Swedish driver Joel Eriksson has secured a full-time seat with Envision Racing, as he signs a multi-year deal with the Silverstone-based team to race alongside champion Sebastien Buemi.
The 27 year old stepped in for Envision Racing during Season 10 at the Berlin E-Prix and demonstrated his talent and ability instantly, scoring points during his debut weekend for the team.
Eriksson experienced his first taste of Formula E back in 2018 with Envision Racing during the Rookie Test in Marrakesh – after a successful early career in Formula 4 and Formula 3.
Following the test, he participated in eight races of Season 7 with Dragon/Penske Autosport, stepping up from a reserve role.
Since then, he has remained a part of the paddock and has completed extensive simulator and development work over the past three seasons, yielding a strong understanding of the complexities of electric racing and how maximise performance in the car.
I am delighted to have signed with Envision Racing, it is a huge moment in my career and one that I have been working towards for a while. I am very thankful to the team for their trust, and I can’t wait to get started for my first full season of Formula E. Eriksson on the news.
We are very excited to announce Joel as our newest driver. We have known Joel for a number of years now, going back to his first ever Formula E test with us, and racing for us last season in Berlin. On both occasions he proved to us how talented he is and adapted very quickly to the Formula E style of racing in Berlin, delivering points on debut. With Joel’s extensive knowledge and experience working on the simulator with Jaguar, we are confident that he will deliver for us, and we will be doing all we can to help him hit the ground running. Sylvain Fillip, Envision Racing Management Director & CTO.
Sebastien Buemi and Envision Racing have come to a multi-year agreement to extend the Swiss’ deal with the team in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Buemi, who is tied for the most wins in Formula E history (14) has driven for Envision Racing since Season 9. In that time he secured six podiums, two poles and one win, as well as contributing to Envision’s first Teams’ World Championship in his first season with the team.
Despite a more challenging season than anticipated in Season 11, Buemi delivered consistent points and strong performances: most notably that Monaco win, which he followed up with further podiums in the remainder of the season in Jakarta and at the London finale.
These results took Buemi’s all-time stats to 14 wins, 35 podiums and 16 Julius Baer Pole Positions – as well as, of course, the Season 2 Drivers’ crown for a driver that is an ever-present from Formula E’s very first race in Beijing to present day.
I’m super happy to re-sign with Envision Racing. We have enjoyed plenty of great moments and results together over the past three seasons, and I am very excited and motivated to add to this. Season 11 was a good year for me personally, achieving the win in Monaco and podiums which have been a great boost for us to keep working hard and achieve more this season. Buemi on the news.
We’re delighted to confirm that Seb will remain part of the team. His experience and technical insight have been instrumental in advancing both our car and our overall performance. We’re confident he will continue to drive us forward and deliver strong results. Sylvain Fillippi, Envision Racing Managing Director & CTO.
Envision Racing and Robin Frijns have announced that they’re set to part ways after their most recent two-season spell together.
Frijns rejoined the outfit at the start of Season 10 after a campaign with ABT CUPRA. The Dutchman had spent four successful seasons with Envision prior to that where he tallied two wins and 10 podiums. Since the end of his first Envision spell, though, Frijns has found results hard to come by, with just three second places in 2024 with the Jagaur-powered Envision.
The two-time race winner is not expected to find a seat elsewhere in Formula E and looks set to concentrate on his BMW factory drive in the World Endurance Championship.
Envision will confirm a replacement for Frijns next month alongside Sebastien Buemi, who is set to get a fourth season with the team after finishing 12th overall – a campaign that included a first Formula E victory in almost six years in Monaco and two other podiums, in Jakarta and London.
Throughout Robin’s six seasons with Envision Racing, he has delivered excellent results and cracking drives, and we have thoroughly enjoyed working with such a talented driver. His two victories and numerous podiums stand-out, but also his raw speed and ability to deliver a lap when it mattered. He’s been a fierce competitor and a valued part of our team. Formula E is an ever-evolving championship, and for us, the time has come for an exciting new change. We look forward to announcing our Season 12 line-up shortly. Team Principal, Sylvain Fillipi.
Robin has been an integral part of our success here at Envision Racing, going back to Season 5 when he first joined the team. He has achieved a lot of brilliant results, and we thank him for his commitment to our team over the six seasons. We wish him well in his future endeavours. Franz Jung, CEO & Chairman of the Board of Envision Racing.
Zak O’Sullivan will be getting his second chance at electric racing machinery after being announced in Silverstone-based Envision Racing’s line-up for the Formula E rookie test in Berlin.
Zak, got his first taste of the series’ new Gen3 Evo cars when he competed in the first rookie test of the season at Jeddah in February.
He is now getting his second chance behind the wheel, when Formula E holds its traditional post-race test after the Berlin E-Prix.
The 20 year old, is Envision Racing’s sim driver, which is a founding member of the championship and the 2022 – 23 teams’ champion. It runs sophomore season champion Sebastien Buemi and Robin Frijns in its two Jaguar I-Type 7 machines.
After he hits the track in Berlin, Zak returns to Japan for round six and seven of the Super Formula Championship at Fuji speedway. He currently sits 15th in the Championship with 4 rounds remaining.
I’m really looking forward to stepping back into Envision Racing’s Formula E car at the Berlin rookie test. I drove the car in Jeddah and really enjoyed it, so it will be nice having a full day in the car in Berlin to learn more about this car and racing series. Zak on the news.
Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi strode to a comfortable win in the 2-25 Monaco E-Prix, after starting eighth on the grid.
Rowland chopped over de Vries to lead up the hill towards Casino Square. Discipline was the watchword with the track still slick, and the pack made it around the opening lap cleanly.
Buemi, Ticktum and Dennis were the first to jump for the initial of their mandatory two doses of that 50kW, four wheel drive Attack mode boosts – sensible going early given the slick conditions on Lap 2.
Despite the pack behind taking Attack mode, Rowland managed to hold onto the lead until Lap 6. Vergne had found his way into P2 with Buemi following by de Vries, who had been running second. The DS PENSKE driver bypassed Rowland for the lead as it stood with that extra 50kW on tap, through the tunnel, and he steered to a four second advantage by Lap 6.
Di Grassi was running well on the cusp of the points but found himself falling foul of the condition and was in the wall at Portier on lap 6, which forced a full course yellow.
An overexuberent move for P8 from Ticktum on Cassidy saw the former down the escape road and shuffled down to 18th on Lap 10. Vergne led Rowland by three second on Lap 11, with De Vries, Guenther, Buemi, Da Costa, Vandoorne, Cassidy, Maloney and Dennis made the top 10.
The Safety Car was called upon on lap 14, for the recovery of Nico Mueller’s stricken Andretti in Casino Square after he slipped wide into the wall.
We were green once again on Lap 15 with Rowland sitting pretty, energy and two Attack Mode activations in-hand on leader Vergne. Buemi made two smart moves one around the outside of the hairpin and the other on the inside of the chicane on Da Costa then Guenther, respectively, to make up ground to P4 on Lap 16.
Rowland went for Attack on Lap 18, only losing a single spot – to Mahindra’s de Vries. The Brit failed with a move on the Mahindra at the chicane but over the start/finish he made that second place back and set about Vergne on Lap 19.
At the chicane Rowland pounced, but looked to have cut the chicane in try to pass JEV. In the ensuing melee and avoiding action, the double champion bogged down and cost himself a spot to de Vries, slipping from what was the race lead to third – although Rowland looked to be in trouble with the stewards.
Rowland took his opportunity having jumped for Attack number two to give track position back to Vergne for that earlier infraction. The overlap on Attack saw Rowland outdrag Vergne on the run to Tabac on Lap 23 – third place back in the hands of the standings leader. Up Beau Rivage on the next lap, he sliced by de Vries for second, too, Buemi was three seconds up the road.
Nick Cassidy in the Jaguar had brought himself into the reckoning with energy in hand up 11 spots from the start and now past de Vries into third.
Buemi looked to have it in-hand with the laps ticking down – able to hold a four second lead to Rowland as the field began to string out in the sprint to the finish with the track drying out. Duly he made it stick and took the chequered flag – four seconds clear of Rowland, while Cassidy followed in third.
The full top 10 are- P1: Buemi, P2: Rowland, P3: Cassidy, P4: Da Costa, P5: De Vries, P6: Vergne, P7: Wehrlein, P8: Guenther, P9: Dennis and P10: Vandoorne.
Envision Racing has singed British racing driver Zak O’Sullivan for the Rookie Free Practice in Jeddah, as part of a new role that will see him also become a simulator driver.
O’Sullivan boasts and impressive racing CV to date – with numerous wins in karting before stepping up to single seaters.
In 2020, the 19 year old narrowly missed out on the British Formula 4 title, finishing runner-up before going onto win the GB3 Championship the following year.
Two seasons for FIA Formula 3 followed and after stepping onto the podium twice in his rookie campaign in 2022, he became a title contender the following year – taking four wins and settling for the runner-up spot in the championship.
Most recently, he has competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship where he took a sensational win in Monaco, before stepping onto the top step once again in Spa-Francorchamps. However, he was unable to complete the full season due to funding obstacles.
However, his plans for this year has already been announced and the Brit is competing in the highly competitive Japanese Super Formula Championship for the 2025 season.
I’m very excited to be going to Jeddah to test a Formula E car for the first time. It is going to be a new challenge for me. The session itself will provide a good opportunity for me to learn the car and I will also be making sure I spend as much time with the team as possible across the race week, so I absorb as much as I can. O’Sullivan on the news.
We are thrilled to have Zak joining the team and drive in the first rookie session of the year. We have been very impressed with his results to date and look forward to watching how he adapts to Formula E and integrates within our team. Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director & CTO.
Envision Racing have announced Alisha Palmowski & Alice Powell to join the team for the official ABB FIA Formula E Women’s test session in Madrid.
Palmowski, 18, has excelled in junior categories during her fledgling career to date, winning the Ginetta Junior Scholarship in 2022 and clinching the Vice-Champion spot in the GB4 Championship this year – where she took home 11 podiums, three race wins and two pole positions during the year.
Driving alongside Palmowski will be Alice Powell, who has been part of the Envision Racing team since 2021. Powell has completed a successful test for them in Berlin during Season 10, completing a huge number of laps to provide crucial data to the team.
Powell, is the teams Test & Development driver since 2021/22 season. Stepping into the new Gen3 Evo machinery for the first time and Powell’s experience and expertise will provide important baseline information.
I cannot wait to join Envision Racing for the all-women’s Formula E test this month in Madrid. The car will be both faster and much different to anything I’ve previously driven so it is a great opportunity for me to learn and will be an amazing experience. I cannot thank everyone at Envision Racing enough for the opportunity, and I am also looking forward to working alongside Alice who has some great experience with these cars that I can hopefully learn from. Alisha Palmowski on the news.
I am very happy to be back in a Formula E car for the second time in 2024, after participating in the Berlin rookie test earlier this year. I’m looking forward to getting more laps in and helping the team as much as I can going forward into Season 11 and the GEN3 Evo era of the series. I am very grateful to the team for another chance to drive the car and the trust they continue to put in me. Alice Powell on being back with Envision.
As a team we have never been shy of supporting talented women, and so we are very pleased to see the championship take this step forward in providing a platform for women racing drivers. We’re excited to see Alisha step into Formula E for the first time after a hugely successful season for her, and equally to see Alice back in the car, who is very experienced within our team and the sport. Alisha caught our attention with her strong performances this past season and we are excited to see what she can do in a Formula E car – with Alice alongside her to provide experience and insight, we are sure it will be a rewarding session for all involved. Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director & CTO.
Envision Racing are pleased to confirm an unchanged driver line-up for Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Sebastien Buemi and Robin Frijns will continue with the team for Season 11.
After a campaign of highs and lows, both Buemi and Frijns ended Season 10 in extremely positive fashion – bringing home three podiums across the final four races.
Buemi and Frijns are among the most experienced drivers in Formula E, having competed in 229 races in the championship, with 99 of those while driving for Envision.
The team is one of the most successful in the sport, having accumulated more podium finishes (53) and points (1723) through 10 seasons than any other competitor.
In the closing stages of Season 10, Frijns secured a double podium weekend in Portland, where he brought home two second place finishes. This was then followed by teammate Buemi clinching the final step of the podium in London. The team finished sixth in the overall Teams’ World Championship standings.
It’s great to have continuity in our driver line-up as Sébastien and Robin lead us into Season 11. Despite Season 10 not being our strongest year, we are confident that the momentum we gained in the closing rounds can be taken into next season and put us back where we want to be. Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director & CTO of Envision Racing.
As a team, we improved significantly towards the end of last season to get back to the front of the grid, and the results showed this. We will continue to push to ensure that we head to Sao Paulo with the same level of competitiveness. Buemi on the news.
I started off Season 10 relatively strong, with a podium in Round 3, however it took some time to adjust to the new car and style of racing. We worked extremely hard to make that adjustment and by the end were fighting at the front again, so our focus now is on continuing that into next season. Frijns added.
Alice Powell and Dries Vanthoor will line-up for Envision Racing at the Rookie Test.
Powell, has played a crucial role for many years with Envision Racing as the Test & Development driver, and previously tested the Gen2 in Marrakesh and Valencia.
The British driver, who has five W Series victories to her name, has completed shakedowns in the Gen3 car but will soon embark on her first full day of running in Berlin.
Dries Vanthoor is currently racing in the World Endurance Championship, who has an impressive racing CV. This includes a win in the LMGTE category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this test with Envision will mark his debut in Formula E.
It’s a fantastic opportunity to take part in the rookie test day in Berlin. I’ve been working with the team for a long time and have completed a lot of simulator work over the past few seasons, so to get the chance to have a full day in the GEN3 on track is going to be really useful for me, and hopefully also for the team. Powell on the news.
I’m really looking forward to my first ever Formula E test. It’s a great championship, and I’m excited to try out the Gen3 car with Envision Racing. It’s a good learning opportunity to try out a different discipline of motorsport, especially the advanced technologies in Formula E. Vanthoor on the news.
We are happy to have two very talented drivers step into our cars for the rookie test day. Dries and Alice have both achieved a lot in their careers, and we’re looking forward to seeing them out on track in Berlin. Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director and CTO of Envision Racing.
Envision Racing have announced a changed line-up for the Berlin race weekend – Round 9 & 10 on the 11th to 12th May, with Joel Eriksson and Paul Aron stepping into the seats.
A calendar clash with the FIA World Endurance Championship rules Sebastien Buemi and Robin Frijns out of Round 9, with the FIA regulations preventing them competing in Round 10 on the Sunday – with the two races being considered as the same event. Both Buemi and Frijns will be on-site in support of the team.
Eriksson, 25 is the current Jaguar TCS Racing test, simulator and reserve driver and has been released by Jaguar and will race for the team. The Swede who tested with Envision back in 2018, has already competed in eight Formula E races to date and is very familiar with both Gen3 and the Jaguar powertain.
Aron, 20 is currently competing in FIA Formula 2 and sits second in the current standings for his rookie campaign, deeming himself one of the most exciting young prospects in single-seater racing. He has already grabbed three podium finishes this season.
Aron will embark on an intensive simulator programme with the team to get him prepared for Berlin as well as taking part in Free Practice 0 at Misano.
This is a very unusual situation for us as a team, and we are obviously frustrated that the calendar clash could not be resolved by the FIA and FEO. However, we have to make the best of the situation, and I believe with both Joel and Paul we have two very exciting and competitive drivers.
Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director and CTO at Envision Racing.
It’s a great opportunity to race for Envision Racing in Berlin. I’m very much looking forward to experiencing Formula E for the first time and working with the team. We’ll be working hard up until the race to prepare for the event, starting with the rookie session this week in Misano.
Aron on the news.
It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to be racing in Formula E again, this time with Envision Racing. After taking part in my first ever Formula E test with Envision, it’s great to be racing for them in Berlin, and we’ll be working hard together to have a successful weekend.
Jack Aitken, the current IMSA and DTM racer and past Formula 1 reserve driver, will be in the cockpit in Misano at the Rookie Free Practice session with Envision Racing.
After getting behind the wheel of a Formula E car for the first time in May at the Berlin Rookie Test last season, Aitken also had a further opportunity to test for the Silverstone-based outfit ahead of July’s double-header in the Italian capital.
Prior to Formula E’s first visit to Misano this season, there’s another Rookie Free Practice session with FP0, on Friday set to offer fresh faces a chance in the world’s foremost electric race series – and Aitken is set for another opportunity to impress and assist the team as they continue to gather data and insights into their Gen3 development.
The British-South Korean racer has a vast amount of single-seater experience in his career to-date, including making his Formula 1 debut with Williams Racing at the Sakhir Grand Prix back in 2020.
I’m looking forward to another outing with Envision, this time at Misano, a much more traditional circuit than the ones I’ve experienced so far. Apart from this change in scenery I’m glad to join the team at another event, it’s always fascinating to sample the car and then watch and learn from everyone during the weekend.
Aitken on the news.
We are very pleased to welcome Jack Aitken back to Envision Racing for the rookie session in Misano. Jack provided lots of useful feedback to the team following his tests last season in Berlin and Rome, so we are excited to have him step into the car again. This will be our first ever race in Misano, and we are confident Jack will once again provide the team with great feedback following the session.
Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director and Chief Technical Officer at Envision Racing.
Robin Frijns will be returning to Envision Racing for Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The Dutchman, twice a Formula E race winner, enjoyed a four season spell with the team between Seasons 5 and 8.
He then spent this season with ABT CUPRA, with the Spanish manufacturer’s first foray into the championship at the start of the Gen3 era and on ABT’s return to competition in the world’s top tier electric racing series.
It’s a return which makes sense, with the new that Nick Cassidy will be replacing Sam Bird at Jaguar TCS Racing – and Frijns is wasting no time in stating his intentions of steering the team to further title silverware in Season 10.
Frijns’ two E-Prix wins came at Envision Racing in his inaugural season with the squad at the Paris E-Prix and the season-finale New York City E-Prix – helping the team to fourth position in the teams standings.
In Season 7, Frijns ran right at the sharp end throughout, winding up fifth in the Drivers’ running having challenged for the championship for much of the season.
Season 8 saw the 32 year old turn in ever more consistent performances – once again running right at the front for much of the campaign with seven second-placed finishes and three further podiums.
I’m really excited about getting started again with Envision Racing after a year away from the team, it really does feel like coming home. It will be great to be joining a championship-winning team. Envision Racing have been fighting at the top pretty much every season, and I can’t wait to get started. We have a great car, and the aim is to be competitive, which I am sure we will be, and I am driving to win the championship.
Frijns coming back.
It is great to have Robin back with the team after one year away. He enjoyed some memorable moments with Envision Racing over the years and was always pushing at the front and regularly fishing on the podium. The combination of Robin and Sébastien will be a strong one, and we can’t wait to get started for Season 10.
Sylvain Filippi, Envision Racing’s Managing Director and CTO.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
Envision Racing have confirmed that former reserve driver for Williams, Jack Aitken will be completing the test in one of the teams car at the Tempelhof Street Circuit.
The rookie test is taking place a day after round eight of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Berlin, with twenty-two drivers set to get their first experience of the series.
Aitken, will be one of the more experienced rookies; however, it will be the former Williams Racing driver’s first taste of Formula E.
The 27 year old, will head into the test on the back of winning the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring, where he partnered former Formula E driver Alexander Sims and Pipo Derani. The British-South Korean driver is “really excited” to hit the track in Berlin and help build on the team’s “great start” to the Gen3 era.
I’m really excited to be Envision Racing’s rookie driver. It’s a great opportunity for me to get behind the wheel of a Formula E car for the first time – the new Gen3 model looks like a lot of fun to drive. I can’t wait for the opportunity to experience that for myself in Berlin and assist the team with their work as they keep building on what has already been a great start to the season.
Aitken on driving in the rookie test.
We are delighted to welcome Jack Aitken to Envision Racing for the official rookie test day in Berlin. Jack has a wealth of talent and experience, and we are very excited that he will be getting his first taste of Formula E with our team. The test day will be hugely beneficial to him as a driver and for us to gather more crucial data for the season ahead.
Envision Racing has just signed Sebastien Buemi on a multi-year deal, starting with the inaugural Gen3 campaign in Season 9, racing alongside Nick Cassidy at the outfit.
The Season 2 champion, has joined the British-based team after having a long association with both Nissan and Renault, run by e.dams which stretched back all the way back to Formula E’s very first 2014/15 campaign.
Buemi is one of the most experienced and successful drivers on the grid with 98 race starts, 13 wins, 29 podium and 14 Julius Baer Pole Positions in his Formula E career so far.
Envision are hoping, Buemi – who is also a four-time Le Mans winner will lead the team heading into Formula E’s new era with the 33 year-old having his eyes on the sharp end of the grid.
It’s an interesting time to be part of Formula E and I can’t wait to start driving for Envision Racing next season. I have always had a huge amount of respect for the team, and I believe they’ve done a great job in maximising results over the years. The new Gen3 era is hugely important for the sport and presents a new challenge, with a faster, lighter and more powerful car. My objective is to fight at the front, so I’m looking forward to start testing and preparing myself ahead of the first race in Mexico City.
Buemi on his move to Envision.
As a team, we’re always aiming to be as competitive as possible. In Sebastien we’re confident that we have one of the fastest, most experienced, and ambitious drivers on the grid, which gives us great confidence going into the new season. We believe that alongside Nick Cassidy, we have two drivers that can help us to compete at the front of the grid and challenge for both team and driver championship titles next season.
Stoffel Vandoorne hit the ground running in New York City with the fastest time in Free Practice 1 at the Brooklyn Street Circuit in Red Hook.
The Mercedes-EQ driver set a 1m 09.836s, some three tenths quicker than Sergio Sette Camara. Vandoorne is looking to recover following a recovery drive to eighth position last time out in Marrakesh whilst the rest of the top four in the Drivers’ running scored well. Oliver Rowland (Mahindra Racing) rounded third in the practice session.
The full top 10 are- P1: Vandoorne, P2: Sette Camara, P3: Rowland, P4: Bird, P5: Mortara, P6: Wehrlein, P7: Da Costa, P8: De Vries, P9: Gunther and P10: Dennis.
Free Practice 2-
Antonio Felix da Costa was the one to set the pace in Free Practice 2 with a 1m 08.684s lap, two tenths up the road from Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans and Jake Dennis.
The DS Techeetah driver made the most of improving track conditions after Friday’s dusty start to fire his car to the top. Evans was best of the Drivers’ World Championship top four with standings leader Edo Mortara down in ninth spot and fellow challenger Stoffel Vandoorne, one spot ahead in eighth.
The full top 10 are- P1: Costa, P2: Evans, P3: Dennis, P4: Wehrlein, P5: Frijns, P6: Vergne, P7: Lotterer, P8: Vandoorne, P9: Mortara and P10: Giovinazzi.
Qualifying-
Nick Cassidy, Envision Racing, sneaked Julius Baer Pole Position for the NYC E-Prix Round 11 by just 0.008s from Stoffel Vandoorne, with the race teed up to cause a stir in the title battle.
Cassidy danced the car around a drying track following the earlier rain during the Group B running. The New Zealender and Vandoorne couldn’t be spilt around the whole lap, with the advantage heading one way then the next over the final duel. But the Envision Racing driver did enough to seal his third pole position in Formula E.
Current standings leader, Edo Mortara had failed to make it through the Groups but his 11 point lead in the championship remains intact after Vandoorne failed to bag those three bonus points for pole. But it could have been worse for Mortara, were it not for the weather that arrived midway through Group B.
Fellow title challengers Jean-Eric Vergne and Mitch Evans were caught out by the conditions, having failed to set a banker lap of note before the drizzle became rain and a faster lap than those that had come before went out of the window.
The full top 10 are- P1: Cassidy, P2: Vandoorne, P3: Di Grassi, P4: Wehrelin, P5: Buemi, P6: Sims, P7: Frijns, P8: Bird, P9: Mortara and P10: Da Costa.
Round 11-
Nick Cassidy took a maiden Formula E race win in a rain-hit New York City fro Round 11, heading home Lucas di Grassi and teammate Robin Frijns.
Julius Baer Polesitter, Cassidy had produced the goods throughout to lead from the front through both Attack Mode activations, with di Grassi and Frijns applying the pressure behind as the race headed towards its conclusion – the pair having deposed Vandoorne from second on Lap 27 as the points race twisted and turned.
Standings leader Edo Mortara had also worked his way up to fifth with a late second Attack Mode – the ROKiT Venturi Racing driver having missed out on the Duels in qualifying, starting ninth.
Into the final 10 minutes plus one lap of the race and the heavens opened, with heavy rain buffeting the Brooklyn Street Circuit out of nowhere, leaving pools of standing water in the braking zone to Turn 6.
A full course yellow was called by Cassidy, di Grassi and Vandoorne – as well as Mortara couldn’t help but aquaplane straight on and into the wall. A number of other drivers fell foul in impossible conditions as the race was brought to an early conclusion with a red flag.
On count back, the results were taken as of the lap prior to the one in which the stoppage was called, as per article 41.9 of the regulations.
The full top 10 are- P1: Cassidy, P2: Di Grassi, P3: Frijns, P4: Vandoorne, P5: Buemi, P6: Wehrelin, P7: Bird, P8: De Vries, P9: Mortara and P10: Dennis.
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.
Jordan's Track Talk 