Formula E experienced a crazy start to the season in São Paulo. In a race with eight retirements and two interruptions, Mitch Evans emerged as the surprising winner after almost two hours.
Surprising because the New Zealander in the Jaguar had started from 22nd and last place on the grid. Defending champion Pascal Wehrlein, who had started from pole position, retired in the final phase after his Porsche spectacularly rolled over following a collision.
In the chaos, Edoardo Mortara and Sébastien Buemi kept their cool and finished fifth and eighth respectively in the championship points. Nico Müller, the third Swiss driver, retired on the starting lap.
Formula E continues on January 11 in Mexico City. The last two of the season's 16 races will be held in London on the last weekend of July. Two E-Prix within two days will also be held for the first time in Monaco (May 3-4) and Tokyo (May 17-18). A race on Swiss soil, as was last held in Bern in June 2019, is once again not on the calendar.
The final ranking of the season opener in Sao Paulo
What is Formula E?
The racing series with electric motors was launched by former FIA President Jean Todt and celebrated its premiere in Beijing on September 13, 2014. It combines spectacle, speed and sustainability. With its net-zero strategy, Formula E wants to set an example for the future and promote electric mobility. Car manufacturers should also benefit from the new technologies developed for the racing cars in order to further reduceCO2 emissions.
Since the first season, Formula E has endeavored to hold races on the streets of major cities around the world in order to reach as many people as possible. This philosophy will be maintained for the eleventh season, with the so-called E-Prix taking place in cities such as London, Tokyo, Jakarta and Berlin. Formula E has been a member of the motorsport governing body FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) since the 2020/2021 season, meaning that the winner of the drivers' championship can also call themselves world champion.
Which cars are driven?
Formula E cars are single-seater racing cars with electric motors. The third generation was further developed for the eleventh season, resulting in the GEN3 EVO. The car has a maximum output of 350 kW (around 470 hp), reaches top speeds of 320 kilometers per hour and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.86 seconds. This means that the GEN3 EVO has a higher acceleration rate than the current Formula 1 racing cars.
With dimensions of 5.02 x 1.70 meters, the racing car weighs 859 kg. The energy recuperation is 600 kW. All-wheel drive can also be activated at the start of the race, in qualifying and in attack mode.
The teams and drivers were able to test the new car for four days a month ago on the Jarama circuit in Madrid.
What does a race weekend look like?
A normal race weekend consists of two days. On Friday, one of two 30-minute free practice sessions is held. On Saturday, the race day begins with free practice, followed by qualifying and the race.
There are exceptions in Jeddah, Monaco, Tokyo, Shanghai, Berlin and London. In these cities there are so-called double headers, where two races are held in one weekend. This means that a third practice session and a second qualifying session and race take place on Sunday.
In the practice sessions, the drivers have to set up the car for the track and plan their strategy for the race.
The starting positions for the race are determined in qualifying. The 22 drivers are divided into two groups, each of which has ten minutes to finish in the top four within their group. In this session, power is limited to 300 kW.
The eight fastest drivers in the first phase progress to the next round, where they compete against each other for pole position in a quarter-final, semi-final and final. Whoever takes pole position starts the race in first place. For these duels, the drivers have the maximum power of 350 kW and all-wheel drive at their disposal.
The races are limited to 55 minutes. Drivers can also use the all-wheel drive system at the start. Otherwise, they have 300 kW at their disposal and can unlock a further 50 kW with "Attack Mode".
What does "Attack Mode" mean?
During the races, the drivers can drive through the so-called "Activation Zone", a part of the track off the racing line, to activate a boost of 50 kW. This boost is activated during battles for position.
The FIA determines before each race weekend how often the drivers can drive through the "Activation Zone" and for how long they can activate Attack Mode.
How are the points distributed?
The first ten classified drivers in the race win points. The winner receives 25 points, second place 18, third 15 and tenth one point. If someone in the top ten sets the fastest race lap, they receive an additional point. An additional three points are awarded to the winner of the qualifying session.
The points won are included in both the drivers' and team standings. Whoever has the most points at the end of the season becomes world champion.
Where do they race?
In the 2024/2025 season, 16 races will be held at ten different locations from December to July. The program includes races in Monaco, Tokyo, Berlin and the season finale in London. The races will mainly be held on street circuits.
How many teams compete in Formula E?
A total of eleven teams with two drivers each compete in Formula E. With Maserati, McLaren, Porsche and Nissan, well-known manufacturers are taking part in the Formula E World Championship. Last season, Jaguar won the title with the New Zealand duo Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy.
Who are the stars?
The stars include Pascal Wehrlein, who was crowned world champion for the first time last year. The German raced in Formula 1 in 2016-2017 and contested one season with Sauber.
Other former Formula 1 drivers in the field include Jean-Éric Vergne, Nyck de Vries, Lucas di Grassi, Stoffel Vandoorne and Swiss driver Sébastien Buemi.
Buemi, di Grassi, Vergne, Antonio Felix da Costa and Sam Bird have been with the team since the first season. Buemi and da Costa are the most successful drivers with 13 victories each. Jean-Éric Vergne is the only driver to have won the drivers' championship twice.
In addition to the familiar names, there are also two rookies this season. Zane Maloney (part of the Sauber Academy) from Barbados and Taylor Barnard from Great Britain contested the Formula 2 season this year and are now venturing into the electric racing series.
Who are the Swiss?
Buemi is not the only Swiss driver on the grid. With Edoardo Mortara and Nico Müller, Switzerland has two more trump cards.
Of the three, Sébastien Buemi is probably the best known. The man from Aigle has contested 55 Formula 1 races, but has never finished on the podium. Buemi has celebrated more success in the World Endurance Championship. To date, he has won the drivers' world championship four times and the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times. Buemi won the Formula E drivers' championship in 2015/2016, but has now been waiting seven years for his 14th race win.
Mortara is approaching his eighth season in Formula E. He has contested 95 races so far, six of which he has won. In the 2020/2021 season, he finished second in the drivers' standings. His current team-mate Nyck De Vries, of all people, stood in front of him back then.
Nico Müller also has a world champion as a team-mate. The Swiss driver has switched to Andretti Formula E for the new season, where Jake Dennis is waiting for him. The Brit won the title in 2023. He wants to finally clinch his first Formula E victory with the new team. Müller used to be particularly successful in the DTM (German Touring Car Masters). He celebrated ten race wins there and narrowly missed out on the title in 20219 and 2020.
You can follow the season opener in São Paulo this weekend and the entire season live exclusively on blue Zoom.
