The fundamental difference (apart from the power units) is that Formula 1 teams must design and build their own cars, although in some cases the "build" part of that is sub-contracted. They can develop the cars throughout the year, and the only constant factor is the tyres.

Formula E, at least for now, is a "spec" Formula, and no development is permitted unless the FIA want any changes made for safety reasons. So, in theory, the cars in Formula E are equal, which explains why overtaking moves are often optimistic, and not always without contact. Otherwise, without the gimmicky "Fan Boost" and now the additional power boost which requires the driver to press a button and run over a certain part of the track off line to activate it, Formula E races usually have the cars running closely together, but without there being too many opportunities to overtake. And because the cars are bunched together and evenly matched, crashes often result in collateral damage to other cars, not helped by the design of the circuits, with artificial walls and debris fencing close to the track.

Whether the above is resulting in good, entertaining racing is highly debatable. It all seems too contrived, and in no way comparable to watching cars with differing characteristics racing on proper circuits, although I feel that there are not enough "proper" circuits left on the Grand Prix calendar - when I am Chairman of the FIA any country wishing to host a Grand Prix which has a Presidential Palace will have their hosting fee doubled, and the money used to subsidise races on circuits where the corners have had names as opposed to numbers for at least the last half-century.

I watched the first Formula E race of the season, but I probably won't bother watching any more. It might provide a job for a few Grand Prix drivers who have passed their sell-by date like Felipe Massa, or need to keep their eye in to help with their simulator work, such as Jean-Eric Vergne, but otherwise I don't see the attraction. Will it eventually replace Formula 1? Can it replace Formula 1? Who knows?

We are told that electric is the future for providing power to propel the masses, and new generations will wonder why we took so long to give up on using smelly, volatile liquids to power our cars. These generations will never feel or hear the spine-tingling shriek of a racing V10 or V12 internal combustion engine at 18-20,000rpm, or experience the smell of hot brakes and Castrol R which pervades the air in the paddock of an historic race meeting.

A new season is almost upon us, as we move through the brave new halfway house compromise of turbocharged V6 engines married to electric power, a recipe which, from the better manufacturers, provides close to 1000bhp, somewhat less than the simpler V6 turbo engines of the late 1980's, which could hit 1500bhp in qualifying trim, although those engines were fit only for scrap at the end of a run, whereas in today's more enlightened and eco-friendly world the cars use 30% less fuel to complete a Grand Prix, and in most cases the engines can withstand six or seven races before being retired, so progress is being made. The skill set of a Formula 1 driver has expanded into the realms of maximising engine and tyre life, concepts alien to their predecessors, but that's the way of the world nowadays, and a modern Grand Prix car will lap a circuit much faster than a more powerful car from forty years ago, and use significantly less natural resources to do so.

I always look forward to a new season - the anticipation of the unveilings of the new cars, the release of so much hot air from McLaren as they tell us how much faster they will be this year, and so on. The "phoney war" of pre-season testing, and then the first race at Melbourne, with nowhere to hide as the gloves come off and we finally see who's fast, and who's faking it.

I can't wait.