Jordan's Track Talk

Category: Formula E

  • A look into Mexico City

    A look into Mexico City

    Round 3 of the 2022 season is just a few days away, and we are in Mexico! We are returning to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit after a brief visit to Puebla last season.

    Last time we was here, we saw Mitch Evans take the win after starting 2nd, Antonio Felix da Costa finishing 2nd and Sebastian Buemi taking the last podium place, 3rd.

    But looking at the past two rounds, can Edoardo Mortara extend the lead in Championship or will both of the Mercedes be wanting to see if they can grab it of Mortara. Or maybe even Jake Dennis, he may be able to grab a few points and move up a spot or two…

    Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Circuit-

    The arrival of Formula E came in 2016, where the street course makes use of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit, with race-ready surface and long corners. Mexico city is not only one of the fastest tracks on the Formula E calendar, as well as this its the highest too at 2,250m above sea level.

    The track layout for the E-Prix, features a mixture of long and fast straights and a technical infield section through the legendary Foro Sol stadium. Starting with the traditional start/finish straight, the Formula E grid will be go down into turn one, where its home to some late-breaking.

    After a long and fast Turn 2, the pack will make their way around Turn 3, which then breaks off left into a four turn sequence. Looping back around a hairpin, Turn 6 and 7 get technical with a straight and sharp right-hand bend (Turn 8) leading into the stadium section (Turns 9-13). The drivers then leave the stadium area, in which they will jostle for position out of the Peraltada curve in the run up to the finish line.

    Picture from Formula E website: https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/championship/race-calendar/2021-2022/mexico-city/race-info

    Times-

    Saturday 12th-

    Free Practice 1: 08:00am to 08:30am (local time), 14:00pm to 14:30pm (GMT). Free Practice 2: 09:50am to 10:20am (local time), 15:50pm to 16:20pm (GMT).

    Qualifying: 11:40am to 12:55pm (local time), 17:40pm to 18:55pm (GMT). Race: 16:04pm (local time), 22:04pm (GMT).

  • Envision and Jaguar join forces

    Envision Racing is set to run Jaguar powertrains ahead of the introduction of Formula E’s Gen3 regulations for the 2022-23 season on a multi-year deal. The announcement comes as the interest in Formula E is at an all time high with a record-breaking global TV audiences in Season 7 increasing its cumulative audience to more than 300 million. Combined with an expanding race calendar, new manufacturer in Maserati, the team also generating record commercial revenues.

    The British team has been an Audi customer since the beginning of Formula E’s Gen2 regulations were enforced for the 2018-19 season, after it lost out its partnership to the Techeetah team. With Audi’s departure prior to the start of the current season, this left Envision needing to find a new supplier ahead of the switch to Gen3.

    Together the two teams have amassed 15 wins and more than 40 podiums between them so collaborating and sharing technical expertise from both camps is set to be a winning formula.

    This will be the first time that Jaguar is supplying to a customer Formula E team since its entry into the championship in 2016, as it seeks to expand upon its development of the new powertrain layout with two sets of data.

    Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director and CTO at Envision Racing said: “Jaguar and their factory team have been one of our fiercest competitors in Formula E since they joined the Championship in 2016. The team’s advanced powertrain technology and overall commitment to its Formula E programme made them the most attractive option to us. Formula E is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, inspiring and exciting the next generation of motorsport fans in cities across the globe. But more exciting is the fact it is arguably the most collaborative sport in the world because we recognise the role that we can play in solving one of the biggest problems of our time in the race against climate change.”

    James Barclay, Managing Director at Jaguar Land Rover Motorsport: “I am proud to announce that we will supply Envision Racing with our Jaguar powertrain in Gen3. They are one of the most competitive teams in Formula E and it’s an honour that they were set on using our powertrain technology in this new era of FIA Formula E. We look forward to working and achieving further successes together in the future. I have a huge amount of respect for Sylvain and his team – they are the perfect fit for Jaguar. We are both fully committed to Formula E. The Gen3 era of racing is going to push the boundaries of electric vehicle technology in a high-performance racing environment. Envision Racing will be able to optimise their own software for the powertrain so we remain rivals on track. However, we race to innovate together and I’m excited to see four Jaguar powered Formula E racecars line up on the grid alongside each other next season.”

    My Opinion-

    What a partnership this is!! We all knew Envision was looking for a new partnership due to Audi leaving, and this is a brilliant one. The partnership between the two is definitley one to watch out for in the future especially with the introduction of the Gen3 era coming in.

  • Round 2- Diriyah E-Prix

    Now we are onto our second round an the second race day for the Diriyah E-Prix. To start the day of we had Free Practice 3.

    It was Wehrlein who topped the time sheets for free practice, with a 1m 07.215s. Most drivers lapped around a second slower than that on Friday- the track now having been cleaned uo and rubbered in further since race one.

    Vergne followed Wehrlein by a quarter of a second back, and Rowland finishing off the top 3 spots.

    There was a shunt from Nick Cassidy which saw the session split in two with the 10 minutes lost to its recorvery added on to give the teams the full 30 minutes running.

    Now onto qualifying, it was the Championship leader who took pole position! With Edoardo Mortara just missing out by 0.005s, what a duel it was to watch!

    Sam Bird hit the wall just like Cassidy did in FP3, he bended the suspension on the Jaguar which forced him to pull out of the Group B fight and start 21st…

    A late flurry of laps saw then-provisional fastest man Dennis pushed out of the top four and the Duels by de Vries, di Grassi, Rowland and Lotterer. Mortara had set the pace for Group B with Frijns’ late flying lap good enough for second and progress further, with both DS Techeetah cars going through in third and fourth.

    The top 10 finishers for qualifying was: P1: de Vries, P2: Mortara, P3: Frijns, P4: di Grassi, P5: Lotterer, P6: Vergne, P7: Rowland, P8: da Costa,   P9: Dennis and P10: Sims.

    Now onto the race! 30 minutes into the race and it looked to be Nyck’s however Formula E doesn’t work that was unfortunatley. 

    It was in fact Eduardo Mortara who claimed victory in an intense race, with Robin Frijns in P2 and to make it a 1-3 for Venturi, di Grassi finished 3rd!

    Mortara had overtaken his team-mate at Turn 18 amid a furious battle between the front runners, he then had to hold off Frijns who swept by di Grassi on lap 29. But a late safety car came into play for Alexander Sims who hit the wall at Turn 6 and then had to come to a stop.

    But as the clock ticked past 41 minutes, there was no time added on and with a slow process of clearing up the Mahindra car their was no more racing apart from a last corner dash which didn’t change the order up.

    The top 10 are: P1: Mortara, P2: Frijns, P3: di Grassi, P4: Lotterer. P5: Dennis, P6: Vergne, P7: Vandoorne, P8: Rowland, P9: Wehrlein and P10: de Vries.

    The next race is in two weeks and we are in Mexico for Formula E’s sixth appearance!

  • Round 1- Diriyah E-Prix

    And finally we have Formula E cars back on track! We had Free Practice 1 to start things off and for some it was good where as for others not so…

    In the first five minutes reigning champion Nyck de Vries struck the wall into Turn 3 with the rear of his Silver Arrow getting sideways and damage enough to force the Dutchman into retiring the car from the session which turned the whole course yellow.

    The track condition at Riyadh Street Circuit is always tough to manage during the opening session, the track evolves and gets faster as it cleans up. As conditions started to come to the drivers, Nissan e.dams new boy Maximillian Guenther set the target for the rest to chase mid-way through FP1. But it was Mahindra Racing’s new signing Oliver Rowland who hit the top of the timesheets at the end, with a 1m 10.559s, with Antonio Felix da Costa in 2nd and Jake Dennis in third.

    Going on to the second free practice session, it was Oliver Rowland again who took the top spot with Sam Bird whose won twice in Saudi Arabia was in 2nd by just 0.015. Third was Jake Dennis again making it an all British top 3.

    Rowland’s time was just over a second quicker than the times on Thursday due to the track. However it was the reigning champs who were down the order, with Stoffel Vandoorne 16th and Nyck a couple of spots back.

    Now onto qualifying- the new format for all the drivers but it was infact Mercedes’ Stoffel Vandoorne who took pole position. The final duel was between Stoffel and Jake (Dennis), Dennis originally flew off the line but his Andretti looked a lot looser than the Mercedes, and by the half-way point of the lap the Belgian had romped four tenths of a second clear.

    The top for qualifying are: P1: Vandoorne, P2: Dennis, P3: De Vries, P4: Lotterer, P5: Bird, P6: Cassidy, P7:Frijns, P8: Oliver Rowland, P9: Di Grassi, P10: Gunther.

    Now onto the race! It was the reigning champion taking the first race win of the season just like last year! And his team-mate bringing it home in second making the Mercedes EQ team have a 1-2!! What a way to start the season. The last podium spot going to Jake Dennis.

    The last couple of laps saw 4 drivers all battling for fourth position which involved Sam Bird, Lucas Di Grassi, Edoardo Mortara and Nick Cassidy. With Sam Bird making that fourth position.

  • A look into Saudi Arabia

    A look into Saudi Arabia

    For the first time this year it is race week for Formula E! Friday and Saturday we will have round 1 and 2, a double header in Saudi Arabia for the Diriyah E-Prix.

    Diriyah Circuit-

    The Diriyah Circuit has 21 twists and turns around the historic town walls of the UNESCO World Heritage site in the desert. The drivers will face a very challenging lap from as soon as the lights go green as they have a technical first sector which leads into a bobsleigh run at Turn 6.

    The circuit layout is a test of strategy with a long energy straight which closes out the lap. The race is run in the dark being illuminated by LEDs lining the circuit.

    RIYADH STREET CIRCUIT, SAUDI ARABIA – FEBRUARY 26: Aerial drone footage of the Riyadh Street Circuit during the Diriyah ePrix I at Riyadh Street Circuit on Friday February 26, 2021 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Sam Bagnall / LAT Images)

    Last year saw Nyck De Vries win round 1 and Sam Bird win Round 2 at Diriyah. Will they be victorious again? Or could we see someone else?

    Will Mercedes EQ be able to start the ground running and get away in both title fights, as they and Nyck de Vries will be hoping to challenge for the Drivers and Teams championship!

    Times-

    Thursday 27th-

    Free Practice 1: 18:00pm to 18:30pm, 15:00pm to 15:30pm (GMT)

    Friday 28th-

    Free Practice 2: 13:30pm to 14:00pm (AST), 10:30am to 11:00am (GMT)

    Qualifying: 15:40pm to 17:00pm (AST), 12:40pm to 14:00pm (GMT)

    Round 1: 20:00pm to 21:00pm (AST), 17:00pm to 18:00pm (GMT)

    Saturday 29th-

    Free Practice 3: 13:30pm to 14:00pm (AST), 10:30am to 11:00am (GMT)

    Qualifying: 15:40pm to 17:00pm (AST), 12:40pm to 14:00pm (GMT)

    Round 2: 20:00pm to 21:00pm (AST), 17:00pm to 18:00pm (GMT).

  • Maserati returns to motorsport

    Maserati have announced that they will be joining the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship from Season 9, where the debut of the Gen3, Formula E’s most powerful car yet.

    The arrival of Maserati Trident on the grid will put a end to an absence of more than 60 years out of motorsport to an end, the team is set to make history for being the first Italian brand to compete in Formula E.

    Looking back on the past…

    Like many car manufactures, motorsport and competition is in Maserati’s DNA, the company was born on track with the Maserati brothers jumping in the car for their racing debut.

    The iconic Maserati Trident badge first made an appearance in the 1926 Targa Florio- an endurance race in the Sicilian mountains and won its class with Alfieri Maserati.

    In 1957, Juan Manuel Fangio sealed the Formula 1 World Championship for Maserati. The last time of its single seaters was seen on track was in 1958 where Maria Teresa de Filippis was in the car and was the first woman to qualify for an F1 Grand Prix.

    “We are very proud to be back where we belong as protagonists in the world of racing. We are powered by passion and innovative by nature. We have a long history of world-class excellence in competition and we are ready to drive performance in the future,” said Davide Grasso, Maserati CEO.

    Formula E CEO Jamie Reigle said: “We are delighted Maserati will join the Gen3 era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and play a defining role reimagining the future of motorsport. Formula E races in the heart of the most iconic cities in the world and is followed passionately by a progressive global audience. Our millions of fans will be thrilled to see Maserati line up on the grid as one of the world’s elite electric car brands.”

    My Opinion-

    I think this is great for lots of reasons, having another team in Formula E is good especially after Mercedes leaving this year. But to have an iconic car manufacturer and the fact they have been in motorsport before is just an added bonus to Formula E and fans!

  • Formula E Grid 2022

    Formula E Grid 2022

    With the Formula E 2022 season starting in less than 3 weeks, lets take a look at our teams and drivers for the year.

    Driver Changes-

    Of course, we have had some drivers changes. Oliver Rowland switched from Nissan e.dams to Mahindra Racing. Maximillian Günther has made a switch from Andretti Autosport to Nissa e.dams.

    Lucas di Grassi the former Audi Sport driver, replaced Norman Nato at Venturi Racing. Then towards the end of the Formula One season, it got announced Antonio Giovinazzi will be switching to Formula E and racing for Dragon / Penske Autosport.

    Former Indy Car driver, Oliver Askew has joined Andretti Autosport, making him the first American to compete in the series full time. Filling our final spot, is Dan Ticktum who is partnering Oliver Turvey at NIO 333 team, where he has switched from Formula 2.

    Below is the all the drivers and teams in this years Formula E season, will any of these drivers be able to knock Nyck De Vries of the top spot?

    TeamsDrivers
    Mercedes-EQ Formula E TeamNyck de Vries
    Stoffel Vandoorne
    Jaguar TCS RacingMitch Evans
    Sam Bird
    DS TecheetahAntonio Felix Da Costa
    Jean-Eric Vergne
    Envision Racing Robin Frijns
    Nick Cassidy
    Avalanche AndrettiJake Dennis
    Oliver Askew
    ROKiT Venturi RacingEdoardo Mortara
    Lucas Di Grassi
    TAG Heuer PorscheAndre Lotterer
    Pascal Wehrlein
    Mahindra RacingAlexander Sims
    Oliver Rowland
    Nissan E.DamsMaximilian Günther
    Sébastien Buemi
    Dragon / Penske AutosportSergio Sette Camara
    Antonio Giovinazzi
    Nio 333 RacingOliver Turvey
    Dan Ticktum