief Marketing Officer, Formula E, said, “This has been a year of renewal for Formula E - new GEN3 race car, new teams, new look and new sound. The music score and soundscape sets the tone for the entire fan experience. Working with Lost Track Productions and Machine Sound, our ambition was to create a bold new anthem for our sport as part of our newly launched brand identity. The library of music composed by Tom Player is designed to work like a film score evoking different emotions to enhance the race weekend experience from opening broadcast titles right the way through to the live podium celebrations.”

The new soundtrack has been released as a 7-track album, titled Change. Accelerated (The Official Formula E Soundtrack) and is available on all major streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.