Latest to chime in is former Formula 1 world champion and Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda, and he did so firmly in the "Nay" camp.

"For me it was the worst thing I have seen for a long time," Lauda told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport when asked for his reaction to Formula E's Beijing opener. "The cars look like toys, they creep around the track one after the other — for me, this is not motorsport."

Lauda's derision was matched by that of Sebastian Vettel. "It's cheese," Vettel said of the Formula E format in an interview with Germany's Focus magazine. "I'm not a fan of it, and as a viewer I would not be interested. Now I need to stop!"