Jaguar TCS Racing have announced Nick Cassidy will join the team’s driver line-up for Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The Formula E race winner and title challenger will join fellow New Zealander Mitch Evans, who has been with Jaguar since they joined the Championship in 2016.
The two Kiwi’s will arguably be one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid, with 15 wins, 37 podiums, 11 pole positions and 1076 championship points between them.
Cassidy joins Jaguar TCS Racing off the back of his most successful season to date, having finished the 2023 season runner-up in the Drivers’ World Championship, bringing the title fight to the final weekend of the season. He was also instrumental in winning the Teams’ World Championship with Envision Racing.
I’m very excited to be joining the Jaguar TCS Racing team for the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and I am looking forward to racing for a team like Jaguar that has such a successful motorsport history. This season has been my most successful to date, so I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 and fight for points, podiums and wins. Looking forward to having Mitch as a teammate, we have known each other since we were kids and have raced against each other for years, so I’m proud that we will be racing together and hope to continue to put New Zealand on the map in motorsport.
Nick Cassidy on the move.
We are thrilled to announce that Nick Cassidy has joined Jaguar TCS Racing. Nick’s track record speaks for itself and is someone we have always had our eye on back to his time racing in Japan. Since joining Formula E he has gone from strength to strength and his 2023 season was very impressive. Nick was highly motivated to join the team and we are proud to welcome him into the Jaguar family. We head into the new season with one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid and paired with the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 and our talented team we will be looking to once again challenge for both the Drivers and Teams World Championship titles.
Jaguar TCS Racing have announced that Mitch Evans will return to race for the British team for the 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and beyond, with the New Zealander singing a multi-year contract extension.
The deal means Evans and Jaguar TCS Racing’s relationship will become the longest-standing driver and team pairing in Formula E history.
The partnership is also one of the most successful since the inception of the all-electric World Championship. Evans made his debut with Jaguar Racing in 2016 in his inaugural Formula E campaign and has since become widely accepted as among the quickest and most talented drivers on the grid.
In 2019, he translated his promise into a first race win for the team in Rome. Together, Evans and the team have formed a formidable pairing achieving 10 wins, 25 podiums, eight TAG Heuer Fastest Laps, six Julius Baer Pole Positions and 733 championship points over the least seven years.
The New Zealander, finished Season 9 in third, achieving his biggest points haul to date – where he was apart of the title fight to the final weekend. Evans also helped Jaguar TCS Racing to secure second place in the Teams World Championship.
Also, Evans is one of the most successful drivers to have represented the iconic British Marque, joining legends of the sport including Norman Dewis, Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorn to name a few.
Having been with Jaguar TCS Racing since 2016, it was the natural choice to continue our successful partnership. We’ve had some incredible moments over the last seven years and I’m looking forward to writing our next chapter together. I am proud to race for Jaguar and play my part with the team in JLR’s Reimagine strategy.
The 29 year old on the news.
It’s an absolute pleasure to confirm that Mitch remains a key part of Jaguar TCS Racing for the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and beyond. Mitch has been one of the founding members of the team since Jaguar returned to racing in 2016 and is now one of the longest serving drivers in Jaguar’s history. The fact that our future remains together for a new chapter is an accolade we are both proud of. Mitch has time and again demonstrated that he is one of the most talented drivers in the world, so we are pleased that our formidable partnership continues. I’m excited to build on the successes we have enjoyed to date and challenging for more championships together.
Jaguar TCS Racing has confirmed after the London E-Prix weekend that Sam Bird will be moving on to new pastures.
Bird has spent three seasons with Jaguar, where he took two wins, seven podiums and a total of 233 points.
The Brit wound up eighth at the end of the inaugural Gen3 campaign, with the team praising his contribution as “fundamental” to its Formula E efforts. Bird hit his Formula E century of race starts this year in Race 1 in Diriyah.
As the Brit alluded to, his season had its peaks and troughs. Colliding with his team mate Mitch Evans in Hyderabad with both looking capable of the race win and a podium at the very least. The two came to blows again in Jakarta, with Evans running eighth at the time; costly again, and with the margins so fine at the end of the season in both Drivers’ and Teams’ World Championship – those incidents could have proven the difference makers.
We gave it everything and did what we could but unfortunately, we just had too much of a deficit coming in at the beginning of the weekend. Congratulations to Envision for their World Championship win. On the whole, this season has been fairly disappointing for me, with a lot of wasted opportunities early on but I have to take the positives – the pace has been strong, I’ve had four podiums, scored nearly 100 points and finished eighth in the championship ahead of some big names. It’s bittersweet to be leaving the team, the past few years have had their fair share of ups and downs, but I want to take the opportunity to say thank you to the team for everything, and I look forward to what the future holds.
Bird post London.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to Sam. It’s been an amazing three years together and he has contributed to the success we’ve seen as a team. Sam joins an illustrious list of drivers that have raced for a Jaguar line-up, and I know he’s proud of that, as are we. Sam is an extremely talented racing driver who has been a privilege to work with and I know he will see great success in the future.
ABT CUPRA have confirmed that Robin Frijns will be moving on from the team after spending the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with the returning squad.
Just before Round 16, at the London E-Prix, Team boss Thomas Biermaier confirmed to ProSieben – Formula E’s German broadcast partner that the Dutchman will be moving on.
The team added that it expects to decide who will take over the cockpit alongside Nico Mueller – who outscored his teammate and indeed managed a top eight finish in the final round of the season – in the coming weeks.
The experienced Dutchman’s 2022/23 didn’t go as well as either party would have hoped. The ABT CUPRA’s Mahindra powertrain lacked pace and efficiency at times but Mueller comfortably outscored his teammate on his return to the series.
Frijns did of course, miss four races after fracturing his had at the season-opener at the Mexico City E-Prix. He wound up Season 9 with just two points scores and six total to Mueller’s 15, though Julius Baer Pole Position on home soil for ABT in Berlin was a real highlight.
Robin will be leaving us. His plans for the future don’t quite match ours, and you’ll have to ask him where he’s heading! After an open discussion, ABT and Frijns have agreed to terminate the contract so that he can concentrate on his future tasks. Robin was, is and will always remain a friend and member of the ABT family. He played an important role in our comeback with his great experience, although it was a difficult year for him after the accident at the start of the season. Now we wish him all the best for the new challenges.
The Drivers’ World Champion may have been crowned, but there was still lots to play for in the final round. All 22 drivers took to the track for the last Free Practice session of the weekend, with Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans topping the timesheets.
The dry session on the half indoor-outdoor circuit was the final chicane to get some laps in before qualifying and the race later on.
Evans became the first man to set the fastest time of the weekend, locking in a 1m 10.152s lap which remained the best of the session. Sebastien Buemi and Nick Cassidy of Envision and Sam Bird also had their own moments as the quickest guys on track. By the time the chequered flag fell it was a Jaguar powertrain 1-2-3. As Evans led Bird in second and Buemi in third.
Several drivers found themselves going down the run-off at the chicane, pushing their cars to the limit whilst they could and get away with it during practice.
With 11 minutes on the clock, 21 drivers were all within a second of each other which shows just how close this field is in the new era.
Qualifying-
Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy will start from the first place slot for a second consecutive race as he secured the Julius Baer Pole Position by just 0.010s in London. The Kiwi also picked up the important three points for pole to help Envision in their fight with Jaguar in the Teams Championship.
As the rain started to fall during the final qualifying of the session, several of the championship’s big players fought for their places on the grid.
Cassidy topped Group A with a time of 1m 10.521s, with Dennis a tenth behind in second, Buemi finished third and Bird also made it through. Mitch Evans topped Group B, at one point in the session, Nico Mueller set an identical lap time to the thousandth of a second. Norman Nato finished third with Season 8 Champ, Stoffel Vandoorne in the final spot.
The full top 10 are- P1: Cassidy, P2: Evans, P3: Nato, P4: Dennis, P5: Vandoorne, P6: Bird, P7: Buemi, P8: Muller, P9: Ticktum and P10: Wehrlein.
Round 16-
Nick Cassidy led the charge from the front for Envision Racing amid ultra-tricky, wet conditions in a delay-hit London E-Prix Round 16 – leading lights to flag for a fourth win of the season to ensure his outfit secured maiden Teams’ World Championship honours.
After delays for the wet weather to recede to allow a safe race, Cassidy composed himself to stride to a comfortable race win – where he headed home fellow New Zealander, Mitch Evans and new champion, Jake Dennis.
The race started behind the Safety Car, with eight laps waiting for things to get started properly. Stoffel Vandoorne and Sam Bird immediately jumped for their first of two mandatory Attack Mode on Lap 9.
On home soil, NIO 333’s Dan Ticktum made a move stick on Maserati MSG Racing’s Edoardo Mortara on Lap 15 as the Swiss-French-Italian got sideways out of Turns 4 & 5 opening the door for 10th and some points.
On Lap 19, the best racing was between three champions between Vergne in 16th, di Grassi 17th and da Costa in 18th as the former got a nudge from di Grassi with the trio inseperable as they looked to climb the order – just 0.8s between all three of them.
Four laps were added on for a 38 lap total but it wouldn’t change the result as Cassidy led Evans and Dennis home – with five seconds in hand.
The full top 10 are- P1: Cassidy, P2: Evans, P3: Dennis, P4: Nato, P5: Vandoorne, P6: Buemi, P7: Bird, P8: Mueller, P9: Ticktum and P10: Wehrlein.
The Formula E grid got their first taste of the indoor-outdoor London circuit in Gen3 as free practice got underway.
Nissan’s Norman Nato set the quickest time with a 1m 10.765s in the first practice session of the season finale weekend in London. His teammate, Sacha Fenestraz joined him in the top three. Sandwiched between the two Nissans was Season 2 champion Sebastien Buemi and just 0.006s of the top spot.
Teams were getting to grips with the newly-modified circuit, pushing their cars to the limits early on. Jake Hughes and Maximilian Guenther both explored the track limits with both of them going down the escape road at the chicane.
The Envision Racing and Jaguar TCS Racing cars are expected to be strong this weekend and started well with Sebastien Buemi topping the timesheets for most of the first 15 minutes. Soon enough his teammate Nick Cassidy went faster.
FP2-
Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy let his championship rivals know he means business, as he set the fastest time in the final free practice session before the London E-Prix qualifying.
The Kiwi went over three tenths quicker than the next guy, NIO 333’s Dan Ticktum. All four championship contenders, Cassidy, Dennis, Evans and Wehrlein all finished in the top six.
Typical British weather came and heavy rain made for a wet track for Free Practice 2. Even though we have had wet conditions in Gen3 before, with the ABT Cupra’s putting on a masterclass in Berlin. The London circuit is half indoor-outdoor design means drivers won’t have the same consistency throughout a lap which proves a challenge.
Robin Frijns had a little moment, going down the run off at the chicane – something we have seen several times over the weekend so far. However, this unfortunately wasn’t his only off, as he brought out a red flag with a minute left on the clock. The Dutchman lost his car at the hairpin, clipping the wall and ending up in the barrier, also preventing any final flying laps from others on the grid.
Two-time champ, Jean-Eric Vergen also ran off at Turn 1 during the session, but he managed to master a quick turn around to join the track without any issues.
Qualifying-
Mitch Evans and Jaguar TCS Racing sealed Julius Baer Pole Position in London in a square fight against title rival Nick Cassidy in a nail-biting Duels Final. But Cassidy will take to P1 on the gird after Evans was served with a five place grid penalty for a collision in Rome.
Both drivers in the final, were pushing to the limit so much so Cassidy appeared to kiss the wall on his lap. Lining up alongside Cassidy will be Dennis, a copy of the Rome grid but in the opposite order.
The Envision duo of Cassidy and Buemi, the first time that both Envision’s have reached the Semis in the same race this year. Nick was sent through as his teammate made a crucial mistake.
There was a dramatic moment when championship leader, Dennis complained of a “huge power cut at Turn 9” whilst getting some laps in, in addition to mentioning that he’d hit the wall on a different lap.
Recent podium finisher in Rome, Norman Nato suffered a massive lock up on one of his laps and then went down on a run off.
The full top 10 are- P1: Evans, P2: Cassidy P3: Dennis, P4: Buemi, P5: Ticktum, P6: Rast P7: Wehrlein, P8: Vandoorne, P9: Bird and P10: Nato.
Round 15-
Jake Dennis navigated a crazy Hankook London E-Prix to come home second; enough to make sure of a sealing the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Drivers’ Championship, as Mitch Evans took the chequered flag first.
Dennis survived two missed trips through the Attack Mode loop, heavy pressure from his closest rival and polesitter Nick Cassidy as well as two red flags to become Formula E’s first British World Champion and the first to take it on home soil.
Cassidy led the early stages before ceding top spot to eventual winner and countryman Evans on lap 11 and second spot to teammate Sebasiten Buemi. Dennis had made it by Cassidy with an opportunistic move at the final corner just a couple of laps before, with Cassidy immediately fighting his way back by the Andretti car.
However, with Cassidy running in formation, close behind the Swiss, the Envision drivers came into contact. Loose bodywork from that clash caused a brief spell under the Safety Car bunching the pack up. Dennis meanwhile was not impressed over the radio with Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein the German hanging onto fourth.
Wehrlein’s challenge then also fell by the wayside in a shunt just before a red flag was flown for the recovery of Sacha Fenestraz’s Nissan. He and Jake Hughes tangled into Turn 1.
On the restart Evans led away, with Dennis working his way into third – enough to seal the title as it stood. An over-optimistic move from Norman Nato at the penultimate turn on Lap 34 caused a chain reaction behind with several cars unable to avoid the mess enforcing another spell under the red flag conditions.
It was a three lap sprint to the flag at the restart with Dennis having only to hold fast to ensure he’d take top honours.
The full top 10 are- P1: Evans, P2: Dennis, P3: Buemi, P4: Bird, P5: Mortara, P6: Di Grassi, P7: Ticktum, P8: Nato, P9: Wehrlein and P10: Hughes.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has reached it’s last race weekend of Season 9! As rounds 15 and 16 are held in London with home-hero Jake Dennis, the man with the target on his back.
Our very own Brit, Jake Dennis is on the verge of claiming his first FIA World Championship title, as the Avalanche Andretti driver goes into the two final races of the season in which he has won twice before – including a grand slam of Julius Baer Pole Position, TAG Heuer Fastest Lap, the race win whilst leading from start to finish last season.
A repeat of his supreme victory on the streets of Rome last time out – another Grand Slam, making him the only driver with more than one – would be enough to seal a first FIA World Championship title in the opening race on Saturday. 11 drivers have made it to the podium and 19 drivers have led a lap – beating Formula E’s Season 7 record.
The Circuit-
The ExCeL Circuit starts off indoors on a silky smooth surface offering bags of grip and after a quick succession of the corners the pack heads outside. Immediately on exit they will touch a strip of slippy metal, before heading down into the outdoor portion with the highly abrasive asphalt surround the exhibition centre.
The outside features a flowing set of chicanes prime for passing opportunities, from there it’s a quick run down to twisty set of curves before heading back up into the main hall to finish a lap.
With changes in surface, elevation and dealing with the shift in lighting, the field face a unique challenge with this indoor and outdoor circuit.
We’ve had three home winners in London: Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing) Season 1, Alex Lynn (Mahindra Racing) and two for Jake Dennis with Andretti. Only Nico Prost and Dennis have managed more than one win in the British capital.
Porsche and Formula E have announced that the manufacturer has extended its involvement in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship through to Season 12 in 2025/2026.
Porsche entered Formula E in 2019 with an initial five-year commitment until the end of Season 10 which will conclude in July 2024. Today’s announcement confirms TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team will continue to compete in the premier all electric motorsport world championship through the Gen3 era,
Porsche also confirmed it will continue to play and active role in shaping the successful future of Formula E and is already involved in the design of Gen4 from Season 13.
This season has been the most successful for Porsche since it entered Formula E. Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix da Costa have won four of the 14 races to date, with Wehrlein running for the title too.
For the first time this season, Porsche is supporting a customer team, Avalanche Andretti Formula E, with driver Jake Dennis currently leading the Championship with the final two races in London this weekend.
With our entry into Formula E, we have opened a new chapter in all-electric motorsport. We remain convinced that our presence and successes in Formula E will lay the foundation for future mobility solutions. It provides the most competitive environment to accelerate the development of high-performance vehicles with a focus on environmental friendliness and energy efficiency. We look forward to playing an active role in shaping the successful future of Formula E and thereby giving electric mobility even more impetus on a global scale.
Micheal Steiner, Porsche AG.
We want to bring innovative technologies and more sustainability to motorsport and be at the forefront of new developments. Formula E plays a major role in this. The competition in this series is at an exceptionally high level and enables us to provide important impetus for future production models. With high-class and exciting races, it inspires people around the globe for electromobility. We will be happy to continue to contribute to this in the future.
Thomas Laudenbach, Head of Porsche Motorsport.
Porsche has been a valued and influential team since joining Formula E and we are excited that this will continue. The championship is enabling Porsche to accelerate development of the innovative EV technologies we see in their road cars, while the team is an active member of the group driving development of the next generation of Formula E car to arrive in Season 13.
Alejandro Agag, Founder and Chairman of Formula E.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans continued his Rome dominance, as he topped the timesheets in the final Free Practice session of the Rome double header.
Saturday’s winner, who achieved his third consecutive victory in the Italian capital, set a time of 1m37.561s. Envision’s Sebastien Buemi, who had to have his car rebuilt after a big crash in Round 13, slotted into second. Joining him in the top tree was Maximilian Guenther who set a completely identical time to Buemi.
Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz, wasn’t able to take part in FP3, being forced to watch from the sidelines, reportedly he had a battery problem.
Maserati’s Maximilian Guenther had a small impact with the wall at Turn 7, going into the barriers after bailing the corner. Minutes later, Roberto Merhi (Mahindra Racing) narrowly avoided a big shunt, as he had a very close call with the wall at Turn 13/14.
Qualifying-
Avalanche Andretti’s Jake Dennis kept his cool in the scorching Rome heat to start the Hankook Rome E-Prix from the Julius Baer Pole Position. It’s his second pole of the season and has helped him clinch an extra three points to close up the gap to Championship leader, Nick Cassidy to just two points.
Cassidy will start on the front row of the grid alongside the driver closest to him in the standings Dennis, with championship contender Mitch Evans starting in fourth.
Dennis has never finished lower than second when starting from his previous four pole positions. Round 14 will be crucial in the title battle and it’s set up perfectly.
In the Semi’s it was a Kiwi showdown, as Round 13 winner Mitch Evans took on Cassidy. Both cars are equipped with Jaguar powertrains, it was Cassidy who made it through and guaranteed himself a spot on the front row.
The full top 10 are- P1: Dennis, P2: Cassidy, P3: Nato, P4: Evans, P5: Bird, P6: Guenther, P7: Ticktum, P8: Buemi, P9: Mortara and P10: Da Costa.
Round 14-
Jake Dennis took full advantage of his rival’s misfortune to hammer his authority home on the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Drivers’ Championship with a stunning first Grand Slam of the Gen3 era.
Dennis led away from pole and just about kept himself out of the absolute disaster that struck his closest title rivals Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans behind on just the second lap of the race.
As the former took a look at Dennis for the lead into the braking zone at Turn 7, Evans lost the rear of his Jaguar in the compression, clipped the leader’s Andretti and spectacularly launched over the top of Cassidy’s Envision. Dennis took full advantage of Evans’ damage proved terminal while Cassidy could only recover to 14th come the end of the race.
The result means Dennis takes a 24-point advantage over Cassidy into the season finale double-header in London – home soil and a circuit he’s strong at as a two-time winner. Evans is 44 points back in third, while TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein retains a slim mathematical hope, 49 points shy of top spot with 58 points available.
Joining Dennis in the top three were Norman Nato in P2, who managed to hold off Sam Bird for the duration despite suffering early damage to his front wing in P3.
The full top 10 are- P1: Dennis, P2: Nato, P3: Bird, P4: Mortara, P5: Buemi, P6: Guenther, P7: Wehrlein, P8: Vandoorne, P9: Ticktum and P10: Muller.
With the sun beating down on the Rome circuit, the TAG Heuer Porsche of Pascal Wehrlein went quickest in the first free practice session of the double header.
The Jaguar TCS Racing driver, Sam Bird rounded out FP1 in second, with the Maserati MSG Racing of Edoardo Mortara completing the top three.
Championship leader, Jake Dennis had some early concerns about his steering column. As a result of this, the Brit spent most of the valuable session in the garage, as his Andretti squad tried their best to fix his X99 Electric Gen3 – with the Brit complaining of poor confidence in the rear axel.
The last team out of their garages was Mahindra Racing. Mahindra and customer ABT CUPRA cars both had a small software issue in the rookie test and continued into FP1, with all four drivers with Mahindra power units spending time in their pit boxes at points.
Antonio Felix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche) spun at Turn 7, bringing out a brief yellow flag. A little later on, his old teammate Jean-Eric Vergne also found the limits of the street circuit as he pirouetted at Turn 14 whilst on a push lap.
FP2-
Three time Rome race winner, Mitch Evans closed out Free Practice 2 with a meteoric 1m37.881s firing him to the top of the timesheets, and almost half a second inside last year’s pole time.
Several drivers were using the 30 minute session to explore the limits of the circuit with a few early yellow flags for offs at Turn 7. The likes of Mitch Evans and both NIO 333 drivers found themselves doing a 180 degree spin down the escape road.
Evans had already gone quickest before he embarked on his final lap as the timer expired in the session. He went another four-tenths quicker than his previous best.
Portland winner, Nick Cassidy found himself with work to do in 15th, following up on just 12th in FP1. The Kiwi is just a point behind Dennis in the standings.
Qualifying-
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans strolled to Julius Baer Pole Position making it his second of the season – heading a front row lockout for the team.
Evans and Bird headed into the Final knowing they’d achieved their second front-row lockout in Formula E. Evans had been 0.6 seconds quicker than the rest in FP2, but there was nothing between the two over the opening sector of the lap until Bird made a mistake dropped him well over a second back from his teammte.
Standings leader, Jake Dennis said he didn’t feel quite at one with the car in qualifying, he made the Duels but only managed seventh. That said, he’s ahead of his closest title rival Nick Cassidy – the Envision driver down in ninth and third-placed Pascal Wehrlein also failed to make the Duels – knocked out of Group A.
Fenestraz faced Bird in the first Semi. The Nissan looked rapid throughout but with the track temperature hitting over 50 celsius, it looked liked it’d be Bird in the final as Fenestraz slipped up and made a costly error.
Evans faced Buemi. As the Jaguar driver started promosingly, taking a slender advantage of less than a tenth of a second over the first half of the lap. More than a second split the two, Buemi would nevertheless be happy with fourth.
The full top 10 are- P1: Evans, P2: Bird, P3: Fenestraz, P4: Buemi, P5: Rast, P6: Mortara, P7: Dennis, P8: Guenther, P9: Cassidy and P10: Wehrelein.
Round 13-
Mitch Evans became the first polesitter to stride to victory in Rome int he Hankook Rome E-Prix Round 13, besting the rest in a race of two halves, split by a massive multi-car shunt involving his teammate Sam Bird and several other drivers.
Evans was jumped by Bird off the line, with Jaguar looking like playing it tactically, ensuring the Kiwi could conserve energy in the slipstream behind the sister I-TYPE 6.
The pair then swapped positions again after the opening of the race before Sacha Fenestraz made it by Bird first and then Evans for the lead through the first round of Attack Mode activations and a brief break in the action for a Safety Car while Andre Lotterer’s car was recovered – the German finding the wall.
High drama on Lap 9 saw multiple cars caught up in a massive shunt at the quickest part of the track with Bird losing the rear of his Jaguar over the tricky, rapid and undulating section between Turns 6 and 7.
Sebastien Buemi, clipped back end of the Jaguar on his way through – the Swiss narrowly missing a square-on impact. Edoardo Mortara flew into the side of Bird’s car as it sat stricken in the middle of the circuit while several other drivers picked their way through and escaped with minor damage. That meant big ramifications for the teams and drivers – who all thankfully escaped unharmed in testament to Gen3 resilience.
Fourteen cars made the restart, with Fenestraz heading the pack away with Evans in tow. From there, Dennis seized the initiative, passing Evans with a sweeping move around the outside of the Jaguar through Turn 5.
It was comfortable for Evans to the flag, as headed home Cassidy while Maximilian Guenther also dispatching Dennis for third at the flag.
The full top 10 are- P1: Evans, P2: Cassidy, P3: Guenther, P4: Dennis, P5: Vergne, P6: Mortara, P7: Nato, P8: Sette, P9: Wehrlein and P10: Fenestraz.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is back this weekend as we return to Rome for Round 13 & 14, it’s also the penultimate race weekend of Season 9 with the standings top four all sat within striking distance.
Formula E makes its way back to the Eternal City for the fifth season and its seventh race in the Italian capital city at the Circuito Cittadino dell-EUR.
Four drivers representing four teams two marques, Jaguar and Porsche are split by just 32 points – well inside the total on offer over the two races in Rome.
Last time here in 2022, we had a double winner, Mitch Evans who has been the most successful here in Rome with three wins to his name. He looks like he will be one of the strongest drivers this weekend due to his speed this year and the Rome record.
The Circuit-
As one of the longest tracks on the calendar, the Circuito Cittadino dell’EUR races around the Obelisco di Marconi, against the backdrop of the iconic Colosseo Quadrato.
The Rome circuit features plenty of challenges for the drivers with undulations, lots of elevation changes, uneven surface and that jump – it’s a technical and fast track with long straights and a host of passing opportunities in the Eternal City.
The 19 turn 3.385km Circuito Cittadino Dell’EUR is among Formula E’s longest and takes in the city’s Palazzo dei Congressi, Piazzale Marconi and the iconic Palazzo della Civilta Italiana, also known as the “Square Coliseum” while Ninfeo Park skirts the track.
It’s a perfect mix of high speed runs and tight, complex sections and undulations with plenty of opportunities for overtaking at the hair pin and some 90 degree bends – peak Formula E and a big favourite of the drivers.
NEOM McLaren’s Rene Rast finished the first free practice session of the Southwire Portland E-Prix fastest, as the Championship broke several records around the new stateside circuit.
Rast who has not been in the top five in any practice session this season, set a time of 1m09.054s which put him quickest of the grid. The DS PENSKE of Jean-Eric Vergne was just 0.172s behind him to finish second, with the NIO 333 of Dan Ticktum completing the top three.
As the grid got to grips with the 3.221km circuit, the times tumbled. Seconds were being taken off each lap, and just minutes into the session the McLaren of Rast become the first driver to break Sacha Fenestraz’s all time Formula E average speed record.
Several drivers found the limits and exceeded them in this first practice, with the like of DS PENSKE’s Jean-Eric Vergne and NIO 333’s Dan Ticktum each taking a journey off the circuit over the 30 minute session.
FP2-
Nissan’s Norman Nato finished the final practice session before qualifying at the top of the timesheets, as the Frenchman set a time of 1m09.101s. The Nissan powertrain seems to be very happy in these hot conditions and on a traditional track.
Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther finished FP2 in second with the young driver keen to replicate his victory last time out in Jakarta. Jaguar TCS Racing’s Sam Bird had a late start to the session but ended up third.
Vergne had an unusual off at Turn 1 during the session, as he bailed on the corner and instead decided to venture down the escape road. He later did the same, kicking up dust in the DS PENSKE when finding the limits of the 3.221km circuit.
He wasn’t alone as in the session the NIO 333 of Dan Ticktum had an identical incident and went on the grass, with Robin Frijns treating his ABT CUPRA like a lawnmower across the runoff.
Qualifying-
Avalanche Andretti’s Jake Dennis took Julius Baer Pole Position and the driver’s World Championship lead ahead of the Portland E-Prix Round 12, beating a flying Sacha Fenestraz in the final.
Going up against the Nissan of Sacha Fenestraz was going to be tough, with the rapid French-Argentine a three-time Formula E record breaker. In addition, Dennis had lost all three final appearances this season, with this being his third consecutive final in a row, and finally managed to bag the all important P1.
Despite learning that he was starting in the pit lane, as DS PENSKE had installed RFID scanning equipment at pit entry this morning that was able to collect live data from all cars, Vergne still took part in his quarters duel with Nato.
In the Semi’s it was the battle of the Nissans, and there not strangers to a duel against one another, and the last time this happened was in Monaco when the French-Argentinean Fenestraz won, leaving Nato settling for third on the grid.
Round 12-
Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy clambered from 10th to the top step of the podium in an enthralling inaugural Southwire Portland E-Prix Round 12, heading home the TAG Heuer Porsche of Antonio Felix da Costa and Jake Dennis. Just seven seconds split the first 17 runners, while the race produced some 403 overtakes.
Cassidy measured his race to perfection from P10 on the grid as the 22-strong field jostled for superiority over the 32 lap encounter/
Polesitter Jake Dennis led the opening stages but wouldn’t time his late-race charge as previsely as Cassidy managed to. The Avalanche Andretti driver would settle for second, though, as that proved to be enough for the Drivers’ World Championship lead as things stand.
On his birthday, Mitch Evans recovered from 20th on the grid to fourth – ensuring his still in the fight for the title with four races left in Season 9.
The full top 10 are- P1: Cassidy, P2: Dennis, P3: da Costa, P4: Evans, P5: Buemi, P6: Gunther, P7: Bird, P8: di Grassi, P9: Wehrlein and P10: Nato.
We now have a few weeks break, as we head to Rome, Italy for Round 13 & 14 on the 14th to 16th of July.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will be racing on the streets of Tokyo for the first time next March as the series targets more world cities to host debut races in its landmark 10th season.
The provisional calendar for Season 10 was published yesterday by Formula E and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) following ratification by the FIA World Motorsport Council and with the support of local ASNs (National Sporting Authorities) for each host city.
The race in Tokyo on Saturday 30th March 2024 will be the first FIA sanctioned world championship motorsport event held in Tokyo.
Formula E and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government have been working together to bring the race to the city to support the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) initiative, part of the Zero Emission Tokyo strategy.
Round
Place
Date
Pre-Season Testing
Valencia, Spain
October 23rd-27th
Round 1
Mexico City, Mexico
January 13th
Round 2
Diriyah, Saudi Arabia
January 26th
Round 3
Diriyah, Saudi Arabia
January 27th
Round 4
TBD
February 10th
Round 5
TBD
February 24th
Round 6
Sao Paulo, Brazil
March 16th
Round 7
Tokyo, Japan
March 30th
Round 8
Rome, Italy
April 13th
Round 9
Rome, Italy
April 14th
Round 10
Monaco
April 27th
Round 11
Berlin, Germany
May 11th
Round 12
Berlin, Germany
May 12th
Round 13
TBD
May 25th
Round 14
Jakarta, Indonesia
June 8th
Round 15
Portland, USA
June 29th
Round 16
London, UK
July 20th
Round 17
London, UK
July 21st
Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will begin in Mexico City on Saturday 13th January following the success of a sold-out opening race to begin Season 9.
Three rounds of the 17 race provisional calendar are listed as To Be Determined (TBD) while Formula E continues advanced discussions with a range of potential host cities that would see the championship create more showpiece race events in iconic global locations.
Berlin will maintain its record as the only city to host an E-Prix in all ten seasons of the championship, consolidating its reputation as a popular venue for drivers and fans who witnessed a record-breaking 190 overtakes and 23 lead changes in Round 7 this season.
We are excited to take Formula E to the streets of Tokyo next season. It is an iconic world city providing the perfect backdrop to showcase the unique qualities of our sport and will capture global attention. The Season 10 calendar represents our ongoing mission to create a dynamic schedule of new cities hosting races for the first or second time like Tokyo, São Paulo and Portland alongside established hosts like Berlin, Rome, London, Monaco, Diriyah and now Jakarta.
Alberto Longo, Co-Founder & Chief Championship Office, Formula E.
Tokyo will be a highlight of our historic 10th season. We are also in advanced discussions with many more iconic world cities who are keen to host a Formula E race and create blockbuster world championship motorsport events with us. We expect this to be reflected in the updated calendar published later this year.
Envision Racing has announced that Jack Aitken will be jumping back into their car in Rome, with teams set to once again field rookies – this time in a Free Practice session.
Aitken, completed 19 laps during his first run-out in Berlin, assisting the team as they continued to gather data and insights into the new Gen3 car.
The British-South Korean racer will now have a further opportunity to test that machinery as the team’s season reaches a title-challenging climax.
Teams can field someone who’s sampled Formula E machinery before but they must be drivers included on the Season 9 Entry List and they must not have competed in a Formula E race in their career before.
The idea is to give the best young talent a pathway to race at the very top of the motorsport ladder with a taste of Formula E and the opportunity to impress prospective teams in the world’s leading electric race series.
The choices the teams have put forward to Formula E and the FIA will be revealed in the lead up to Rome.
Maximilian Guenther (Maserati MSG Racing) heads the way in Jakarta from teammate Edoardo Mortara, with the German well inside the fastest race lap set here last year.
Guenther’s late lap was 0.8 seconds up on the fastest time from the race last year of a 1m 09.786s. His teammate was almost 0.2 seconds back in second spot. Reigning champion, Stoffel Vandoorne also did well on the dusty track as he slotted in third.
Current Drivers World Championship leader and form man, Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) finds himself down in 17th with work to do.
FP2-
Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther made it two in a row, as he topped second practice ahead of qualifying for the Gulavit 2023 Jakarta E Prix, Round 10.
Championship contender, Jake Dennis finished in second with the Jaguar TCS Racing of Sam Bird who ended up in third.
Maserati have been on form so far, until this free practice as Edoardo Mortara made one of the first mistakes of the weekend when he whacked his Gen3 car into a wall whilst on a lap. Due to the damage on the wheel rim he was forced to abandon his only lap and sit out the rest of the session.
Championship leader, Nick Cassidy also brought out the yellow flags as he suffered a lack of grip towards the end of the session and had a little spin.
Qualifying-
Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther achieved his maiden Formula E pole position, dominating every session he’s taken part in so far.
Having looked quick in FP2, Avalanche Andretti’s Jake Dennis finished his group quickest. The DS PENSKEs of Vergne and reigning champion Vandoorne also go through into the Quarter of the Duels.
Maserati continued their streak as Guenther and Mortara made it through to the quarters alongside Wehrlein and Rene Rast.
The full top 10 are- P1: Guenther, P2: Dennis, P3: Wehrlein, P4: Vergne, P5: Vandoorne, P6: Mortara, P7: Frijns, P8: Rast, P9: Muller and P10: Cassidy.
Round 10-
Long time standings leader, Pascal Wehrlein, lost top spot in the table last time out in Monaco but stamped his authority on the Gulavit Jakarta E-Prix, Round 10 with a controlled victory.
With the TAG Heuer Porsche driver, leading Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) and Maximilian Guenther (Maserati MSG Racing).
Porsche’s Wehrlein started third and traded places for the lead with polesitter, Maximilian Guenther over the opening third of the E-Prix having first made his way by his compatriot on Lap 4.
Dennis started second and finished second, with not quite enough in his Avalanche Andretti car to overpower the factory Porsche 99X Electric of Wehrlein out-front. His charge wasn’t helped by a late push by Guenther, who was trying to hassle the Brit for second.
The full top 10 are- P1: Wehrlein, P2: Dennis, P3: Guenther, P4: Vandoorne, P5: Vergne, P6: Mortara, P7: Cassidy, P8: Da Costa, P9: Frijns and P10: Hughes.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship turns to Asia and Jakarta, Indonesia this weekend for the 2023 Gulavit Jakarta E-Prix rounds 10 & 11.
The trip to Jakarta marks Formula E’s second outing in Indonesia, home to 273 million people – a huge contingent of motorsport fanatics eager for another taste of the leading electric racing series as the city centre once again plays host on motorsport’s world stage after a more than memorable first visit to the nation in 2022.
Last time out in Jakarta, it was uncharted territory for the championship’s grid of 22 drivers. Mitch Evans fended off the close attentions of Jean-Eric Vergne and Edoardo Mortara to take his third win of Season 8.
The Circuit-
The 2.37km, 18 turn circuit kicks off with a tight opening sector after a long run down the start/finish straight. There’ll be plenty of room for manoeuvre into the right hander at Turn 1 before drivers head into a flowing series of turns that swoop by Ancol Beach City.
The final sector is a tricky complex following a fast right-hander at Turn 12 and another long straight into what will no doubt be a busy turn 13 hairpin come the race. An awkward left-hander at Turn 18 rounds out the lap with a strong slingshot required down that long home straight.
Mahindra Racing have announced a change to their driver line-up for the remaining seven races of Season 9, as Oliver Rowland has departed the team. The team now welcome Spaniard Roberto Merhi, who recently drove for the team in the recent Berlin Rookie Test.
Merhi will race for the Mahindra team, alongside Season 3 Formula E Champion Lucas di Grassi from the Jakarta E-Prix this weekend.
The team stated that a “mutual agreement ” had been reached between Rowland Mahindra for him to step aside for the next seven races.
Rowland has plenty of Formula E experience under his belt, with his first race being the 2015 Punta del Este E-Prix and has gathered 64 race entries under his belt. As well as achieving five Julius Baer Pole Positions and six podiums.
However, Rowland currently sits 19th in the Drivers’ World Championship standings with nine points to his name in the new Gen3 era.
Last time out in Monaco, Rowland had a great start to the race making up eight places. But, his race came to a premature end when a crash resulted in him sustaining a hard injury and being checked at a local hospital. Thankfully an X-ray showed that there was nothing serious and he was expected to race in the Indonesian double header.
Roberto Merhi has a very impressive racing resume, having raced in Formula 1 with the Manor Marussia F1 Team in 2015, he also had success winning races in various championships including Formula Renault, Spanish F3, British F3 and Formula Renault 3.5 Series.
As well as single seaters, Merhi also competes in endurance racing and finished the Asian Le Mans Series Drivers’ Championship in 2020.
It’s a huge honour for me to step in and represent Mahindra Racing for the races in Jakarta. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity and I’m determined to make the most of it. I had a chance to drive the M9Electro at the rookie test in Berlin but Formula E is very different to any of the other series I’ve raced in so the learning curve will be steep. But I feel ready, excited and up for the challenge.
Merhi on the opportunity.
We are delighted to welcome Roberto to the Mahindra Racing team. Roberto has impressive experience in top-level racing and a good track record in major championships. He had a great run with us at the Rookie Test in Berlin last month and we could see he had the potential to become a great asset for the Mahindra Racing team. It’s not easy to jump in mid-season, but Roberto has experience of working with the team, so I’m sure he will slot into the team brilliantly.
Avalanche Andretti has announced that David Beckmann will replace Andre Lotterer at the Jakarta E-Prix, who will be spending the weekend with Porsche’s LMDh team preparing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Named as the team’s reserve for Season 8 and 9, Beckmann got his first taste of motor racing in karts. In 2012 he won the DMV Kart Championship (KF3 class) and the European Bridgestone Cup.
A year later he was crowned overall winner of the German Junior Kart Championship, beating Mick Schumacher. With this success under his belt, he advanced to Formula 4 in 2015, contesting championships in Germany, where he won the rookie classification and also in Italy.
After two years in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, he switched to the GP3 series, where he finished fifth overall in 2018 with three race wins. Returning to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, he clinched sixth overall with a string of strong performances. From 2021, he competed in FIA Formula 2.
I’m super grateful for the opportunity to step in for André and represent the Avalanche Andretti Formula E Team in Jakarta. Formula E is an incredibly competitive championship, and I’m excited to showcase my capabilities in this unique racing series. I would like to thank Michael Andretti and the team for trusting me with this responsibility. I’m going to give my best to achieve a successful outcome for everyone involved.
Beckmann on the opportunity.
David has proven himself as a highly talented driver and we are delighted to welcome him back into the team for the Jakarta E-Prix. He was part of the team in Season 8 as the official reserve driver and he has not only demonstrated his capabilities during the Berlin Rookie Test, but also throughout the Porsche Motorsport development actvities. He will be an excellent replacement for the double-header weekend. We knew from the outset that André’s priorities lay within Porsche’s LMDh sportscar squad and were therefore supportive of his commitments outside of Formula E. David’s experience in both single-seater championships and as both the team’s and TAG Heuer Porsche’s Reserve and Development Driver will undoubtedly contribute to his seamless transition into the Formula E environment. We have full confidence in his ability to represent the team and have no doubt that he will make the most of this opportunity, contributing to our continued success in the championship.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans went fastest in the first session of the day, with a time of 1m13.361s. Stoffel Vandoorne was 0.126s behind him. Maximilian Guenther finished in third.
The session was quickly under yellow flags as the Avalanche Andretti of Andre Lotterer had an unusual off at Mirabeau. The car and driver were unharmed, all Porsche-powered cars were grounded for the first half of the session, which quickly got resolved.
Regular running resumed most of the session, with the drivers wanting to get as much track time as possible around the iconic circuit.
However, Mahindra Racing’s Lucas di Grassi brought out yellow flags as he spun at Sainte-Devote. As well as locking up and damaging his front wing, di Grassi struggled to get going but eventually limped back to the garage.
FP2-
Maximilian Guenther kept Maserati MSG Racing’s home crowd happy in the final session before qualifying. With a time of 1m.29.269s, which was already six-tenths quicker than Mitch Evans times needed for the Julius Baer Pole Position here last year.
Behind Guenther was Evans, who topped the timesheets in FP1 the +0.007s difference just shows how tight the competition is. Avalanche Andretti’s Jake Dennis finished in third.
Unlike Free Practice 1, all cars were quickly out on track for the day’s second session. Berlin race winner, Nick Cassidy had limited running after he complained about massive vibrations under braking on the radio. He eventually got back out on track but finished the session in 21st.
Qualifying-
It was a battle of the rookies for the finals, as Fenestraz and Hughes went up against each other for Julius Baer Pole Position. It was Sacha Fenestraz who grabbed pole as the McLaren driver made a mistake coming out of the tunnel, but the Nissan driver had his lap time cancelled for power usage, so Jake Hughes will be starting on pole position.
The DS Penske duo of Jean Eric Vergne and Vandoorne went quickest at the start of Group A. However, both were placed under investigation for a technical infringement and pitted soon after. In the end, neither of them made it through to the Duels and eventually their lap times were all cancelled as a result of a tyre pressure violation.
Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa, the winner here in Monaco in Season 7 had a disastrous start to his session, after reporting front left damage, which resulted in him making a quick stop in his teams garage.
The full top 10 are: Pole: Hughes, P2: Fenestraz, P3: Nato, P4: Guenther, P5: Ticktum, P6: Evans, P7: Mortara, P8: Sette Camara, P9: Cassidy and P10: Lotterer.
Round 9-
Nick Cassidy, Envision Racing fired to the top of the ABB FIA Formula E World Champiosnhip with a storming drive from ninth on the grid to the race win in an absorbing 2023 Monaco E-Prix.
Cassidy led home Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) having fended off his countryman until a late race Safety Car made the win certain for the Envision racer. Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) couldn’t quite live with the lead pair, but he drove from 11th on the grid to grab the final podium spot.
Long time Drivers’ World Championship leader, Pascal Wehrlein could only improve to 11th from 12th at the outset – the Porsche 99X Electric still has the performance within but unlocking it consistently over a lap and in qualifying appears to be an ongoing and potentially costly issue.
With 21 laps in the books, Guenther’s car came to a halt at Casino Square – Ticktum having moved to defend in front of the Maserati MSG Racing driver and the German driver running squarely into the back of the NIO 333.
The full top 10 are: P1: Cassidy, P2: Evans, P3: Dennis, P4: Fenestraz, P5: Hughes, P6: Ticktum, P7: Vergne, P8: Buemi, P9: Vandoorne and P10: Bird.
We now have a little wait until the next race, with just under 4 weeks till the Jakarta E-Prix for Round 11 & 10 on the 3rd and 4th of June.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship makes its sixth visit to the most iconic street circuit in motorsport, we are in Monaco this weekend for Round 9.
The streets of the Principality have played host to some of the biggest moments in motor racing history and Formula E itself has arguably showcased the best of motorsport in Monte Carlo since it switched to the Grand Prix circuit a couple of years ago.
Season 6 champion Antonio Felix da Costa claimed victory in season 7 in an absolute classic – undoubtedly one of the most exciting races in the history of Formula E, capping a first outing on the full Monaco circuit with an audacious overtake at the exit of the tunnel on the final lap of the race for the win. The race saw 28 overtakes between the top six runners alone, with the lead changing six times.
If this season is anything to go by, with almost 400 overtakes over the Berlin double header weekend, and a record eight different race leaders in Round 7, then we’re in for a classic…
The Circuit-
La Rascasse, Casino Square and Grand Hotel Hairpin – there are few corners that evoke motorsport legend than the winding streets that line the Monaco circuit, its steeped in motorsport tradition and all-electric street racing is made for these streets.
For the last two seasons, the field has put on a stunning display around the Principality. We’ve seen overtakes galore, battles right up the finish line and some spectacular passes in unexpected locations, passing within inches of each other up the hill at Beau Rivage.
Take in the energy zapping hill by Mirabeau and the famous Casino Square, round the Grand Hotel Hairpin and through the inimitable Monaco tunnel ahead of the harbourfront chicane. The full 3.3km with its steep hill and high speed sections will again put the field’s energy management skills to the test.
Mitch Evans led the way in a wet Free Practice 3 ahead of the SABIC Berlin E-Prix Round 8, with Gen3 seeing its first outing in rainy conditions, with Saturday’s race winner on it right away.
Rain fell overnight with a light drizzle in the morning creating a slick track surface for the 22 car field to contend with.
NEOM McLaren’s Rene Rast required recovery early on with technical issues, other than that brief Red Flag stoppage, it was a valuable, busy session as teams gathered data.
Mitch Evans put in a 1m 15.955s – some 10 seconds down on FP1’s dry pace – with teammate Sam Bird down in 12th. More encouragement for Jaguar TCS Racing, with its car looking quick in all conditions.
Qualifying-
Robin Frijns and ABT CUPRA pulled off one of the shocks of Season 9 so far in Berlin as the Dutchman headed an all-ABT front-row lockout in the first wet qualifying session.
We saw the ABT CUPRA cars hook it up and finally find their feet, with the stunning front-row lock out in front of the team’s home support. That was Frijns’ second ever Julius Baer Pole Position and a first for the team since its return to the series as well as for partners CUPRA.
Sam Bird couldn’t replicate his pace from yesterday and failed to make it through to the Duels – a big change from being on the front row the day before.
Maximilian Guenther also had a poor result, and will start his race towards the back of the grid after finishing last in the Group B qualifying. With it being the first time in five races that he has failed to progress into the qualifying Duels.
Round 8-
Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy picked his moment to hit the front and went on to seal the race win in the SABIC Berlin E-Prix Round 8, as he got the best of a tight field to clamber from eighth to the top set of the podium.
The unique Berlin Tempelhof Circuit threw up a second intensely tactical race in as many days, brimming with overtakes – 172 in total making for 362 over the weekend.
The Kiwi started eighth and hit the front on Lap 25, he drove supremely to stay there – setting the pace, given the okay from his engineer on Lap 33, and mastering Formula E’s tightrope of ultimate pace, racecraft and energy.
Jake Dennis was in striking distance come the chequered flag, just half a second back at the flag but not close enough to topple Cassidy – who now has four podiums on the spin and draws to within four points of standings leader Pascal Wehrlein.
Wehrlein started sixth, in a stronger position than recent races having complained of poor one-lap pace in qualifying. He did lead a couple of times – the first on Lap 15 – but ultimately couldn’t live with the leader and found himself shuffled to seventh at the race’s end.
The standout drive was arguably Maximilian Guenther’s from 21st on the grid. The Maserati MSG Racing driver followed up on securing the team’s first podium in Round 7 with a sixth a day later – climbing 15 positions through the pack.
The full top 10 are: P1: Cassidy, P2: Dennis, P3: Vergne, P4: Evans, P5: Da Costa, P6: Guenther, P7: Wehrlein, P8: Vandoorne, P9: Muller and P10: Ticktum.
We are back racing in just under two weeks, with our next race being in Monaco on the 6th May for Round 9!
DS PENSKE’s Stoffel Vandoorne set the early pace in Free Practice 1 at the SABIC Berlin E-Prix. The reigning Drivers’ World Champion popped in a 1m 05.803s at the Tempelhof Airport Circuit which has held the most races in Formula E history.
A second split the top 20 drivers, with the top nine being separated by only three tenths!
Behind Vandoorne, it was Avalanche Andretti’s Jake Dennis in second place, with Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther in third.
The Maserati of Edoardo Mortara brought out a brief yellow flag around ten minutes into the session as his Gen3 car went into the barriers. Later on in the session, Robin Frijns went for a little spin in his ABT Cupra.
FP2-
Maserati MSG Racing continued to look strong at the SABIC Berlin E-Prix, as Maximilian Guenther delighted his home crowd by going fastest in Free Practice 2 with the quickest time seen around the circuit – 1m 05.301s.
Behind Guenther was Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy in second who is currently on a streak of three consecutive podiums. Double Formula E Champion, Jean-Eric Vergne slotted into third.
Edoardo Mortara, almost had a repeat of his FP1 incident yesterday. However, only moments later Mahindra Racing’s Oliver Rowland sent his M9Electro into the barriers after a hefty lock up at Turn 1.
Qualifying-
Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi took a Formula E record 16th, and second Julius Baer Pole Position of the season, much to surprise after making two mistakes on his final qualifying lap and dealing with a recently broken bone in his hand.
With both Buemi and Bird being powered by the Jaguar I-TYPE 6, it was always going to be close, but it was Buemi who snatched pole by over a tenth to second place Sam Bird.
NIO 333’s qualifying went from strength to strength after Dan Ticktum joined his teammate into Quarters, who have never had both their cars in Duels stage since it was introduced at the start of Season 8.
For home heroes, TAG Heuer Porsche, Antonio Felix da Costa ended Group A in 10th, his worst performance in the Groups this year. His teammate, Pascal Wehrlein, could only manage eighth in Group A too – the same he did last time out in Brazil.
Round 7-
Jaguar TCS Racing played a blinder with their race strategy to seal a Mitch Evans, Sam Bird one-two in a beautifully chaotic SABIC Berlin E-Prix Round 7 that saw 190 overtakes and a record 20 at the line lead changes and eight different race leaders.
Throughout the entire race distance, some 43 laps, the field never mind the top 10, proved to be completely inseparable. Dan Ticktum had launched himself into the lead in style with a stunning move around the outside of Turn 1 right by Sebastien Buemi, Sam bird and Stoffel Vandoorne.
Glancing at the timing screens yielded a different race leader at almost every stage as positions changed left and right, with the first of two spells under the Safety Car compounding things further and seeing the field split by just over five seconds at a little over the halfway stage.
The Jaguar pair and Buemi then clambered to fill out the top three spots after Guenther had briefly taken P1 as the race headed into its closing stages. The Jaguar powered cars went on to stretch their legs, with Guenther looking to pick up the pieces as the front three squabbled for the race lead.
The full top 10 are: P1: Evans, P2: Bird, P3: Guenther, P4: Buemi, P5: Cassidy, P6: Wehrlein, P7: Vergne, P8: Lotterer, P9: Mortara and P10: Rowland.
Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY Champion, Simon Evans joins Sheldon Van Der Linde, in Jaguar TCS Racing’s Rookie Test line-up.
Simon Evans, elder brother of Mitch Evans, will return to the iconic Tempelhof Circuit where he was crowned Champion of the 2020 Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY race series, three years after an epic ‘lockdown showdown’ finale.
The 32 year old Kiwi will step into the cockpit of the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 as part of his long-awaited prize for winning the all electrical production based race series.
I’m incredibly excited to be taking part in the official rookie test for Jaguar TCS Racing. The Jaguar family has always meant a lot to me, and I’m really looking forward to this opportunity. It’s the first time I will have been back to Berlin since I won the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY at the Tempelhof circuit. It’s definitely going to bring back some great memories. I know the track very well but it’s been a long time since I’ve driven a single-seater. I’m going to enjoy myself, while hopefully getting some valuable data for the team.
Evans on the opportunity.
South African, Sheldon Van Der Line, will be joining Evans in his Gen3 test debut. The BMW factory driver has raced in DTM for the last four years and is currently 2022 DTM Champion.
The 23 year old started karting at the age of six, and gained a wealth of experience and won multiple national titles before moving into cars in 2014. Since then, Sheldon has continued his impressive career and seen success in the ADAC Total 24 hour of Nurburgring.
I’m very proud to be joining Jaguar TCS Racing for my first rookie test in the Jaguar I-TYPE 6. The rookie test is a really great opportunity for young and upcoming drivers to try new motorsport categories and I’m really looking forward to driving the Gen3 race car for the first time. I’ve visited the team in Grove and have been working closely with the engineers to familiarise myself with the simulator, systems and procedures to be best prepared for what’s ahead in Berlin. From what I’ve heard, Formula E is particularly challenging if you’re a rookie, so it will be great to get some valuable experience in the all-electric racing series.
Van der Linde on the experience.
The test is an important day for both teams and drivers and I’m very pleased that we have Simon and Sheldon driving the Jaguar I-TYPE 6. It’s an opportunity to give new and upcoming talent a chance and assessment in the GEN3 race car and for us as a team to continue to build valuable data and insight into this new car. Simon has been a stand-out member of the Jaguar family, racing in the Jaguar I-TYPE eTROPHY for two seasons and ultimately becoming champion in a very competitive season. Mitch is also very proud to see his brother have this opportunity. Sheldon’s resume is without question and we are very pleased to have this very talented young driver in one of our cars. We’re looking forward to seeing how he approaches his time with us and his feedback.
NIO 333 has selected former Formula 1 driver, Daniil Kvyat and World Touring Car champion Mikel Azcona for the Berlin Rookie Test.
Kyvat raced in F1 as part of the Red Bull stable for six years between 2014 and 2020 at Scuderia Toro Rosso/ Alpha Tauri and Red Bull Racing, securing three podium finishes.
Since then, he has made three outings in the NASCAR Cup Series last year, and sits second in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s LMP2 category this season.
I’m really excited to be trying the Formula E car for the first time ever and with NIO 333 Racing. I think Formula E has proved for many years to be a very competitive, high-level championship, with very interesting environmental goals as well. The racing is very fast, and very competitive. The team has also been making a lot of progress, especially this year, and has room to grow and fight for even stronger positions in the future. It’ll be interesting to see what we can do together at this test.
Kvyat on the test.
Spaniard, Mikel Azcona will appear alongside Kvyat in the sister ER9 at the test. The touring car specialist won the WTCR FIA World Touring Car Cup last year, and is a twice European touring car champion in TCR EUrope.
Azcona also went two seasons competing in the FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup, where he was a three-time event winner in the electric touring car series, which featured rear-wheel drive EVs competing at up to 500kW of power.
It’s a really nice feeling to be at the Rookie Test, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity that NIO 333 has given me. It’s something new for me in my career, and it’s my first time driving a single-seater since 2012. So I really want to improve my skills there, and I really want to learn about this new technology. It’s going to be interesting seeing what I can bring from my time in electric touring car racing, which was also new to me, but where I was very competitive. Some of the technology is similar in theory, but I’m expecting it to be quite something else when I get into the Formula E car.
DS Penske has confirmed Will Stevens and Robert Shwartzman for the Rookie Test on the 24th April.
Stevens started his career as a European and Asia Pacific Karting champion, through the top junior single seater categories before impressing enough to make it to Formula 1.
He them moved into sportscars and endurance racing in 2016 – joining the FIA World Endurance Championship’s LMP2 category, where he’s sealed multiple wins and podiums as well as the 2023 title as well as a win at Le Mans.
I am really happy to be taking in a new challenge in Formula E with DS PENSKE. This is completely different from any other race series I’ve been in, but I am hoping my experience in many other categories will give me a head start as a rookie. I have a sense of what the car is like from the work I have done in the simulator so far and look forward to the challenge ahead. I am curious to try it first hand, especially around such a unique track that is Berlin. Together with some of the best drivers and manufacturers in the world makes it an exciting place to be.
The 31 year old on the experience.
Shwartzman is currently a reserve driver for the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team. He started early, at the age of five in karting and up the ladder to Formula E.
Three wins and 10 podiums saw him take the FIA Formula 3 crown in 2019, and a move to Formula 2 followed, where he finished runner-up in 2021.
I am thrilled to get the chance to drive a Formula E car, and I thank Jay Penske for giving me this opportunity. This championship is a very interesting, growing platform, it has quite a different approach compared to other racing series but that’s why it’s fascinating. As a driver I’m always keen to be able to gain experience with different cars and this test offers me the chance to try a new kind of single-seater in a year that sees me involved in Formula 1 as third driver and in GT racing as an official driver of Ferrari. To get to do my Formula E debut with the most awarded manufacturer on the grid makes this particularly special. I am also very excited to work alongside this team, who have been very welcoming, and shares with me the will to succeed in every aspect of the sport!
Shwartzman on the opportunity.
It is always a special moment for the team to host talented drivers and give them their first taste of Formula E. This event is an amazing opportunity to see how they perform in a Formula E car. I am very excited to have Robert and Will behind the wheel of our GEN3 car, they have both demonstrated their raw speed and racecraft throughout the single-seater categories. Robert is a fierce competitor and Will has impressive technical skills, their mindsets fit perfectly with DS PENSKE and I am glad to have them in the team for this test!
Jay Penske, Owner and Team Principal of DS PENSKE.
Mahindra Racing has confirmed Jehan Daruvala, Jordan King and Roberto Merhi will drive for the team at the Berlin Rookie Test.
Merhi, who raced for Manor Marussia F1 Team during the 2015 season, joins the Banbury based outfit in Berlin for his first taste of electric motorsport.
A successful single-seater career saw the Spaniard win races across Formula Renault, Spanish F3, British F4 and Formula 3.5 Euro Series before progressing into Formula One, first as a test driver and then a competing driver.
Since then, he has advanced into sports cars and endurance racing, finishing third in the Asian Le Mans Series Drivers’ Championship in 2020.
I’m very happy to make my debut in Formula E with the Rookie Test in Berlin. I would really like to thank Mahindra Racing for trusting me. I will put in all my effort to do a good job for the team. Adapting to a new challenge is exciting and I look forward to it.
The 32 year old on the test.
The Berlin test event will be Reserve Driver Jehan Daruvala’s first official outing in the M9Electro, after joining Mahindra Racing at the start of the season. He has since shadowed the teams drivers, Lucas di Grassi and Oliver Rowland in Diriyah and Hyderabad earlier this year.
The young Indian racer has impressed in recent years competing in FIA Formula 2, scoring multiple wins and podiums, most recently achieving two third-placed finishes during the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix weekend.
The GEN3 is the fastest Formula E car yet and I’m really excited to be given the chance to drive it in Berlin. My role as Reserve Driver means I have already driven laps in the simulator, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the M9Electro for real. As an Indian, I’m especially proud to be driving for the only Indian manufacturer on the grid and I’m really grateful to Mahindra Racing for giving me this opportunity.
Daruvala on the test.
Formula 1 development driver, Jordan King has been Mahindra Racing’s Simulator and Development Driver since 2021.
The 29 year old has enjoyed a strong single-seater career, wining the 2013 British F3 Championship and competing in GB2, F2 and IndyCar as well as working with the Manor Marussia and Alpine F1 teams.
I’m really looking forward to getting in the car and continuing the development work we’ve been doing behind the scenes. It’ll be good to take the weekend’s simulator work straight to the track on Monday morning and carry on the progression and learning. As always, I’m grateful to the team for the opportunity to represent them and I can’t wait to get out there.
Maserati MSG Racing has secured reigning FIA Formula 2 champion, Felipe Drugovich and FIA Formula 3 racer, Hugh Barter for the Berlin Rookie Test.
Felipe Drugovich is one of the most promising young driver on the junior single-seater scene. The Brazilian commenced his professional racing career in 2016 and quickly tasted success by winning MRF Challenge Formula 2000 in the 2017/18 season.
Felipe secured back to back titles in 2018 by triumphing in Euroformula Open and Spanish Formula 3 and joined Formula 1’s support bill in 2020 by competing in F2.
In a campaign marked by five wins and 11 podiums, Drugovich dominated the 2022 season to seal the Drivers’ Championship by an impressive 101 point margin over his next nearest rival.
The 22 year old is currently the Reserve Driver for Aston Martin and McLaren in F1 and most recently represented the former during 2023 pre-season testing in Bahrain.
I can’t wait to get my first taste of the Maserati Tipo Folgore and Gen3 Formula E in Berlin. Formula E is a category that has always fascinated me, and it will be intriguing to experience the differences of a fully-electric car in comparison to the single-seaters I’ve raced in recent seasons. Knowing that I will be playing an active role in the development of such an iconic brand, in its first season back in World Championship motorsport, is a huge honour. I’m very excited.
Drugovich on the opportunity.
Australian-Japanese racer Hugh Barter first sat behind the wheel at the age of six, and after excelling on the go-karting scene, stepped up to single seater in 2021.
He was runner-up in French F4 after scoring 12 wins and 22 podiums in the series across two seasons and finished as the runner-up in Spanish F4 last season.
For 2023 he joined the F1 support bill, by making his competitive debut in FIA Formula 3, driving for Campos Racing.
I would like to thank Maserati MSG Racing for giving me the opportunity to experience Formula E for the very first time. I’ve really enjoyed my experience in the sim so far and I can’t wait to get out on the track in Berlin. Working closely with James, Edo and Max will be an invaluable learning experience for me, especially at this stage of my career.
Barter on his first experience of Formula E.
We’re delighted to welcome Felipe [Drugovich] and Hugh [Barter] to the team for our rookie test in Berlin. It provides a key chance for the next generation of racing talent to experience electric motorsport for the first time. In Felipe and Hugh, we’ll have a driver line-up formed from experience and youth. We can’t wait for them to take to the track in the GEN3 car in Berlin.
James Rossiter, Team Principal Maserati MSG Racing.
Adrien Tambay and Tim Tramnitz will join ABT Cupra for the Formula E Rookie Test in Berlin next Monday, 24th April.
Tambay, the reigning champion of ETCR from France and German Tramnitz, who is only 18 years old, will get the chance to get to know the third generation of the purely electric single-seater on the track in Berlin for one day.
Both drivers have already familiarised themselves with the circuit in the simulator in Kempten.
We’re looking forward to spending the day together with these two guys. The aim is for them to have fun, get to know Formula E and at the same time gather data that will help our engineers prepare for the second half of the season. Adrien, who previously competed for ABT in the DTM, returns for a day as a seasoned champion in CUPRA colors. And Tim has often proven his talent as a supported driver of the ADAC Sports Foundation – now I’m excited about the Formula E test.
ABT CEO and Team Principal, Thomas Biermaier.
Tambay completed a total of 66 DTM races for ABT between 2012 and 2015 and celebrated the title in the ETCR electric touring car championship with CUPRA last year.
It’s a great feeling to work with the guys again and see a lot of familiar faces. After successful years in touring cars, it’s also exciting to be back in a single-seater, continuing my journey with CUPRA. I’m delighted to have the trust of ABT and CUPRA and will do my best to support the team in their comeback year.
Tambay on his opportunity.
Tramnitz is a Motorsport Team Germany supported squad driver and has been part of the ADAC Sports Foundation squad for six years, including finishing runner-up in the Italian and German Formula 4 championships in 2021.
I am really looking forward to the rookie test in Berlin. For the opportunity I would like to thank ABT CUPRA especially. The test came about at short notice through the mediation of the ADAC Sports Foundation with Motorsport Team Germany. Together with the ABT team, the foundation is helping me to get to Berlin on Sunday evening after my race in the Formula Regional European Championship in Imola, so that I am ready for action on Monday morning. To be able to gain initial experience in a Formula E race car with such a professional and experienced team as ABT CUPRA is a great opportunity and a special challenge for me.
NEOM McLaren will field Charlie Eastwood and Luke Browning at the official Rookie Test in Berlin on the 24th April.
Eastwood, from Belfast has built an impressive resume over the past 10 years predominantly in GT and Endurance competition.
During this time, he became the 2017 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britian champion, 2019 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup (Pro-Am) champion and won the European Le Mans Series – LMP2 Pro-AM in 2022, as well as the Asian Le Mans Series – LMP2 earlier this year. He has also held several reserve and development driver roles.
I’m absolutely buzzing to drive the GEN3 car at the Berlin Rookie Test. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend some of the races earlier this season, and I really like the championship. I love the complexity of the series, as well as the car itself. I’ve had a taste of it on the simulator and I am sure there will be a lot to learn on the day. I’m super excited and can’t wait to work with the team.
Eastwood on the test.
Luke Browning, from Kingsley in the UK, is the 2022 Autosport BRDC Award winner. Looking at his short career so far, Browning grabbed the F4 British Championship in 2020.
The following year he took part in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship and the Drexler Automotive Formula 4 Cup where he finished 3rd in both. In 2022 the 21 year old took part in the GB3 Championship and ended up winning the Championship.
Now in 2023, he is competing in his first season of FIA Formula 3 Championship where he currently sits 10th after two rounds.
I’m really looking forward to be jumping into the NEOM McLaren Formula E car. I’m grateful for the opportunity to gain some experience in very different machinery than usual. I’ll be looking to pick up as much as I can from the successful and experienced team I will be surrounded by. It will be a different style of driving compared to what I’m used to – I don’t doubt I have a lot to learn, but I’m eager to pick it up as quickly as possible. I’m really looking forward to the 24th!
Browning on the opportunity.
I am happy to be able to host an official rookie test again this season. It is a good way for us as teams to give talent the opportunity to get a taste of the Gen3 machinery, while being able to evaluate them at the same time. Our line-up is an exciting combination of Charlie, who we’ve been working closely together with for a while now, and Luke, who is an emerging talent. It will be great to see both of them out on track. It’s good to see significant interest in the series, from both up-and-coming talent, as well as established drivers.
FIA Formula 3 driver, Jonny Edgar will join Envision Racing at the Berlin Rookie Test, 24th April completing an all British pairing at the team.
The talented teenage is currently competing in his third Formula 3 season, having joined the Dutch outfit MP Motorsport ahead of the 2023 Championship.
The Cumbria native has already gained a wealth of experience across single-seater disciplines. After becoming the European CIK-FIA champion in karting, Edgar raced in Italian F4 in 2019 before winning the German F4 title in 2020.
Consistent point finishes in successive F4 seasons, with Carlin Buzz Racing and Trident saw MP sign him up for one of their seats ahead of the start of this year’s championship.
I’m thrilled to be driving for Envision Racing in the Formula E rookie test in Berlin. Formula E is a championship all professional drivers aspire to be in and I’m very thankful to Envision for this opportunity. The team have been very welcoming and I’m very much looking forward to getting on track.
Edgar on the opportunity.
We are very pleased to be welcoming Jonny Edgar to Envision Racing for the upcoming rookie test in Berlin. Jonny has a very impressive motorsport CV at such a young age, and we are very excited to see him step into our GEN3 car. The test will give him his first taste of Formula E, whilst also providing our team with valuable data for the remaining races.
Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director & Chief Technical Officer.
Jordan's Track Talk 