Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Season 10

  • Sam Bird joins NEOM McLaren

    NEOM McLaren has announced that Sam Bird will be lining up for the team in the 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

    Bird will be competing alongside Jake Hughes, who extended his stay at the outfit last week, McLaren will now have an all British line-up.

    The 36 year old has raced in Formula E since the very first campaign and Season 1. He is one of the most successful drivers on the grid, claiming 11 wins, 26 podiums and six Julius Baer Pole Positions over the nine seasons.

    He left Jaguar TCS Racing after a three-season spell at the end of 2022/23 and says his move to McLaren – one of the most recognisable and successful names in motorsport history – is a “special” one.

    Bird began his single seater racing career in Formula BMW in 2004, coming runner up in the series in 2005. He has competed in Formula Renault and various Formula 3 and GP2 Series seasons, before holding a number of Formula 1 roles including Williams Racing and Mercedes AMG Petronas.

    Since 2014, he has also competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Highlights including winning the LMP2 class in 2014 with G-Drive Racing and finishing second in the LMGTE Pro Class with AF Corse in 2016.

    I’m super excited to get going with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team. Becoming part of a team with so much heritage and prestige as the McLaren Racing family feels special. We know there is some work to do ahead of Season 10, to ensure we get to where we want to be, which is at the front of the Formula E pack. It feels great to be part of the team and I can’t wait to kick off the season preparations, I’m super motivated and driven to deliver success with the team in Season 10.

    Bird on the move.

    It’s great to be able to share the news that Sam will be joining the team for Season 10, alongside Jake. Sam is a proven force in Formula E, as well as other categories of racing, and his experience and determination will fuel the team ahead of an exciting season to come. As soon as the deal was done, his first question to me was when he could come into the office to start the preparations for Season 10 – this clearly shows his hunger and commitment to making Season 10 a success for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team. Having both Sam and Jake on board has already instilled confidence in the team.

    Ian James, Managing Director and Team Principal.

    It is a pleasure to welcome Sam to the McLaren Racing family. Throughout his time in Formula E, Sam has proven himself to be an impressive talent, and we are eager to leverage his experience and expertise to help bring the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team further success in Season 10. Alongside Jake, I’m confident that we have one of the strongest pairings on the Formula E grid. Bring on Season 10!

    Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO

  • McLaren extends Jake Hughes deal

    NEOM McLaren has announced that Jake Hughes will extend his stay with the British team for the 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

    Hughes stepped up from his reserve and development driver with Mercedes-EQ in Season 7 and 8 into an impressive rookie campaign in Season 9.

    Jake qualified third on his debut at the Mexico City E-Prix back in January where he went on to finish 5th.
    He then went on to secure the team’s first Formula E podium in Diriyah before doubling his pole count in Monaco.

    While Hughes remains, McLaren announced the other day that Rene Rast will not be hanging around for Season 10 – which will leave Hughes with a new teammate for the approaching season.

    I’m really happy to be remaining with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team for Season 10. The team has been my home for a number of years, and I have loved every minute of it. We had a bit of a mixed season, but I had a lot of personal highlights which I’m hoping to build upon next year with the team and fight for wins and podiums, which I have no doubt we’ll be able to achieve together. I can’t wait for Season 10.

    Hughes on staying in papaya.

    I am excited to be able to share that we will be continuing our relationship with Jake. Even though we never had any doubts about his performance, he impressed the team and the wider paddock with a great rookie season. Jake’s commitment to the team and to Formula E is outstanding. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Jake and the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team.

    Ian James, Managing Director and Team Principal.

    I am delighted that Jake will remain with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team for Season 10. As we expected, Jake has proven himself to be an exceptional talent, delivering some strong results for the team in 2023, including two pole positions. As we look forward to Season 10, I’m excited to see what Jake and the team can achieve.

    Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO.

  • Rene Rast leaves NEOM McLaren

    NEOM McLaren and Rene Rast have parted ways after a season together at the start of Formula E’s GEN3 era.

    NEOM McLaren had signed Rast at the close of Season 8, with the German the first of the team’s driver line-up to be announced ahead of its Formula E bow in Season 9.

    Rast made his return to Formula E after a full time spell with Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler back in Season 7, with a best result of second in Puebla.

    The Minden-born driver’s first appearance in the series came back in 2015/16 and was followed by a stint with Audi back at the Season 6 six race nine-day finale in Berlin that earned him a full-time seat a year later.
    Rast scored his first Formula E silverware on home soil in the German capital, having impressed with his combative driving style.

    The triple DTM champion went on to score McLaren’s only podium of the season in Diriyah, and finished just eight points behind rookie Jake Hughes in the sister car – winding up 13th in the Drivers’ World Championship.
    A tough run through the second half of the season from his home E-Prix in Berlin onwards saw him fail to finish higher than 12th.

    Rene has been an integral part of the team’s successes and learnings as its first season as the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team. Rene has taken the difficult decision to pursue other opportunities, and the team fully supports his decision. We can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done for the team over the past year. Having said that, the team has been working in the background to secure the best possible driver line-up for Season 10, and we are excited to announce the full driver line-up for the 2023/24 season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in due course. Thank you again, Rene – you will be missed.

    McLaren on the news.

  • Robin Frijns returns to Envision

    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.

  • Cassidy joins Jaguar TCS Racing

    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.

    James Barclay, Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal.

  • Evans extends with Jaguar TCS Racing

    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.

    James Barclay, Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal.

  • Season 10 provisional calendar confirmed

    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.

    RoundPlaceDate
    Pre-Season TestingValencia, SpainOctober 23rd-27th
    Round 1Mexico City, MexicoJanuary 13th
    Round 2Diriyah, Saudi ArabiaJanuary 26th
    Round 3Diriyah, Saudi ArabiaJanuary 27th
    Round 4TBDFebruary 10th
    Round 5TBDFebruary 24th
    Round 6Sao Paulo, BrazilMarch 16th
    Round 7Tokyo, JapanMarch 30th
    Round 8Rome, ItalyApril 13th
    Round 9Rome, ItalyApril 14th
    Round 10MonacoApril 27th
    Round 11Berlin, GermanyMay 11th
    Round 12Berlin, GermanyMay 12th
    Round 13TBDMay 25th
    Round 14Jakarta, IndonesiaJune 8th
    Round 15Portland, USAJune 29th
    Round 16London, UKJuly 20th
    Round 17London, UKJuly 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.

    Jeff Dodds, Chief Executive Officer, Formula E.

  • Tokyo targets Formula E race for Season 10

    Japan has taken the first positive step towards hosting a round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship after Formula E and Tokya Metropolitan Government today signed an agreement with the goal of delivering a race in Tokyo.

    Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike and Jamie Reigle, CEO Formula E met this morning at an official signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

    The agreement will see Tokyo city authorities and Formula E work together with an objective of bringing a race to Tokyo in spring 2024, subject to FIA approval in the area around Tokyo Big Sight, the largest international exhibition centre in Japan.

    I am excited and honoured to stand alongside Governor Koike and announce the collaborative partnership between Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Formula E. Together we will work to bring a Formula E race to the city in 2024 in support of the Zero Emission Tokyo commitment. Tokyo is an iconic world city, recognised as an innovator in consumer technology, a leader in the automotive industry and a global cultural trendsetter. Formula E is delighted to partner with Tokyo Metropolitan Government to establish the city as a reference in zero emissions initiatives.

    Jamie Reigle.

    Nissan was among the first to commit to Formula E’s new Gen3 era, which is set to get underway with testing in Valencia in December, before the lights go out on the Season 9 opener in Mexico City on 14th January.

    We are very enthusiastic about this announcement from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Formula E. As the first Japanese automaker participating in the championship, we would be delighted to have an E-Prix in Tokyo in 2024. In addition, from this season we will be competing as one team for the first time, following the acquisition of e.dams earlier this year, and we would love to have the opportunity to race with our own racing team in our home market.

    The Japanese outfit’s Managing Director, Tommaso Volpe talking on the excitement of Japan possibly joining the calendar for the first time in Season 10.

    The planned schedule for next season currently features 18 races between January and July 2023 on street circuits in 13 cities, beating the previous record of 16 races in 10 different cities.