Formula E returns this weekend with the first race of Season 10 in Mexico City, reigniting the rivalries and intense racing action that made last season the most competitive ever in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as the title race was decided on the final weekend.
Ultimately it was Britain’s Jake Dennis (Andretti Formula E) who triumphed in London in July to win his first world title. But changes in the off-season mean his two closest rivals of the last campaign – Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans – are now a formidable Jaguar TCS Racing team partnership following Cassidy’s move from Envision Racing.
With former Formula E world champion Nyck de Vries returning to the series from Formula 1 with Mahindra Racing, and eight of 11 teams making driver changes, this Saturday’s 2024 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix promises another impossible-to-predict and fiercely competitive race.
Some 40,000 spectators will pack the grandstands at the famed Foro Sol in what is Formula E’s eighth visit to the historic Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, with the circuit a favourite of fans and drivers alike and one of the highlights of the season.
The updated Season 10 calendar of 16 races in 10 iconic world cities features a debut race on the streets of Tokyo and a long-awaited return to China with a first race in Shanghai plus a new Italian venue in Misano. The season concludes once again in London on the weekend of Saturday, July 20 and Sunday July 21.
SEASON 10 STORYLINES: the GEN3
Last year saw the introduction of the GEN3 – the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built – which broke record after record during its inaugural season.
Across the 11-team, 22-car grid in Season 9 there were seven different winners and 11 drivers on the podium across 16 rounds, while 19 different drivers led a race for at least one lap.
Team engineers have spent the off-season working to extract vital tenths of-a-second from their GEN3 race cars and are sure to use the experience of last year to enhance performance. The result is more than half the drivers on the grid go into the Hankook Mexico City E-Prix confident they have a shot at the world title. Watch out Jake Dennis.
JAGUAR VS PORSCHE, ENVISION VS ANDRETTI: RIGHT TO THE WIRE
In both the Teams’ and Drivers’ World Championships, the title fight went to the finale in Season 9, with eventual wins for Jake Dennis (Andretti) and Envision Racing coming in London. What makes their wins unique is that both titles were won not only by different powertrains but by customer outfits of Porsche and Jaguar, respectively.
Andretti were, and still are, powered by Porsche for GEN3. Their 99X Electric led Dennis to two wins and a string of 11 podiums in Season 9, which was enough to see him crowned champion in front of his home support as he became the first Brit to win the title.
The factory TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team finished fourth in both the Drivers’ and Teams’ standings after a strong start from Pascal Wehrlein. The German giants have title-winning machinery and will be laser-focussed on securing the top prize for themselves this season.
Similarly, Envision are customers of Jaguar. Although both Jaguar-powered teams achieved four wins apiece in Season 9, it was Envision that came out on top. Nick Cassidy ran it close in the Drivers’ race and key in the team’s title win, having raced in every season of the series.
Cassidy has made the jump to the factory Jaguar TCS Racing team for Season 10, racing alongside Mitch Evans – a friend, long-time competitor, and Kiwi compatriot. It is rightly one of the most hyped driver line-ups ever seen in Formula E, and the British team will be desperate to end the year on top. Evans and Cassidy wound up first and second quickest in Valencia, too.
SEASON 10 DRIVER LINE-UPS
It’s all-change ahead of the first race in Mexico City. Only three of 11 teams keep the same pairings from Season 9: TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team withPascal Wehrleinand Season 6 championAntónio Félix da Costa; DS PENSKE withStoffel VandoorneandJean-Éric Vergne(three Formula E titles between them); and ERT Formula E Team, formally NIO 333 Racing, withDan TicktumandSergio Setté Câmarareturning.
Nick Cassidylooks to have settled in well at Jaguar TCS Racing, setting the second-quickest time at the Valencia test behind new teammateMitch Evans.
Robin Frijns, Cassidy’s replacement at Envision Racing, and a double race-winner in Formula E, wound up seventh and will line up alongsideSébastien Buemi.
One of the biggest talking points heading into Mexico City is the return ofNyck de Vries.The Season 8 champ departed the all-electric championship for a spell in Formula 1 but is now making a return to the series he called home for so long.
Since his time in Formula E, a lot has changed, including a whole new generation of car. He will have it all to do alongsideEdoardo Mortara,who moves from Maserati MSG Racing to the Anglo-Indian team which struggled to adapt to GEN3 in Season 9. Mortara did steer to a promising sixth in testing, though.
Maserati will once again fieldMaximilian Güntherwith optimism abound after the team turned their form around in the second half of Season 9 at the hands of Günther who won in Jakarta and took to the podium in Rome. Indian rookieJehan Daruvalasteps into the fold as Günther’s teammate.
Norman Natomanaged to set a quicker time than Season 9 championJake Dennisat the Valencia test in his first outing with Andretti Formula E, withOliver Rowlandalso looking rapid for his return to Nissan Formula E Team, alongsideSacha Fenestraz.
Sam Bird’stime at NEOM McLaren Formula E Team is another story which will be followed closely, with the Brit ending pre-season testing 14th. He joins fellow BritJake Hughes, who impressed with two poles in his debut campaign.
Lucas di Grassimade an emotional return to the team with which he won the Season 3 title; the Brazilian joining up withNico Müllerat ABT CUPRA Formula E Team. Di Grassi is Formula E’s most successful driver on Mexican soil.
CHAMP JAKE DENNIS EXPECTS ‘TOUGHEST CHALLENGE YET’
Andretti’s Jake Dennis heads to Round 1 of a new campaign as the reigning champ for the first time in his Formula E career. After an incredible season of consistency, achieving 11 podiums across the 16 rounds of the calendar to set a new record, he’s now keen to get racing again after the summer break comes to a close.
Jake Dennis, Andretti Formula E, said:
“We’ve still got an incredibly strong powertrain. I don’t think there’s too much development that can happen coming into this season. There’s always tweaks here and there, but it’s more probably fine tuning.
“I would expect the likes of DS will definitely close the gap to us. It’s also still going to be difficult to beat Jaguar TCS Racing and the other Porsche team. Just trying to do what we did last year is going to be extremely difficult with that many podiums and wins. It’s never easy when the competition closes up.”
RETURN TO MEXICO CITY AND THE AUTÓDROMO HERMANOS RODRÍGUEZ
This weekend Formula E makes its eighth visit to a circuit that’s been on the calendar since Season 2, save for a trip to Puebla in Season 7. The 19-turn, 2.630km circuit is a perfect mix of long, fast straights and a technical infield section that passes right through the legendary Foro Sol stadium, housing tens of thousands of fans.
There’s a new chicane this year on the back straight, while the ATTACK MODE activation zone is now on the outside of Turn 15 at the exit of the stadium section – more of a challenge this time around.
Off the track, there is world-class entertainment with a live music from Latin superstar Sofia Reyes who headlines the Podium Stage, and is joined by Kurt, Salero Balas, and Sully, for performances in the Allianz Fan Village.
SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS
In line with Formula E’s commitment to sustainability, the 2024 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix event will be powered entirely by sustainably sourced HVO fuel as a net zero carbon event, with Formula E rigorously measuring, reducing, and offsetting all unavoidable emissions by investing in renewable energy production. Use of HVO produces a 90% carbon emission reduction compared to ordinary diesel.
NEW TELEVISION PRESENTERS LINE-UP
This season, Formula E TV coverage will be presented by a dynamic team including new lead presenter Jermaine Jenas, alongside pundits James Rossiter, David Coulthard, and Karun Chandhok. Nicki Shields returns as an on-the-ground reporter, with Tom Brooks and Ryan Myrehn providing their trademark engaging commentary.
In the USA, a Roku exclusive show, The Recharge, hosted by Georgia Henneberry, will offer fans a chance to revisit race highlights and driver strategy.
SCHEDULE: WHERE, WHEN AND HOW TO WATCH OR STREAM THE 2024 HANKOOK MEXICO CITY E-PRIX
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Season 10 gets underway on Friday January 12 with Free Practice 1 at 16:25 CST local time (22:25 GMT).
The momentum continues into race day on Saturday January 13 as Free Practice 2 kicks off at 07:25 CST (13:25 GMT). Qualifying follows at 09:40 CST (15:40 GMT). The race starts at 14:00 CST (20:00 GMT).
Additionally, live race coverage, along with in-depth trackside insights, is available through the Formula E app and Race Centre, featuring live timing, interactive track maps, session highlights, exclusive interviews, and detailed reports.
WHERE TO WATCH:
MEXICO:Fans in Mexico can watch their home race onFox Sports 3,Claro SportsandA+andAzteca Deportes.Fox Sports Mexico, Claro SportsandTV Aztecawill be at the track to bring viewers all of the latest stories from the paddock.
Claro Sportswill be providing dedicated coverage of the whole race weekend across Latin America with support fromDirecTVin select markets.
ASIA
AUSTRALIA: Stan Sportswill present live coverage of all sessions on the Stan Sports platform.9GOwill wrap up the weekend with highlights for fans in Australia.
CHINA:Formula E’s digital partnerships continue withHUYA, BiliBili, Weibo, KuaishouandDouyincovering all sessions live, whilstGuangDong Sportswill be showing delayed coverage. Free-to-air linear race coverage will be found onCCTV5+, whilst also being simulcast on their digital platformYangshipin.
INDONESIA:Fans can catch the race live oniNews, with dedicated coverage of the weekend acrossMNCplatforms includingSPORTSTARSandMNC Vision +
JAPAN:Viewers will be able to catch all the action from qualifying and race sessions onJ-Sports 3,withBS Fujiproviding dedicated highlights coverage.
NEW ZEALAND:Viewers in New Zealand will be able to catch all of the action, live onSky Sports 5.
SE ASIA: SpoTVwill be providing live coverage of all race sessions onSpoTV 2, whilst also simulcasting across their digital platformSpoTV NOW
EUROPE
FRANCE:Viewers in France will be able to catch Saturday’s race action onL’Equipe.frandEurosport 1whilstEurosport Playerwill be showing all sessions live.La Chaine L’Equipewill be running delayed linear coverage on Sunday.
GERMANY:A new partnership in Germany will see live coverage of Quali and Race onDF1,with both sessions also available onServusOn.
AUSTRIA:Fans will be able to tune into race action and quali onServusTV,a new partnership that’ll have enhance coverage and analysis – race and quali simulcast onServusOn.
ITALY: Mediaset’s Channel 20will air the Mexico City race live, with all sessions available live onSportMediaset.itwith highlights covered on their flagshipItalia Unochannel.Eurosport 2will also cover race and highlights from the season opener.
NETHERLANDS:Netherlands will be able to see all sessions, live onZiggo Sport MotorsportandZiggoGO.Eurosportwill also be providing live coverage across the weekend on linear and digital channels.
UK: TNTwill start the season as the home of Formula E in the UK with extensive coverage across their channels. Race and Quali will be shown onTNT Sports 4, withTNT Sports 1simulcasting race action. All sessions will be available on digital viadiscovery+
REST OF EUROPE:Across the remainder of Europe (excl. Italy), all sessions will be live across Eurosport’s linear and digital platforms.Eurosportwill provide bespoke, live coverage of the opening race onEurosport 2, whilst all sessions will be live onEurosport Player.ES Playerwill also provide a one-stop destination for all Formula E catch-up.
NORTH AMERICA
CANADA:In CanadaTVA SportsandTSN 2will show all of the race action from Mexico in French and English respectively.
USA:All live race sessions will be made available with our new partnerRoku,with delayedCBS Networkcoverage on Sunday.
SOUTH AFRICA
Fans will be able to catch all of the live action from qualifying and the race live onSuperSport Motorsport.
Full details with further updates on where to watch, including information for all territories worldwide, can be found at:fiaformulae.com/watch
NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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