Formula E Weekend in Bern, Switzerland

Zagan the motorhome has had the weekend off, relaxing in the TCS Bern – Eymatt Campsite about 4 miles outside of the city of Bern in Switzerland (N46.96384, E7.38399). The campsite wasn’t cheap at 95.60CHF (€90.11) for two nights, but it was the only place we could get into as everywhere else was full and we were told by the tourist office that they are strict about free camping around the city (we have no idea if this is true, we didn’t fancy testing it!).

 

When we checked in at the campsite, we were given tickets for the local transport network, so we could catch the bus into the city and hop and off the buses and trams for the duration of our stay. A sneaky look on the ticket machine at the bus stop and we discovered that these passes were 13CHF per person, per day – so suddenly the campsite seemed a little less expensive.

At this point I’ll admit that I know very little about Bern. If you had asked me before the weekend I may have guessed that it is in Germany! I still know very little about Bern, but I do now know it’s kind of the capital of Switzerland. While the country doesn’t have a capital (my money was on Zurich or Geneva), Bern is where the government is so it has become the federal city. After this weekend, I know little else about Bern, except that it had a wonderfully efficient transport system, a beautiful old town and can host one great event. By the way, I probably know even less about Formula E, apart from it’s electric street car racing – so don’t expect any insights here.

On the Friday evening we took the bus into the city for a look around. We got a little freaked out when the bus turned into a tunnel in the side of a building and headed underground, but that was simply how it gets to the bus station (when we’re driving Zagan, underground roads make us very nervous). As soon as we’d stepped out of the transport hub that was the bus, train and tram station (so efficient), there was an information kiosk for the Formula E. We spoke to one of the staff and got a vague idea where things were happening, but we needn’t have worried, there were information boards all over the city.

We soon discovered that sightseeing wasn’t really going to happen in Bern, as the old town had been taken over by the eVillage. The eVillage is where the sponsors, car manufacturers and local industries have exhibition stands showcasing their latest tech-wares. On the Friday evening it was mainly under wraps, with the odd last-minute lorry trying to squeeze between buildings and stands to deliver a car or two.

After a walk through the eVillage we reached the main bridge across the Aare River. The race circuit was on the other side of the bridge, but it had been turned into a VIP area with a huge hospitality suite built on top of the bridge. Needless to say, we had to find another route. We followed everyone else down a flight of stairs (Bern is one hilly city) and towards the Bärengraben or Bear Pit. Yes there is a pit of live bears on the edge of the city. Sadly once again it was in the VIP area, but we hope none of the guests got too close.

Once across the river we found the ‘fan zone’ where you can stand and watch the race for free (tickets for the two grandstands were around 100CHF, £80 and had sold out). As luck would have it, the cars were just heading out onto the track for their Friday evening ‘shakedown’. So we stood and watched them whoosh by. If you don’t know, Formula E are electric vehicles and as such they make very little noise. They whine when braking (which can be a bit annoying), but when they are flying down the straight, all you get is a weird whoosh noise. They do fly along with a top speed of 225km/h (slightly faster than Zagan at 140mph!).

After the cars had returned to the paddock, we walked back up through the town and caught the bus back to the campsite – we knew Saturday was going to be a long day.

Saturday morning we were up and at ’em. Unlike F1, everything takes place in one day the Saturday, probably so they can get the city back to normal for Monday morning. Arriving at the eVillage it was much, much busier, with people jostling for a glimpse of the cars on the stands – the ones we had a good nose at the previous day.

As we’d seen the race cars, we focussed on looking at and playing with the tech. I had a go with some virtual reality kit which took me into another world, as well as an augmented reality headset which provided information to supplement what I was seeing in the real world. Jay got to try out a race simulation game and a bicycle that told you how much energy you were generating so you could calculate how far you could go in a plane, electric car, train or (more importantly) how much chocolate you could eat. We both decided that the mono-wheel transport devices looked too potentially ankle-injuring to try out on the cobbles so close to our Zermatt races. 

Reaching the fanzone, we realised that things might be a tad different today. As the drivers came out for their first free practice we could only hear the whoosh and see them on a big TV screens, it was several people deep along the fences. So we hatched a plan to see if we could get over to the other side of the circuit. None of the maps said you could view from there, but as it is run on a street circuit, there were bound to be pavements we could wander along – weren’t there?

We walked around to where the pit lane was, but couldn’t get anywhere near – not surprising really, but after being able to hang around outside the Team Sky bus at the Giro d’Italia while they were setting up, it was a bit of a shame. We followed the road out toward the Bern Expo where all the team garages were. While walking along we got passed by a couple of cars going up the road – a bit of a strange experience as they are super quiet – as well as several of the race teams wheeling trolleys filled with icy cooling equipment for the cars. At the expo we realised there wasn’t much to see, so we headed back towards the track. After a few dead ends we found ourselves at the start-finish line, it was deserted apart from a group of fellas having a party in their garage which opened onto the track.

As qualifying was next up, we knew the start wouldn’t be used so we walked along the side of the track until we found ourselves a suitable corner to watch the action from. We weren’t the only ones, but it was a lot quieter than over at the fanzone. The only downside being there were no TV screens so we had no idea what was going on, but we didn’t mind as we only know a couple of the drivers anyway.

After qualifying there was a three and a half hour break until the race started. We used the time wisely to find some food. With hot dogs costing 7CHF a go in the stalls around the track (£5.70), we used maps.me to find a supermarket. As luck would have it, the supermarket was close to another corner of the track, with a low wall perfect for perching on to while away the hours.

After what felt like a very long wait in the hot sun (thank goodness for those Wingo freebie hats) our spot by the fence was under threat, so we had to stand up and bagsie it in the hour leading up to race start. A helicopter took the skies overhead and excitement mounted. The cars went by slowly making their way from the pit lane to the start, then another lap in formation. Finally just after 6pm the race got underway. Across from where we were standing was a grandstand, and the people on the top row were looking behind them at a TV screen to see the action until it got around to us. Then came a ‘hoooo’ from the TV watchers as the marshal on the corner stuck out her red flag and started to wave it. Race stopped. There must have been a big crash (we later found out that 13 cars were involved but none seriously).

The cars drove by one by one, some with bits hanging off. Then, nothing. The grandstand opposite emptied out and the marshals took the opportunity for a cigarette and a loo break. An hour later the yellow flag and Safety Car sign were displayed and the cars drove past us once more in procession. Then we had a green flag, and they were racing! 

I couldn’t believe just how fast they went, and I struggled to focus on them, each car was just a blur of colour. I also couldn’t believe how close we were to them, just a few metres away, or how close they were to each other. There were a few occasions where we heard the crunch of carbon fibre contact. A car broke down just after our corner, but we could tell things were precarious by the faces and ‘oooohs’ coming from the grandstand. The marshals leapt into action and retrieved the car and driver.

 

Less than an hour later it was all over. One of the gold coloured cars won, i think he is the current championship leader, but the biggest cheer went out for the Swiss driver Sebastian Buemi, matched only in volume by the cheer for the road-sweeping cart. Thoroughly worn out, we took a tram back to the bus station, to get the bus back to the campsite. It was a long and tiring day, but I would certainly do it again. It was a fantastic experience, and a great way to celebrate Jay’s birthday.

Ju x