INDIA in F1

Tag: ABB FIA Formula E

  • Jean Eric Vergne wins historic Formula E race in Hyderabad

    Jean Eric Vergne wins historic Formula E race in Hyderabad

    • Jean-Éric Vergne wins the first-ever ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race in India
    • Nick Cassidy finishes second for Envision Racing, António Félix da Costa promoted to third after investigation demotes Sébastien Buemi
    • Calamity strikes Jaguar TCS Racing as a Sam Bird collision with Mitch Evans forces both drivers to retire
    • Sell-out crowd of more than 25,000 fans attend the 2023 Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix

    HYDERABAD, Sat. 11 Feb. 2023 – Jean-Éric Vergne (DS PENSKE) held on to win an extraordinary first-ever ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race in India in front of a sellout crowd and a host of dignitaries, Bollywood celebrities and sports stars.

    Vergne fought hard in the final third of the race to stay ahead of Envision Racing pair Nick Cassidy and Sébastien Buemi, though António Félix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) ultimately took third after the Swiss was penalised post-race.

    It’s Vergne’s first trip to the top step of the Formula E podium since Rome in April 2021 (Season 7) and he achieved it in style. Vergne made his way to the front of the pack on lap 15 of 32 (plus one lap following a safety car), the double champion sweeping by Buemi at the hairpin after the Jaguar TCS Racing pair removed one another from the equation two laps prior.

    That incident saw Sam Bird make a lunge on the dirty side of the track on fourth-placed Sacha Fenestraz (Nissan Formula E Team). The Brit could not slow his I-TYPE 6 in time, colliding with teammate Mitch Evans – who was in third at the time – pitching the Kiwi’s car into a spin. Both Jaguars were ultimately forced into retirement with the unlucky Fenestraz also left tumbling down the order in a race where a podium double looked a possibility for Jaguar.

    Vergne led the way from that moment but had his mirrors full of Cassidy’s Envision Racing machine as the chequered flag drew closer. The New Zealander had managed to gather up an extra four percentage points of usable energy on Vergne come the closing stages of the race. However, Vergne is regarded as the consummate Formula E fighter and used every trick in the book to keep Cassidy at bay and cross the line first in what many will regard as one of his best wins and one that will live long in the memory on Formula E’s first visit to India in front of a sold-out crowd of over 25,000 people.

    Buemi followed home in third but an overpower infringement saw him demoted to 15th spot via 17-second penalty, equivalent to a drive-through. That promoted TAG Heuer Porsche’s António Félix da Costa onto the podium in his 100th race, the Season 6 champion having started the race in 13th. Teammate Pascal Wehrlein crossed the line fourth after picking his way through the order from 12th on the grid.

    Sérgio Sette Câmara avoided trouble and climbed through the pack from 15th on the starting grid to produce NIO 333 Racing’s best result since Berlin in Season 4.

    Meanwhile, Oliver Rowland made a move for the podium on Buemi – not aware of the Swiss’ impending penalty at the time – with just a lap to go. It didn’t work out and saw him shuffled to sixth. Nevertheless, Rowland collected his first points of the season for Mahindra Racing in the team’s home race. Norman Nato steered to seventh and the TAG Heuer Fastest Lap.

    Reigning champion Stoffel Vandoorne (DS PENSKE) finished in eighth for his best result of the season so far, while André Lotterer(Avalanche Andretti Formula E) and Edoardo Mortara (Maserati MSG Racing) rounded out the top 10.

    Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti Formula E) was the victim of an over-enthusiastic René Rast move on lap 26 at the hairpin – the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team driver outbraking himself and rear-ending Dennis’ car. That proved costly for the Brit, who was running comfortably in fourth and on for a strong points haul – particularly given the strong finish for the other man out front in the standings, Pascal Wehrlein.

    That left Wehrlein with an extended 18-point advantage on Dennis, with Vergne leaping to third in the Drivers’ standings. TAG Heuer Porsche has taken a 23-point lead over Avalanche Andretti in the Teams’ World Championship.

    In addition to the sellout capacity crowd of more than 25,000 fans, the historic race was attended by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Sri K T Rama Rao, Minister for IT, Industries & Commerce, Government of Telangana. Also enjoying the electric racing action were Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, current Indian cricketers Shikhar Dhawan, Deepak Chahar and Yuzvendra Chahal along with his actor and choreographer wife, Dhanashree Verma. 

    Jean-Éric Vergne, No. 25, DS PENSKE, said:

    “I’m very, very happy. It was a tough race – I had to defend quite hard at the end but we somehow managed to win it. It was a clean race, no mistakes. Very happy with the win today. It’s good for everyone’s heart in our team. For the first few races it’s good to boost it with a good race like that so couldn’t be happier.

    “I like new tracks – I think it’s cool. Especially this one – it’s a lot of fun. When there is a lot of little secrets to find on the track, I probably find them quickly enough.”

    Nick Cassidy, No. 37, Envision Racing, said:

    “I mean I had a really good car today – huge thanks to all my guys. I think at the races this year we’ve been pretty good. I really feel for Mitch and Jaguar today because they’re a great partner and they’ve started the season very strongly. I think the package we have is really strong and so I’m super sorry to see them go out the race like that.

    “(On reason behind having no duels this season but getting on the podium). Apart from we’re good in races? Honestly, we’re there in quali as well. Riyadh, Mexico and here, the difference between P1 and being in the duals and being P5 has been two-tenths. There’s not a big margin between 5th and starting 10th or potentially pole. That day will come.”

    António Felix da Costa, No. 13, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, said:

    “It felt like it meant to be. The race actually started really well and then I got squeezed by Dennis and I lost a lot of positions. But we stayed calm and worked our way back to the front slowly, and managed our energy. It hasn’t been an easy start for me. It was an emotional day for me looking back at the now 100 races or the 99 races before and where I am and things not working out like I want them to be. I can’t be satisfied with the way I am qualifying at the moment. Having said that, I have an amazing team behind me, always pushing me and giving me the tools. So I know it’s only a matter of time before we do a better job in qualifying and obviously the car can race really well. And yeah I’m really happy I came all the way to India and got a podium in my 100th race.

    “So much happened. I got angry, I was happy, I was calm, I was stressed. But again, I worked well with the team throughout the whole race and I guess that’s the experience of 100 races if I’m honest -starting there and coming all the way here.”

    Round 5 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is the 2023 Cape Town E-Prix on Saturday, 25 February, the first time Formula E has raced in South Africa.

  • Mahindra Racing, the pride of India at Formula E

    Mahindra Racing, the pride of India at Formula E

    Mahindra Racing stats in Formula E: 101 Races, 5 Wins, 24 Podiums

    Mahindra Racing has competed in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since Season 1, representing the Indian car giant on a global sporting scale in single-seater motor racing.

    Formula E is Indian car giant Mahindra’s first foray into international single-seater racing, and it has been committed to the series since its inaugural campaign. The company is a manufacturer of electric cars, and utilises its competition in the championship as a fast-paced test-bed to develop and refine its groundbreaking electric vehicle technology through its ‘Race to Road’ programme.

    The team scored its breakthrough win in the 2016/17 campaign and in 2017/18, went on to score two further victories thanks to Swedish driver Felix Rosenqvist, who raced alongside German driver Nick Heidfeld.

    In the 2017/18 season, the team got off to a strong start before technical issues reduced Felix Rosenqvist’s title hopes to nothing more than a distant dream. The team finished fourth overall, one place behind where it finished at the end of 2016/17.

    In Season 5, the team was fronted by long-standing Formula E, and former Dragon driver Jerome d’Ambrosio as well as rookie driver Pascal Wehrlein. Another victory followed as d’Ambrosio scooped a win in Marrakesh, and was denied a second of the season by in heartbreaking fashion in Mexico City as Wehrlein saw the winner’s Moet & Chandon champagne stolen from his grasp at the last by Lucas di Grassi just meters from the finish line.

    After a strong season Season 5, Mahindra headed into the 2019/20 campaign with the new M6Electro. Jerome D’Ambrosio closed out a two-year stint with the team with 16th in the standings and four top ten finishes over the season, seeing him edge former team-mate Pascal Wehrlein’s Berlin replacement Alex Lynn by just a point. Lynn’s exploits at Tempelhof were impressive. Three Super Pole appearances were backed up with good points in the final three rounds on the way to 17th in the Drivers’ table.

    Such was the intensely competitive nature of Season 7 that Mahindra found itself down in ninth spot in the Teams’ table. A stunning maiden win on home soil for Alex Lynn – as well as an expert suplex by Team Principal Dilbagh Gill in celebration in the pit-lane – crowned a glorious weekend for the team in London. A string of five retirements in 11 races stunted Alexander Sims’ progress after an encouraging podium in Rome. He wound up ninth with Lynn finishing the season 12th in the Drivers’ running thanks to podiums in New York and Valencia, on top of that victory in the UK capital.

    It’s an all-British line-up again for the team in Season 8, with Oliver Rowland joining Alexander Sims for 2021/22. A difficult season did bring a higher finish in the team standings, but it was Mahindra’s lowest points haul since the first season. Rowland saved their best to the end in Seoul, an impressive qualifying performance saw the Brit take his first podium with the team.

    For Season 9, Rowland continues with Mahindra for Gen3 as Sims steps aside to focus on sports cars. The bespectacled Brit will be replaced by Mr Formula E and one of the most successful drivers in the series; Lucas di Grassi, as they chart a course for more silverware and consistency.

    Drivers – Oliver Rowland

    Mahindra Racing entered a technical partnership with the returning ABT Sportsline for Gen3, and Oliver Rowland returns for a second campaign with the Anglo-Indian squad, as he and the team hope to kick up a gear at the start of Formula E’s new era.

    Starting his career in karting at the age of seven, Rowland spent a decade racing in various series around the United Kingdom before progressing to Formula Renault, taking a place on the grid of the 2010 Formula Renault UK Winter Series with CRS Racing. At the same time, the British driver received funding from the Racing Steps Foundation, which helped him graduate into single-seater racing. 

    Oliver Rowland, British, born 10 Aug 1992
    57 Races, 1 win, 6 Podiums.

    Moving to Formula Renault 3.5 in 2013, Rowland finished his campaign in fourth with seven podium finishes, before taking the championship title in 2015 with Fortec Motorsports. That same year, he made his debut in Formula E with Mahindra Racing, filling in for driver Nick Heidfield in the Punta del Este E-Prix where he finished 13th. 

    After making his debut in GP2 in Silverstone the same year, Rowland competed in the series for two seasons, finishing third overall in 2017. Entering into Formula One in 2017, Rowland was signed to the role of development driver to the Renault F1 team. 
    In 2018 the Sheffield-born driver was confirmed as Williams Martini Racing’s official Junior Driver ahead of securing a full-time seat with Nissan e.dams.

    Joining Formula E full-time after one outing for Mahindra in the 2015/16 season, Rowland partnered with Sebastien Buemi for the team’s debut season. Finishing second in the teams’ championship after six podium finishes, six pole positions and 16 Super Pole qualifying appearances, the team ended the season with its first ever victory during the final race weekend in New York, which went to Rowland’s teammate Buemi.

    In his second season with Nissan e.dams, Rowland put in a consistent run of point-scoring finishes across 2019/20 that culminated in a debut victory at the penultimate round of the season in the final Berlin double-header.

    Heading into his third season in all-electric street racing, Rowland continues his strong partnership with Nissan e.dams alongside Sebastien Buemi. 

    Season 7 was a slow burn, with bad luck curtailing front-running pace – certainly for the Brit. Rowland rounded off with another podium at Tempelhof, adding to silverware in Puebla. Converting his London DNF after that tangle with Stoffel Vandoorne (Mercedes-EQ) could well have seen Rowland trouble the standings’ top three.

    Rowland moved to pastures new to complete another all-British driver line-up alongside Alexander Sims at Indian outfit Mahindra Racing for Season 8, following three seasons with Nissan e.dams. It was 14th again in the running, with a podium in Seoul the highlight.

    Drivers – Lucas di Grassi 

    Lucas di Grassi was the winner of the first-ever Formula E race – the 2014 Beijing E-Prix – and is the most successful driver in the history of the championship. For the 2021/22 season, it was pastures new at ROKiT Venturi Racing, after a seven-year association with Audi’s Formula E team came to an end.

    Adding to his storied history, the Brazilian became the first ever to reach the 100-race mark in Seoul, and di Grassi strode to yet another top six finish in the standings, with fifth spot and 126 points and a win in London to add to his collection. For Gen3, it’s all-change again, with a move to Mahindra Racing – the ultra-experienced racer tasked with adjusting to Formula E’s third great era.

    Lucas di Grassi, Brazil, born 11 Aug 1984
    101 Races, 13 Wins, 40 Podiums.

    Born in Sao Paulo in 1984, Lucas di Grassi was the first driver to commit to the series, playing a founding role in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship alongside the series’ Founder and CEO Alejandro Agag. He played a key role in the development of the original prototype car that was used as a proof-of-concept for Gen1, used from the championship’s inaugural 2014/15 season. In 2016, he became the first man in history to drive a racing car on the Arctic Ice Cap, when he took a starring role in the incredible Project Ice adventure.

    Starting out his motorsport career after driving karts at his uncle’s kart shop in Interlagos, di Grassi made his competitive karting debut at the age of 10. A journey up the single-seater ladder, as well as victory in the prestigious Macau Grand Prix in 2005, overall runner-up in GP2 Series and in 2010, a season in Formula 1 with Virgin Racing. In 2012, Lucas di Grassi became an Audi factory driver, clinching three podium finishes in the gruelling 24 Hours of Le Mans – and he’s represented the brand ever since.

    The Brazilian has driven for Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler throughout his time in Formula E, finishing third in Season 1 before taking the 2015/16 title down to the wire, narrowly losing out to Nelson Piquet Jr. It was third time lucky, though, as he overcame a 10-point deficit to claim the 2016/17 Drivers’ title in Montreal.

    Heading into the 2017/18 season as reigning champion, di Grassi once again overcame the odds and fought back after a tough start to the season, eventually placing second overall behind TECHEETAH’s Jean-Eric Vergne. He took it down to the wire once again in the final round of the 2018/19 campaign, going head-to-head with Vergne for the second consecutive year as well as Nissan e.dams’ Sebastian Buemi. Neither managed to put a stop to Vergne’s domination, however, with di Grassi rounding off the season in third place. 

    Di Grassi was one of only three full-time drivers to have finished every race in 2019/20 on the way to sixth in the Drivers’ table. His race-pace and combative style netted him the most progress, at just over six positions gained per race, of any driver. Qualifying was a thorn in the side for Audi through Season 6, and limited the Brazilian to two visits to the rostrum. For 2020/21, di Grassi remains with Audi, behind the wheel of its Audi e-tron FE07 – the German marque’s first car with an all-new in-house designed and built powertrain.   

    Away from the circuit, the Brazilian is CEO of the autonomous racing car project Roborace as well as Founder and CEO of his own electric bike start-up in Brazil. Di Grassi lives with his wife and children in Monaco, just 200 meters from the start/finish line of the famous race track.

    Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s current run in Formula E drew to a close with a win for its 2016/17 champion Lucas di Grassi on home soil in Berlin. A one-two in Puebla was another big moment as di Grassi steered to seventh in the Drivers’ table.

    Pastures new in Season 8, in a Silver Arrow 02 driven by a title-winning Mercedes-EQ powertrain at ROKiT Venturi Racing saw fifth in the standings, and a highlight of the race win in London plus podiums in Seoul, New York City and Diriyah. Di Grassi did assemble a late title push but fell short of ultimate champion Stoffel Vandoorne’s miserly consistency in the end.

  • Formula E Hyderabad E-Prix will be 1st Net-Zero event in the world on this scale

    Formula E Hyderabad E-Prix will be 1st Net-Zero event in the world on this scale

    • Greenko will be powering the entire 2023 Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix event with renewable energy, making it first of its kind Net Zero event in the world on this scale.
    • ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will race in India for the first time this Saturday, 11 February
    • 2023 Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix takes place on a street circuit constructed in the heart of the city
    • Driver Pascal Wehrlein leads the Drivers’ championship after Porsche power dominated the first three races for the all-new GEN3 race car – the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built
    • Lucas di Grassi and Oliver Rowland set for the loudest cheers as Mahindra Racing competes on home soil for the first time in Formula E

    HYDERABAD, 9 Feb. 2023: Formula E will make history this Saturday (11 February) as the ABB FIA Formula E Championship comes to India for the first time with the 2023 Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix, Round 4 of the 16-race season.

    The 2.835km street circuit, constructed around the shores of the Hussain Sagar lake by the NTR Gardens, will see the first top-tier FIA World Championship motorsport in the country for a decade and will become India’s first elite electric motor racing event.

    Pascal Wehrlein, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team driver, moved to the top of the Drivers’ standings after winning both races in the double-header in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, thanks to an overtaking masterclass.

    But 2016/17 Formula E champion, Lucas di Grassi, and teammate Oliver Rowland are expected to attract the biggest cheers from passionate fans in the grandstand in the first home race for their team, Mahindra Racing. Di Grassi already has silverware to his name this season, sealed on his debut for Mahindra at the Mexico City season-opener, and no driver has been on the podium more than his nine in Asia.

    Lucas di Grassi, driver, Mahindra Racing, said:

    “It is important for us to have a good race in India – not only for the fans, but for the championship as well. It’s a new track for us, as it is for everyone up and down the grid. It needs to be a good weekend for us. We are going to try very hard and push to the limit to get the best out of the car. We can’t wait to see all the Indian fans out in force to support us and we want to give them a good show.”

    Oliver Rowland, driver, Mahindra Racing, said:

    “Heading into Hyderabad we know where we need to improve following a difficult weekend in Diriyah. Having the home fans behind us will add to the motivation we have racing on the team’s home ground. We know they will be fully behind us and supporting us, which will give us the extra push to perform well.”

    AS IT STANDS

    If Mahindra Racing are to take to the top step of the podium in Hyderabad, they will have two Porsche-powered teams in TAG Heuer Porsche and Avalanche Andretti to overpower, based on current form. They have dominated Formula E so far in Season 9, with the Stuttgart manufacturer’s 99X Electric Gen3 finishing one-two in every race so far.

    Andretti’s Jake Dennis set the benchmark in Mexico City with the first win of the new GEN3 era, with Pascal Wehrlein following him home. The two fought hard in Rounds 2 and 3 in Diriyah, the last time out, but the German got the better of Dennis in both races to take the top prize and a dominant win-double in Saudi Arabia and the standings lead, while Porsche still narrowly trail customer Andretti in the Teams table by two points.

    Jake Hughes (NEOM McLaren Formula E Team) sealed a maiden Julius Baer Pole Position last time out. The rookie has scored in all three rounds so far this season and has the best qualifying record of anyone on the grid. He couldn’t quite convert to silverware in the race but experienced teammate René Rast needed no second invitation to seal the team’s first podium in Formula E in Round 3.

    Jaguar TCS Racing also attracted attention in Diriyah, with a resurgent Sam Bird returning to the podium after an uncharecteristically barren spell for the veteran of more than 100 Formula E races. No driver has won more than the Briton in Asia either, with Bird’s four the benchmark – two in Diriyah, one in Putrajaya, Malaysia and another in Hong Kong.

    Before the season, some expected overtaking to be tough in the new GEN3 race car, with braking zones shortened thanks to the significant regen boost of the new car’s double powertrain. That theory was blown away in Diriyah with some 36 moves outside of ATTACK MODE position changes completed over two races.

    Round 2 winner Wehrlein steered from ninth to the top step of the podium and Dennis followed with his own drive through the pack from 11th to second. On just three occasions has a driver won from further down the grid than Wehrlein managed and it was the first time consecutive Formula E races had been won from outside the top four since Zurich and New York City back in Season 4.

    WHEN TO WATCH

    Free Practice 1 for the 2023 Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix Round 4 gets underway at 16:30 IST (11:00 GMT) on Friday 10 February.

    Free Practice 2 follows at 08:10 IST on Saturday 11 February with qualifying from 10:40 IST. Round 4 of Season 9 gets underway from 15:00 local (09:30 GMT).

    FOLLOW LIVE!

    Follow the action on-track as it happens in the brand new Race Centre. Keep across Live Timing – which includes a real-time interactive track map and the ability to follow drivers during every session of every E-Prix – plus highlights, detailed session reports, exclusive interviews, all the standings and results as well as data, insight and reaction from trackside.

    WHERE TO WATCH

    Find out how to follow the action live in every country by visiting: fiaformulae.com/en/ways-to-watch

    INDIA: Star Sports Select 2 & Disney+ Hotstar will show all of the competitive action live from the 2023 Greenko Hyderabad ePrix, with Disney + HotStar the destination for all the Formula E action across the weekend.

    EUROPE

    GERMANY: the race will be live on Formula E’s home, ProSieben. Fans will also be able to catch free practice sessions and qualifying live on Ran.de.

    UK: watch the race action live Channel 4 and catch up on all the racing via All4. Viewers will also be able to watch all sessions live on Channel 4 Sport YouTube. Eurosport 2 will also be covering both qualifying and race live, whilst Eurosport.com will also bring UK based fans dedicated coverage from all sessions.

    FRANCE: fans can catch race action on La Chaine L’Equipe. Eurosport 2 will show the race live whilst Eurosport.com will be showing all sessions live.

    ITALY: the race will be live on Mediaset’s Channel 20, with all sessions available live on SportMediaset.it Sky Sports will also show race sessions live across Sky Sports platforms, with dedicated news coverage across the weekend.

    NETHERLANDS: watch on Ziggo Sport and Ziggo Sport Select. Eurosport 2 will also be providing live coverage across the weekend on linear and digital channels. 

    REST OF EUROPE

    Across the remainder of Europe (excl. Italy), all sessions will be live across Eurosport’s linear and digital platforms. Eurosport will provide bespoke, live coverage of the opening race on Eurosport 2, whilst all sessions will be live on Discovery + / Eurosport.com and Eurosport Extra. These paltforms will also provide a one-stop destination for all Formula E fans’ catch-up needs.

    AMERICAS

    USA: watch the race live on CBS Sports Network. All sessions will be live on CBSSports.com and CBS Sports HQ.

    CANADA: TVA Sports and TSN 5 will show all the race action from Hyderabad in French and English respectively.

    MEXICO: complete coverage is on Fox Sports 3, Claro Sports, and Azteca Deportes, with Claro Sports providing further coverage across Latin America.

    AFRICA

    SOUTH AFRICA: catch all of the live action from qualifying and race sessions on SuperSport Motorsport.

    MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

    Qualifying and race will be live on Saudi Sport Company’s (SSC) linear channel SSC 2 as well as their digital platform shahid.net.

    Across the Middle East and North Africa, Dubai Sports will be showcasing qualifying and race.

    ASIA

    CHINA: Formula E’s digital partnerships continue with HUYA, BiliBili, Weibo, Kuaishou and Douyin covering all sessions live, with live race action on Guangdong Sports linear channel.

    SOUTH EAST ASIA: SpoTV will be providing full coverage of practice, qualifying and the race.

    JAPAN: Viewers will be able to catch all the action from qualifying and the race s on J-Sports 3, with BS Fuji providing dedicated highlights coverage.

    INDONESIA: Catch the race live on iNews, with dedicated coverage across MNC platforms.

    AUSTRALIA: Formula E continues the broadcast partnership with Stan Sports, who will bring live coverage of all sessions on the Stan Sports platform. 9GO will wrap up the weekend with highlights for fans in Australia.

    NEW ZEALAND: catch all of the action, live on Sky Sports 5.

  • Hyderabad ePrix: Safe Extrication in Electric Racing – How ‘Red Car’ exercises protect

    Hyderabad ePrix: Safe Extrication in Electric Racing – How ‘Red Car’ exercises protect

    Hyderabad, 7 Feb 2023: A feature in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since its inception, ‘red car’ extrication exercises serve to keep drivers, medical and rescue teams safe from harm and ready to face electric hazards.

    Widely renowned for its ground-breaking electric technology, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship operates at the cutting edge in more ways than one, with driver extrication another area in which the pioneering single-seater series sets the pace both on and off-track, an FIA release received here said.

    Safety is high on the agenda throughout international motor sport for the FIA, and being prepared for any eventuality is paramount to ensuring events run as safely and smoothly as possible. In Formula E, a key part of that equation are so-called ‘red car’ exercises, which concern the extrication of drivers from stricken electric cars and the recovery of the car itself.

    Overseen by the championship’s FIA Medical Delegate, Bruno Franceschini, in partnership with the FIA E-Safety Delegate, Konrad Essen, a permanent medical extrication team from MDD Motorsport Medical travels to every E-Prix. To encourage peak performance, red car simulations are conducted on-site in the immediate build-up to each race weekend, and have been since the championship was launched back in 2014 – making Formula E the benchmark for all other electric or hybrid series, as it continues to pioneer procedures that are then routinely rolled out elsewhere.

    Electric Extrication marshals at work. File photo by FIA

    A ‘red car’ is essentially a car stopped on-track as a result of either an accident or electrical issue, rendering it potentially unsafe – or ‘red’ like the safety lights located on the chassis in front of the halo. Due to the voltage running through electric vehicles, certain steps must be followed in order to carefully and safely extract the driver from the cockpit and recover the car.

    During these training exercises, FIA Formula E safety car driver, Bruno Correia, plays the role of the driver needing to be extricated. Wearing special protective gloves, the medical extrication team covers the car with non-conductive tarpaulins before beginning the operation.

    These regular simulations ensure the procedure remains fresh and clear in the mind of every member of the team, while taking into account any relevant particularities or updates to each circuit.

    Additional extrication exercises are carried out with two championship drivers at every event, to make sure they similarly are fully aware of what will happen and what they must do should they find themselves in such a situation.

    In both instances, the local medical and rescue teams are also involved in the ‘dress rehearsal’, enabling their members to practise and develop their own competencies, which may prove beneficial at future national and regional race meetings.

    “Special care is always required when extracting a driver from a stranded race car, and that is even more the case when the car in question is electric, with the additional factors that need to be considered,” explains Bruno Franceschini. “We are proud of Formula E’s status as the standard-setter in this domain, but can never rest on our laurels and must continuously train and re-train to ensure skills stay sharp.

    “In the same way, these red car exercises enable us to educate and enhance the expertise of local medical and rescue personnel in the locations the championship visits, leaving behind a positive legacy for the overall benefit of our sport”.

  • Hyderabad races to be livecast thru new facility: ABB FIA Formula E

    Hyderabad races to be livecast thru new facility: ABB FIA Formula E

    LONDON, UK. Tues. 7 Feb. 2023 – Formula E is pioneering a new broadcast production facility in London that delivers state-of-the-art coverage of its live motor racing action from around the world while reducing the environmental impact typical of major live international sports events on TV.

    Now in its ninth season, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will race in Hyderabad this Saturday, the first time the series has visited India. The race will air live in the UK on Channel 4 and Eurosport from 9am GMT.

    Beginning this season, the live international race feed distributed to more than 40 broadcasters and airing in more than 150 countries will be produced remotely from The Production Centre in London, a new state-of-the-art production facility developed by Gravity Media and located at the same address as the former BBC Television Centre in White City.

    The innovative production setup allows for the seamless remote integration of replay, audio and graphics into the live programme output, as well as a resilient disaster recovery system to ensure the broadcast feed remains uninterrupted in the event of technical difficulties.

    A new multi-year partnership with Gravity Media, the leading media and broadcast company, alongside Formula E’s existing editorial partner, Aurora Media Worldwide, means the live broadcast feed of Formula E’s international races will be produced at Gravity Media’s Production Centre in London instead of a temporary broadcast facility installed at each race location.

    Formula E is unique in world motorsport for racing on street circuits created on public roads in the heart of world cities to encourage the adoption of EV vehicles. Hyderabad will be the 27th world city to host a Formula E race, the 104th in the history of the series.

    This year, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will race in 11 world cities, more than any other season. Cape Town, São Paulo, Berlin, Monaco, Jakarta, Portland, Rome and London will follow Hyderabad while Mexico City and Diriyah in Saudi Arabia hosted the opening races of the season last month. 

    Live broadcast coverage of an international sports event is typically an environmentally-intensive process with staff and equipment travelling by air. Centralising the majority of live editing and production at the 50,000 sq.ft facility in London significantly reduces the impact of staff travel and shipping of heavy production equipment.

    Formula E has developed an on-board camera system installed on each race car with a live team radio feed that is considered the best-in-class in the motorsport industry. More than 200 cameras cover each race from every angle giving viewers an immersive, informative, action-driven experience. 

    Aarti Dabas, Chief Media Officer, Formula E, said:

    “At Formula E, as the world’s first net zero carbon sport since inception, we are constantly challenging ourselves to show how delivering world-class sports entertainment and maintaining industry-leading sustainable practices can co-exist without compromise. Our technology and broadcast teams have worked closely with Gravity Media and Aurora Media Worldwide to help us achieve this. The London-based facility and new approach to presenting Formula E coverage helps us stay true to our vision of accelerating human progress and encouraging the adoption of EV transportation while entertaining millions of viewers around the world.”  

    Ed Tischler, EMEA Managing Director, Gravity Media, said:

    “We are thrilled to be working with Formula E as the first partner to use our brand new, next-generation Gravity Media Production Centre in White City. By taking the bold, innovative step of relocating TV production from a temporary facility in a remote world city to London, we are changing the game for how major global sports events are covered on television. Our new Production Centre located in the heart of White City in The Westworks building will house a growing team of creative and innovative media specialists and we hope to encourage more major sports to adopt a similar approach for TV coverage of their live events.”

    Eleven teams and 22 drivers compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Two iconic names in world motorsport – McLaren and Maserati – line up on the Formula E grid for the first time this season.

    As well as the innovative approach to broadcast production for TV viewers around the world, this season also saw Formula E and the FIA introduce the fastest, lightest, most powerful, and efficient electric race car ever built – the GEN3.

    Capable of a 200mph (322kph) top speed, the GEN3 is 53kg lighter than the previous Gen2 model with a smaller chassis optimised for street racing. An additional front powertrain adds 250kW to the 350kW at the rear, more than doubling the regenerative capacity of the previous car to 600kW, with more than 40% of the energy used in-race regenerated from braking.

    The carbon footprint of the GEN3 has been measured from the design phase to inform all reduction measures taken to reduce environmental impact, while all unavoidable emissions are offset as part of Formula E’s net zero carbon commitment. The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is the first and only sport in the world to be certified net zero carbon since inception.

    Linen and recycled carbon fibre are being used in GEN3 bodywork construction for the first time in a formula car, featuring recycled carbon fibre from retired Gen2 cars and reducing the overall amount of virgin carbon fibre used. This reduces the carbon footprint of the production of the GEN3 bodywork more than 10%. All waste carbon fibre will be reused for new applications through adoption of an innovative process from the aviation industry.

  • Pole and podium for Mahindra in Mexico: Formula E

    Pole and podium for Mahindra in Mexico: Formula E

    Mumbai / Banbury, January 15, 2023: Mahindra Racing started Season 9 of the FIA ABB Formula E Championship in stunning style this weekend as Lucas Di Grassi clinched the first pole position of the Gen3 era and finished third in a fantastic opening race in Mexico City.

    Starting from pole, Lucas held the lead through two safety cars before dropping to second behind eventual winner, Jake Dennis. After a tense battle with Pascal Wehrlein, Lucas slipped to third, but held on to the lead of a five-car train that were right on his tail throughout the latter part of the race. He crossed the line third, grabbing the team’s first podium in 2023 and Lucas’ 40th podium in Formula E history.

    Oliver Rowland had a more difficult race, struggling with the pace of the car and rear tyre degradation in qualifying, making it a mammoth task to even get into the points. He crossed the line P13 in the #8 Mahindra M9Electro.

    Speaking after the race, CEO Frederic Bertrand said: “I think it’s been the dream weekend you could want as a Team Principle starting with a new team. We managed the weekend well so it’s very satisfying getting pole and being on the podium at the end. Ollie also came back into the game after a difficult qualifying, he had good pace towards the end. A mega result for the team but we need to make sure we can do this at the rest of the events. It’s a great achievement for Mahindra Racing but also all the partners who have worked so hard on creating the Gen3 car. ZF has done a great job on the powertrain and Tech Mahindra have supported us in the performance of the car. It’s great to see all our sponsors sharing this result with us.”

    After getting his first pole and podium for Mahindra Racing, Lucas Di Grassi said: “What happened today was like a Mexican miracle. To be on pole and to be on the podium and going home with 18 points after a tough beginning to the season is a testimony to the hard work the team are putting in to make the car the best we can. I gave it my all today to try and make the team proud. I’m very happy to leave here with this result, it feels like a victory to us. But this is just the beginning. We need more consistent results and we have got to work hard for this.”

    Commenting on his race, Oliver Rowland said: “It’s been a pretty tough weekend here in Mexico. I struggled quite a lot in practice and qualifying. We changed a lot for the race, which was a little bit better, but still not perfect. It’s disappointing to not score any points here, but hopefully we can learn from what happened this weekend. Obviously Lucas did a great job and got some good solid points for the team and hopefully we can move forward in Saudi.

    This result marks a sensational start to Season 9 and the Gen3 era for the Indian-flagged, UK-based team. The aim is now to continue this run of form into the rest of the season with the next round taking place in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia in just two weeks’ time on 27-28 January.

    Mahindra Racing has a strong set of partners, including Official Powertrain Partner ZF and e-fluids partner Shell. Maurice Lacroix, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, continues as the Official Timekeeper.

  • Formula E: Cassidy takes maiden win in drama-filled race

    Formula E: Cassidy takes maiden win in drama-filled race

    Envision Racing driver claims popular maiden success on the streets of the Big Apple, as rain stops play with less than ten minutes remaining.

    New York City, 16 July 2022: Nick Cassidy and the Brooklyn Street Circuit have history together. Twelve months ago, the Envision Racing ace sped to pole position there and a second-place finish 24 hours later. Today (16 July), he went one better, converting the top spot on the starting grid into his breakthrough victory in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – in a dramatic race that ended under a red flag.

    Aside from brief stints in the lead for Lucas Di Grassi (ROKiT Venturi Racing) during the two Attack Mode activations, Cassidy was never headed in the ninth New York City E-Prix. The New Zealander executed a textbook launch when the lights went out, and thereafter artfully withstood the dual pressure applied behind by his experienced Brazilian rival and Mercedes-EQ’s title-chasing Stoffel Vandoorne.

    Cassidy was edging away from his pursuers as the race entered its final ten minutes, before intensifying rain injected a late twist into the tale. No sooner had a Full Course Yellow been  deployed due to the deteriorating conditions, than three of the top four sailed straight on at Turn Six after aquaplaning on a puddle – the leader amongst them.

    Cassidy’s Envision, Di Grassi’s Venturi and Vandoorne’s Mercedes were all firmly embedded in the tyre barriers, and the red flag was duly flown.

    That confirmed Cassidy as the winner of the E-Prix ahead of Di Grassi, who had overhauled front row sitter Vandoorne at the start. A couple of small mistakes while in Attack Mode for the first time prevented a bid for the lead, and the 2016/17 champion subsequently slipped back to third when Vandoorne exploited his FanBoost to reclaim second place.

    The Belgian – who had patiently bided his time early on, dropping as low as fifth – looked increasingly sharp as the race progressed but lost ground to Di Grassi again as well as an opportunistic Robin Frijns with 12 minutes left on the clock, when the former made a bold dive that prised the door open just wide enough for the Envision Racing driver to follow through.

    From seventh on the grid – and at the scene of his most recent Formula E triumph three years ago – Frijns produced a fast and feisty performance to climb the order to third, and he appeared poised to launch a late assault on the runner-up spoils before the action came to a premature conclusion. Displaying lightning-quick reactions, the Dutchman was the only one of the top four to safely navigate the late Turn Six drama.

    Vandoorne was classified fourth – elevating him to second in the title table. After a bright start initially lifted him from fifth to third, Buemi faded slightly as the race wore on, but fifth place nonetheless represented the 2015/16 title-winner’s best result of the season to-date. The driver he collided with on the last lap – Porsche’s Wehrlein – wound up sixth once the result was counted back.

    The top ten finishers were completed by Jaguar TCS Racing’s Sam Bird, defending champion Nyck de Vries (Mercedes-EQ), the championship leader Edoardo Mortara (ROKiT Venturi Racing), who posted fastest lap, and Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti).

    Like team-mate Bird, Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) had to fight back from a slow start and ultimately just missed out on a points score in 11th – dealing a blow to the New Zealander’s title aspirations. Fellow championship front-runner Jean-Éric Vergne similarly endured a day to forget for DS TECHEETAH, finding himself tipped into a spin on the race’s first lap that restricted him to a lowly 18th place in the final reckoning.

    The Frenchman does have an immediate opportunity to redress the balance, however, with the second leg of this weekend’s North American double-header – round 12 of the fiercely-contested campaign – getting underway at 13:00 local time (19:00 CET) tomorrow (Sunday).

  • Mitch Evans bags a double to jump into title-contention: FormulaE

    Mitch Evans bags a double to jump into title-contention: FormulaE

    Jaguar TCS Racing’s Rome specialist does the double in the Italian capital to charge into the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship contention.

    Rome, 10 April 2022: Mitch Evans had just a solitary point to his name in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship arriving in Italy for this weekend’s Rome E-Prix double-header. Following a second consecutive victory today (10 April), the Jaguar TCS Racing star is now a bona fide title protagonist.

    Buoyed by the third triumph of his Formula E career yesterday, Evans began Sunday’s race from fourth place, but he did not stay there long. After despatching Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) and André Lotterer (TAG Heuer Porsche) in quick succession, the New Zealander set about chasing down Jean-Éric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH) for the lead.

    Following a brief safety car period to allow for Antonio Giovinazzi’s Dragon / Penske Autosport car to be cleared away shortly after one-third distance, Evans made his move, sweeping around the outside of Vergne to seize the top spot.

    The 27-year-old thereafter looked to be in complete control, despite subsequently conceding ground to Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns and Lotterer as his rivals both deployed their single Attack Mode.

    When the safety car re-emerged with just 11 minutes left on the clock, however – to remove Alexander Sims’ stricken Mahindra Racing single-seater – Evans was the sole driver in the field yet to activate his own Attack Mode, evoking the possibility of a penalty for not using it in its entirety prior to the end of the race.

    Fortunately for the Jaguar driver, a rapid recovery operation and 5m15s of added time enabled him to continue his charge, immediately taking Attack Mode on the resumption of racing and only ceding a single position to Vergne. After swiftly reclaiming third place, he then made short work of Frijns and Lotterer before proceeding to stretch his legs.

    A third safety car intervention with two minutes remaining threatened another twist in the tale as it erased Evans’ advantage and set up a no-holds-barred single-lap shootout, but the leader boldly held his nerve and his reward was a third win around the Circuito Cittadino dell’EUR in as many years – a success that has vaulted him firmly into championship contention, just nine points adrift of the summit of the standings.

    It is Vergne who now tops the table, after finishing second in the Italian capital. The Frenchman won in Rome last year, and he looked to be on-course to repeat the feat until Evans went on the offensive. He dropped to fifth when he entered Attack Mode, but utilised his extra power to battle back past Jaguar’s Sam Bird, Frijns and Lotterer to seal the runner-up spoils.

    From sixth on the grid, Frijns overhauled Bird and Dennis to advance to fourth, and was the first of the leading pack to activate Attack Mode. The Dutchman was another to enjoy a spell at the head of the order, ultimately getting the better of Lotterer in the duel for the final step on the podium – with a third rostrum appearance of the season elevating him to just two points shy of the championship lead.

    Following an energetic scrap with front row starter Dennis, Lotterer similarly led the E-Prix later on, and after yielding to Evans, Vergne and Frijns, the German held off Mercedes-EQ’s Stoffel Vandoorne for fourth, the Belgian gaining three places from his grid slot.

    Mexico winner Pascal Wehrlein wound up sixth for Porsche at the end of a solid run, ahead of Oliver Turvey, who registered his first points for NIO 333 since Valencia almost 12 months ago. Former champions Lucas Di Grassi (ROKiT Venturi Racing) and Sébastien Buemi (Nissan e.dams) placed eighth and ninth, with NIO 333 rookie Dan Ticktum rounding out the top ten.

    Elsewhere, there were hard luck stories for a number of drivers, chief amongst whom were Edoardo Mortara and Nyck de Vries. A DNF following contact with António Félix da Costa – and soon after the wall – saw the Venturi ace slip from first to fifth in the chase for the crown, while defending champion de Vries (Mercedes-EQ) failed to score for the second day in a row after picking up a ten-second penalty for causing a collision with Sérgio Sette Câmara (Dragon / Penske Autosport).

    The 2021/22 Formula E campaign will continue with round six in Monaco in three weeks’ time (30 April).

    MITCH EVANS, JAGUAR TCS RACING,  #9 said:

    “It feels like déjà vu.This is a result of pure graft, hard work. I just want to thank everyone at the team because the last eight weeks have been insane with the amount of work that has gone in. I didn’t know if we could manage two – double-headers are tricky to back up – but we showed good quality. The race was a carbon copy from yesterday, the car was working perfectly. It was trickier today because of the temperature and the longer ATTACK mode, I almost got caught out with that during the safety car, but a huge thanks to everyone on the team and hopefully this isn’t just a one-off but it feels good. It has been a big couple of days. It was what we wanted, you dream about that but to try and pull it off is usually quite unrealistic. We are back as a team, I am back towards the top, so it is good times.”

    JEAN-ÉRIC VERGNE, DS TECHEETAH, #25 said:

    “It was a chaotic race. I didn’t know what was happening in terms of our strategy, the Jaguar and Mitch were way too fast this weekend. I hope that is only going to be a one-off from their side, otherwise it might be difficult to beat them. Today it was impossible. I am fairly happy with second, it was the best I could do, but I am going to urge my team to do better if we want to fight for wins because every time there is someone stronger than us. It is not good enough so we need to work hard in Monaco to be the best. The Championship is still very long, consistency is key, and I think we were fairly consistent throughout the season, but if we want to win we need to have more pace. Leading the Championship at this race, everyone will have forgotten if you don’t win the Championship, so it is at the end that matters.”

    ROBIN FRIJNS, ENVISION RACING, #4 said:

    “It is a good weekend, it was a good race. It was very tricky in Turn 15, I didn’t know this at the beginning. I felt really comfortable and the team told me I had a bit more energy than the others around me, so my plan was to go a bit further into the top three, and I overtook Jake there. We both went wide, then I noticed the track was breaking up massively. I feel a bit sorry for Jake that we both went wide and he lost his position, that definitely wasn’t the plan, but at the end of the day we were fighting for podium positions which is a victory for us. We move on from here.”

  • Formula E 7th season to begin with Diriyah e-prix

    Formula E 7th season to begin with Diriyah e-prix

    Riyadh, 23 Feb 2021: The seventh season of ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – and its first as a World Championship – will get underway in Saudi Arabia this weekend (26 & 27 February), with big points on offer and a fierce battle in prospect around the Riyadh Street Circuit.

    Not only is the Diriyah E-Prix one of just two double-headers on the 2020/21 Formula E calendar, but in a first for the all-electric single-seater series, it will take place after nightfall, with the action around the 2.495km track to be illuminated by low-consumption LED lights.

    To add to the unpredictability, pre-season testing in Valencia at the end of last year saw all 24 contenders blanketed by barely three-quarters-of-a-second on the final day – closer than ever before in the championship’s history – setting the scene for a spectacular Saudi Arabian showdown.

    António Félix da Costa goes into the new campaign as reigning champion after dominating proceedings last season. The Portuguese ace registered his second career Formula E victory in Diriyah in 2018 and is eyeing a repeat performance as he aims to launch the defence of his Drivers’ crown in the best possible fashion.

    DS TECHEETAH team-mate Jean-Éric Vergne, meanwhile, is eager to bounce back from a troubled 2019/20 campaign that fell short of his two title-winning seasons. The Frenchman shadowed da Costa across the finish line in Saudi Arabia in 2018, and he is fired-up to turn the tables this weekend.

    Mercedes EQ fields a similarly unchanged line-up of Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries. The Belgian secured second in the standings last summer by triumphing in the final race in Berlin and has twice been a podium-finisher in Diriyah, while de Vries showed increasing flashes of form towards the end of last season, which he is keen to build upon over the coming months.

    As the winningest driver in Formula E history, not reaching the highest step of the rostrum marked a disappointment for Sébastien Buemi in 2019/20, and the Swiss star is determined to quickly rediscover his winning ways. On the other side of the Nissan e.dams garage, by contrast, Oliver Rowland broke through last August with his maiden Formula E victory in Berlin, and the Briton has his sights firmly set on more champagne celebrations.

    Like Buemi, 2016/17 champion Lucas di Grassi endured a frustrating 2019/20 campaign – the first time he has failed to win a race or finish inside the top three in the overall classification – and the Brazilian is targeting a rapid return to form. His Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team-mate René Rast, meanwhile, is aiming to build upon a positive performance over the final six races of last season since returning to the series.

    Maximilian Günther stole pre-season bragging rights in Valencia back in December by posting the fastest time of the test. The German was a double winner last year and new team-mate Jake Dennis turned heads with his composure and consistency at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. Ominously for their rivals, the BMW i Andretti Motorsport team for which the pair compete has triumphed in two of the three races held in Saudi Arabia so far.

    The second of those successes was achieved by Alexander Sims, who switches to Mahindra Racing for his third campaign in Formula E. There, he will race alongside countryman Alex Lynn, who laid down the benchmark on day two of pre-season testing.

    The other Valencia pace-setter – on the opening day – was André Lotterer, who is confident of a further step forward for TAG Heuer Porsche in the team’s sophomore campaign in the championship. The German is partnered by compatriot Pascal Wehrlein, returning to the series after missing the second half of last season.

    Sam Bird was arguably the highest-profile mover of the off-season, leaving Envision Virgin Racing after six years to join Mitch Evans at Jaguar Racing, where he hopes to add to the nine Formula E victories he has achieved to-date – the most recent of which came in Diriyah in 2019.

    Bird is succeeded at Envision Virgin Racing by rookie Nick Cassidy, with Robin Frijns remaining on-board in the sister car, while Dragon / Penske Autosport enters an unchanged line-up of Sérgio Sette Câmara and Nico Müller, who impressed by posting the second and third-quickest times respectively in pre-season testing.

    ROKiT Venturi Racing will run Edoardo Mortara and series newcomer Norman Nato – another to display a strong turn-of-speed in Valencia – with NIO 333, like Mahindra, opting for an all-British line-up of Oliver Turvey and Tom Blomqvist and eager to significantly improve upon a scoreless 2019/20 campaign.

    The first Diriyah ePrix will begin at 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Friday, 26 February, with race two following at the same time the next day.