On the Friday before the Hungarian Grand Prix, Porsche, also owned by Volkswagen, announced it too was leaving the WEC at the end of this season and would enter Formula E in 2019. Only four days earlier Mercedes revealed it was to leave the German touring car series DTM, in which it has been competing since 1988. It too announced it would be joining FE in 2019.
None of this happened in isolation. Formula E already boasts a formidable group of manufacturers and the three new teams will line up alongside BMW, Jaguar, Mahindra and Renault. It is, however, a shift in focus that is more complex than a simple PR nod to the environment.