Formula E enters its 10th season with GEN3 continuing into its second season with Hankook tyres, 3 new tracks, a new Berlin layout, a surer introduction of the Attack Charge and a whole lot at stake for some big names. A lot of potential. What does the season hold for us. Find Out!
Formula E enters its 10th season with it expected to be the grandest season till date with a current officially announced calendar being the biggest ever yet and only at the risk of losing one round from it in the form of the second Hyderabad E – Prix. This season, Formula E runs back- back with only the summer break and the gap between the Hyd E – Prix and the Sao Paulo E – Prix forming the two month – long breaks, dividing the season into 3 smooth sections of the starting 4 rounds, 8 middle rounds and the final 4 rounds. 11 teams with 22 drivers in all. All teams continue on from the previous season with NIO333 changing into the ERT Formula E Team under the same operations. Drivers have been on the move with some drivers making big moves across teams, the most need-to-be-managed dynamic duo pairing being that of the previous season’s Teams Championship runners – up Jaguar TCS Racing team who have the fiery fighters from last season Mitch Evans (P3) and Nick Cassidy (P2), the two Kiwis as their choice for the season with Bird committing to McLaren. Jehan Daruvala, who tested for Mahindra Racing last season, joins Max Gunther at Maserati MSG Racing for his rookie season. A second season with the Gen3 cars and the Hankook iON tyres rapidly rolls in with the Mexico City E – Prix on the 13th of January itself, followed by ana accelerating double-header weekend in historical Diriyah!
ABB FIA FORMULA E S10 PRESENTS:
A brand-new season with familiar faces and a great scope of multi – faceted battled for the both the championships titles at stake. 3 new tracks enter the frame, one possibly another permanent purpose-built racing circuit in Misano with the Italian race shifting to the Emillia – Romagna region, and the second being a short 2.582km fast paced, flowy track with a blocky slow – speed corner-exit-into-the-next-corner’s-entry-first-sector track in Tokyo. A track which is in some manners is a good blend of some features that have been identified from the new Formula E tracks such as the not – returning Cape Town track. Some parts could be compared to an extent to the half-street circuit track that Formula 1 uses in Miami for the past two seasons, and if they get it right with wide enough roads in certain areas like in Hyderabad, it could produce a well-balanced spectacle. The third being the series going to Shanghai and plan being to race on the Shanghai International Circuit’s shortened layout that keeps the first sector and the loops and the challenging curved sections of it but cuts out on the long back straights to go through a chicane-kind layout that joins the track on the straight before the penultimate corner – the famous hairpin. All three of these tracks reward the likes of Cassidy, especially as they come later in the season when the teams have their systems figured out more for the season.
The defending champion team goes in with a change, as it loses its key ferocious driver to the team they are a customer of – Jaguar TCS Racing. But they are joined by a familiar returning face in Robin Frijns who can provide them the experience and character to wade through some deepwaters at any point of the season if the pace drops for the team or the conditions get on-the-edge. McLaren welcome Sam Bird into the team alongside the quick Jake Hughes.
McLaren’s decision to acquire a Nissan e-4ORCE 04 as their car of choice, i.e. the Nissan developed powertrain might have come out of a possible lack of options in other manufacturers and even the experience the Nissan team holds, but the Jaguar and Porsche development for the new Gen3 regulations has made that move one that makes them a part of the battle in races but mainly one who aren’t looking at the championship fight. Something, which is not really something that one might simply just look at their team filled with top personnel might think of, While Sam Bird brings in probably a better force than Rast in terms of the aggression and Formula – E control, it isn’t much merrier. Especially with DS Penske seemingly continuing their in – season growth from last year into 2024 and creating a better working system amongst themselves to understand the improvements to be made. Continuing with the solid same driver pairing of Vergne and Vandoorne was a “straightforward” move in the words of the boss himself and that platform that have can only aid them to separate themselves from the ones below them, even further.
The team that finished one position and 23 points behind them in the championship last year, step into the new season with a rookie driver by the name of Jehan Daruvala. Jehan enters with 3 years of Formula 2 experience with him and even a year as Mahindra’s Reserve driver. There is a lot for him to still to adjust to. He was one of the best in the rookie test last year, especially given he was in the Mahindra car which required some effort to take it towards the top last year. He did miles better compared to the other two rookies, with other experiences, to drive the Mahindra car. While it was just a test session with the general caveat of it not being the most reliable data or comparison session to have against other teams, it still provided an insight that the Indian driver shall not be down for a challenge in the season, as he adjusts to the grips of the Hankook tyres and the real-life race management. The same was re-iterated by the Pre – Season test in Valencia where he was in touching distance of his teammate on their fastest laps (within a second), especially given a single – lap hasn’t been his strongest point in his career.
At the end, it once looks like a it is poised to be a battle between the wits of the people behind the Porsche and Jaguar powertrains, as both works teams also look to outdo their customer teams this year, having ideally fought their inner gremlins. Jaguar TCS Racing (P2) were outdone by their customer team and champions, Envision Racing by 12 points, while Tag Heuer Porsche Formula E Team (P4) were outdone by Avalanche Andretti (P3), who lead their driver Dennis to the Drivers’ Championship, by 10 points. Having come close, Jaguar seem well poised in reality to actually get their hands on the championship this season, with once again the only power stopping Jaguar TCS Racing from the championship win being their own driver dynamics and a seasonal sleepy start.
They have gotten a package that is worth winning the championship, as shown by their customer team last time around, with them being strong in energy management across race types similar to the Porsche cars, power delivery was working well as needed and they have good single – lap deployment at both power modes as well. Where they lost out to Envision Racing was very categorically and as a whole was in Cape Town where they scored none while Envision saw Cassidy took P3 and Buemi supported with a P5, and to an extent even Hyderabad where the two teammates got together in the undesired manner – physically on track – which meant they scored just 3 points from the Pole Position Evans took while Cassidy notched up a P2, away from P2 by just brilliant usage of track by Vergne denying Cassidy’ energy advantage. This year they have both these drivers. The one thing they should be able to do good should be the start of the season, and they have to do well is maintain the driver dynamics in the team with both rightfully gunning to be the preferred driver in the team. Driver dynamics is generally an issue for such team who go full-on with all their bets and Jaguar has some experience managing this with the Evans – Bird pairing as well, and that could well enough decide what this Kiwi pairing can achieve.
One thing that could be out of even this golden – pairings hands could be if Jaguar continue to faulter in the new concept tracks for the season, especially with Formula E going to two possible versions of existing international racing circuits where strategy management and planning for the event needs to get even better for this team. They have shown lesser phases of heavy miscalculations in these new places, but it still stays one of their biggest threats presented by the series. With the new better placed and advanced HeadQuarter for the team, closer to its suppliers, and better facilities for the team itself, the season should be much smoother and be the golden time for the team.
GET CHARGED UP
The final thing to add to all the things being mixed and cooked up to produce a fine winning dish is the mystery ingredient of Attack Charge – fast charging pitstops – expected to be 30 second long stationary pitstops which are finally expected to make a firm debut at some point in the season. The sporting regulations are in place and the teams have performed some staggered practice in the Pre – Season Testing sessions. With it being new and changing the race strategy in a great manner, adding a compulsory stop in a manner unlike ever before in the series (with the car – swap pitstops being very different in GEN1), and also the way to deploy the extra charge received and the manner in which to perform it, it creates a much more dynamic environment. Where teams very rightfully fear a situation where drivers will start coming out much behind the closely formed pack in several places. The pitstops themselves are more of a definite length except any personnel movement and driver accelerating out and parking in duration differences. The teams believe they will have to prioritise a certain driver over the other for a full lap or two to make the stops possible, and while often this comes down to the driver being ahead on the race leaderboard or stuck in a pack etc. but teams seem a bit imperative on having to take such decisions in the sport currently. Competitiveness and driver dynamics.
Get charged up for Season 10 as it is set to be one of the defining seasons, a decade from the inception of the series. The biggest spread for the series and the biggest battles continuing on from the previous season. Gen4 beckons in 2026 and teams have decisions related to that in the background. Mahindra has a lot to make up, ERT needs a lot of things sorted out and to only go up and not back down form their previous year’s platform. ONE WHOLE NEW SEASON – SERVED UP FRESH HOT ACCELERATED WITH A FINE GARNISH ON TOP OF IT!
spielens 