Category: Formula E

Oliver Askew has rejoined the Andretti Formula E team ahead of next week’s Miami E-Prix, reuniting with the team with which he contested his sole season in the electric open-wheel category in 2021-22.

The American will serve as an additional reserve driver for the team alongside compatriot Jak Crawford, stepping in when Crawford – who is competing in Formula 2 this year – is unavailable. Askew’s first race trackside in his new role will be the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on April 12, when Crawford will be racing in Bahrain.

“I’m thrilled to reunite with this talented team, especially since so many familiar faces from Season 8 are still onboard,” said Askew. “I can’t wait to dive in and support the team in fine-tuning the car on the simulator as we push through the rest of the season together.”

Askew contested the final season of Formula E’s GEN2 ruleset for Andretti, finishing in the points three times, including on his debut in Diriyah, and later taking a best result of fourth in the first race of that season’s London E-Prix. Prior to that, Askew took the 2019 Indy Lights title with Andretti, winning seven times – including four times on the bounce in the second half of the season. He went on to graduate to the IndyCar Series with Arrow McLaren SP the following year.

As well as being on-hand to step in in the absence of the team’s race drivers Jake Dennis and Nico Mueller, as well as Crawford, Askew will contribute to the development of Andretti’s Porsche 99X Electric by working in the team’s simulator to test software updates and refine car setups.

“While Jak remains our primary reserve and development driver, due to overlapping calendars with Formula E and Formula 2, it’s an advantage for us to have the ability to bring in an additional reserve driver – particularly someone of Oliver’s caliber – in such a demanding championship,” said Andretti Formula E team principal Roger Griffiths. “Oliver’s prior experience with our team and knowledgeable understanding of the series make him an excellent fit, and we’re confident he will provide valuable input behind the scenes.”

Formula E’s Evo Sessions track days in Miami gave a unique opportunity to get media personalities behind the wheel of the series’ GEN3 Evo racing cars so that they could experience what it’s like to be a professional racing driver – and take fans along for the ride, too. (That’s Alexandra Mary Hirschi, an Australian social media celebrity, presenter and vlogger known online as Supercar Blondie, pictured above in Nissan’s car ahead of her Evo Sessions run.)

But in the Lola Yamaha Abt garage, there was someone who fit in both camps. Scott Mansell has a well-established online presence, with his Driver61 YouTube channel having 1.34 million subscribers, but has also enjoyed a career as a professional driver across a plethora of series.

“I got a call from Formula E, and they said to me, ‘Would you like to come to Miami to drive a Formula E car?’ and I said, ‘Yes, absolutely!’” Mansell tells RACER of how his Evo Sessions opportunity came about. “Then they put me together with Lola Yamaha Abt, and all went from there.

“It’s a crazy idea, right? Putting some celebrities or creators in proper racing cars sounds absolutely crazy, and I think Formula E probably did a great job to convince the teams to actually do it in the first place. But then as we went through the couple of days, you could feel that it was a fantastic success.”

All involved didn’t just jump into the car and go. Each went through a lengthy preparation process with their assigned teams, but for Mansell, it was as if he was going racing once again.

“Every creator that I spoke to approached it in a very systematic and fairly careful way. I think it was a great success for all of the teams,” he says.

“I think some of the other drivers did have some racing or track experience, but obviously not as deep and as long as mine. I approached it like I was going racing, to be honest with you. I spent a couple of days in the simulator, I did as many laps as I could, I spoke to the engineers as much as I possibly could. I wanted to understand these cars as much as possible, and I had the same approach when I went to the racetrack.”

Despite having an outsider in their car for the first time, Mansell describes Lola Yamaha Abt as “an open book” at the event, and with his prior experience in a wide range of race cars, he was able to make the experience mutually beneficial.

“It was incredible, working with Zane Maloney, the driver, and all of the engineers — they shared everything with me,” he says. “And because I do have my experience, I was trying to give some proper feedback. Lola Yamaha’s a new team, they’re looking to develop the car, and so I was trying to help them as much as I possibly could.”

But while going into Evo Sessions as something of a racing veteran might seem like having a head start over the others, it actually meant that Mansell had to break some old habits – driving techniques that don’t quite work in an electric car.

“My main goal while I was there in the simulator was to understand primarily how to brake. The braking shape is very different to a traditional car,” he explains. “The first session, I didn’t do what I was doing in the simulator on the brakes. When you’re in a quick single seater, which the Formula E car is, my brain switched on to kind of like the F2 cars that I’ve driven in the past, and so I was getting on the brake with way too much pressure. And when you do that, because most of the braking is from the motors in the (Formula E) car, it triggered a fail.

“So in my first session, I had to come into the pits two or three times to reset the system because I kept on braking too hard — which wasn’t great from my side of things, because when you jump into a new car on a new track, you want to be doing consecutive laps so you can understand as much as possible about the car. So it was kind of truncated, a bit fragmented in that session. Then on the following day, I corrected all of the problems that I had and managed to pull a good lap together.”

At Evo Sessions, all 11 participants only got two 20-minute sessions on track. That doesn’t seem like a lot, given the hype around the event, and while Mansell tells me “I’d still be there now if I could be,” he admits that it was probably the perfect amount of time for the class of mostly non-racers.

“Of course, if you do more laps, you’re gonna go quicker, right?” he says. “I think it was probably the right amount of time, to be honest with you. In the past, I ran events like this where we would put non-drivers in racing cars, and there’s a sweet spot where they have enough time to start getting quickly but not get too confident. If you give them actually too much time, they’ll get overly confident, they get a bit too comfortable, and that’s when all the mistakes happen.

“We actually saw on the second day there that there were much more mistakes on the brakes and coming to the corners. We only had one spin on the first day, and then we saw three or four spins on the second day. So you give them another day, and actually those spins might be a bit bigger.”

Having the track time supported by a current FIA world championship team, plus all of the preparation time in the lead-up to the event, afforded Mansell something he didn’t always get to enjoy in his own career. That gave him high expectations of himself, expectations he managed to live up to.

“During my racing career, we never really had enough money to do it properly, and so I always struggled,” he admits. “I did Indy Pro, for example, but I’d just jump in on the Friday before race weekend, didn’t do any testing, and it was always difficult to compare myself against the other drivers.

“For me personally, this was brilliant, because all the pro drivers went and did some time out on the track, and I managed to get within a tenth of Zane [Maloney]. Zane is a very, very quick driver and so for me, maybe from an ego perspective, it was good to see that I had the kind of skill to get somewhere close to the pace. That was really my target, to extract the most from the car.”

Evo Sessions was aimed at attracting new fans to Formula E, particularly those that might not like motorsport, but Mansell feels that the series offers something to motorsport’s more traditional fan base as well. The cars might not make a noise, but there’s a lot for the naysayers to enjoy.

“That kind of annoys me, and if they’re saying they’re pure fans, then I don’t really know what they’re talking about, to be honest with you,” Mansell says of Formula E’s detractors. “Yes, they don’t make noise like a V10. I do love the noise, but that’s gone in every motorsport category.

“For me, for a great race series, first of all, you want to have some unpredictability to it. We don’t want to know that the same person is going to win every single weekend. That’s one thing in Formula E — you don’t know who’s going to win. It’s definitely interesting on that front.

“The second thing is, you want loads of wheel-to-wheel action — for me that’s the best bit, seeing the moves take place. Formula E does that very well.

“And the third thing is actually seeing the drivers work hard in the car. You can see the cars moving around. You can see the drivers fighting it. They’re on circuits that aren’t always perfect, so they’re bumpy, the walls are very close — you can see the skill of the drivers there.

“If you look at how the cars behave on track, the body language and the attitude, that’s also pretty old school. You can actually slide the cars around, which is what we all love to watch. The drivers in Formula E really look like they’re fighting the thing and getting the most out of it.”

The modern technology is also a plus point, says Mansell, and it’s something the series could lean into more, having experienced just how much goes into a Formula E car and team at Evo Sessions.

“That’s something that I definitely learned, the detail that the engineers are going into on the tech side of things,: he says. “So I think it’s probably a need to get these kind of old school fans over the noise of it and then give it a chance. It’s fantastic racing.”

As for Evo Sessions as an event, Mansell was impressed.

“I think they nailed it straight at the gates,” he says. “I think the whole point of it is to shine a spotlight on Formula E. I think that has been happening very well and is only going to continue.

“All of the creators that I spoke to were very thankful for the coaching that they got from the professional drivers; me working with Zane and the engineers on my team. I thought that was brilliant. So I don’t really know that there’s any way that it could kind of improve, to be honest with you — maybe like having an actual race, but that seems a bit much.”

It worked perfectly in the context of Formula E, but could it be a format that other series embrace? As good as that could be to boost their profiles, Mansell isn’t convinced it would work as well, if at all.

“That’s hard to see just looking at the positioning of each of the championships,” he says. “Formula E has a great mentality across the series in terms of trying new things and pushing the limit. They have the saying that they’re always in beta mode – they’re always testing and trying new stuff – and I think that shows here. This is an extremely interesting event. I couldn’t see Formula 1 doing it. Maybe NASCAR, I’m not sure. But I think Formula E are probably the only ones brave enough to take the risk and go ahead and do this.”

Fortescue Zero has been announced as the official pitboost provider for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The announcement comes after the successful roll-out of the technology – whereby a 10 percent top up of usable energy is added via a 600kW fast charge in a 30-second pit stop – at the Jeddah E-Prix last month. The portable booster has been designed to deliver two battery boosts per race, and uses onboard energy storage so isn’t constrained by local energy grid connection like the standard chargers supplied by ABB.

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“The successful development and integration of Fortescue Zero’s Pit Boost technology has not only been a positive gamer-changer for the racing our fans can expect, but is one of the biggest new features introduced into world-motorsport in recent memory,” said Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds. “Not only is it bringing huge new excitement to our race tracks, but allows the series and commercial partners to pioneer cutting edge technology that is directly relevant to road-going EV users.

“This new technology will have enormous real-world benefits and tangibly contributes to our overarching mission of accelerating the development and uptake of EVs around the world.”

The boosters are complimented by Fortescue Zero’s battery intelligence software, Elysia, which optimizes speed while also battery life.

While different to road car charging applications that are currently available, the technology has already found its way into real world applications, like with Fortescue Zero’s 6MW solution that it has developed for heavy mining equipment.

“Fortescue Zero pushes the limits of what batteries, their infrastructure and intelligence systems can do in a safe, tested and innovative way,” said Fortescue Zero CEO Ellie Coates. “The ultra-fast boost technology used in the Pit Boost, not only takes motorsports to a new level, it also has a flow on effect to real-world practicalities too, including in Heavy Industry and on-road electric vehicle applications.”

After Jeddah, Pit Boost will also feature in one race at the remaining double-header weekends in Monaco, Tokyo, Shanghai, Berlin and London.

Formula E has announced the next batch of famous faces that will take part in its Evo Sessions program.

Evo Sessions will take place between the Jeddah and Miami E-Prix, with those taking part being assigned to a Formula E team, then undergoing a six-week training program before a two-day track event at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on March 5-6.

Joining the line-up is actor Tom Felton, best-known for playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series, Australian automotive influencer “Supercar Blondie,” Mexican content creator JUCA, and motorsport content creator and professional driver Scott Mansell, otherwise known as Driver 61.

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“I’ve grown up loving wheels my entire life,” said Felton. “From my dad teaching me to ride a bicycle to putting my first poster up on my bedroom wall of a supercar. When I learned to drive a car it was the most liberating experience I’ve ever had. Better than a broomstick even.

“From my dad teaching me to feather a clutch in our 1979 Ford Fiesta which he had taught my three older brothers to drive in, to driving my first sports car. Nothing could compare to the excitement I have to actually be seated in the driver’s seat of arguably the most exciting vehicle on four wheels on the planet. I know it needs a fifth wheel to steer and I am beyond thrilled to be given the opportunity to do so.

“I’ll play it cool on the day, obviously, but my inner nine-year-old self will be screaming with joy the moment I get even close to the Formula E car — let alone get to actually drive one! It’ll be a pinch myself, dream-come-true moment and I will make the most of every second.”

The new additions join Sergio Agüero, Emelia Hartford, Cleo Abram, Lucien Laviscount, Vinnie Hacker and Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, who is the first name to have been assigned to a team, with him working with Jaguar TCS Racing. With 10 names announced, that leaves just one more to come.

Long-time Formula E race director Scot Elkins is retiring from the role after the upcoming Miami E-Prix.

Elkins, who has been the Formula E race director for the last seven years, will be replaced by Marek Hanaczewski, who has been deputy race director since Season 8 (2021-22) and stood in as race director at the season-opening Sao Paulo E-Prix in December. The American revealed he had planned to retire from the FIA at the end of the current season, but a change to his personal circumstances moved the plan forwards.

“After 10 years in Formula E, the time has come for me to retire as race director,” said Elkins. “With the recent loss of my father this past December, I have new responsibilities that require my time and attention at home.

“While I had hoped to complete Season 11 and retire at its conclusion, my plans have now been accelerated and my focus remains on my family. I will continue working in motorsport, primarily on projects based in the USA. I have been honored to be a part of the Formula E paddock and am grateful for the friendships that have grown over the years.

“Although I am very sad to leave, I am confident in the staff that will remain. We have worked closely together and I know they are committed to making the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship a success, this season and in the many to come.”

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As well as serving as race director in Formula E, Elkins was race director for Extreme E and DTM, a steward for Nitrocross, and deputy race director for Formula 1, Formula 2, and Formula 3 in recent seasons. Upon his exit from the FIA, he will assume the roles of CEO of motorsport technology business Al Kamel Systems North America and strategic director of its parent Al Kamel Systems.

Ahead of Elkins’ exit, he and Hanaczewski will swap roles at next week’s Jeddah E-Prix, then from the Monaco E-Prix at the start of May, Hanaczewski will fully take on the race director role, with Formula E’s current head of circuit operations (and head of sporting matters in the FIA World Endurance Championship) Benoit Dupont assuming the role of deputy race director.

“Stepping into the role of race director is an exciting new chapter in my motorsport career, and the continuation of a journey that began 13 years ago,” said Hanaczewski. “Since 2017, I have had the privilege to work alongside Scot, who has been not only a great leader but also a mentor, teacher and friend.

“I am incredibly grateful for the knowledge, experience and trust he has shared with me over the years. His contribution to Formula E is undeniable, and I deeply appreciate the time we have spent working together. Now, I look forward to leading race operations and ensuring the continued growth and success of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.”

Daniil Kvyat has joined the list of names taking part in the Formula E rookie free practice session ahead of the Jeddah E-Prix on Feb. 13.

The former-Formula 1 driver — who made 110 starts for Toro Rosso, Red Bull, and AlphaTauri, scoring three podium finishes — will drive for DS Penske in the 40-minute session that is open to drivers that haven’t taken part in a Formula E race before.

“I am very excited to join the team for the rookie test,” said Kvyat. “It is my first time driving a Formula E new-generation car, and I am eager to get a feel for it on track. I already know some of the faces in the team, which makes this experience even more exciting. I cannot wait to get started and see where this test will take us.”

Since his last F1 outing at the end of 2021, Kvyat has competed in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, as well as the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He previously took part in Formula E’s 2023 rookie test in Berlin and that year’s rookie practice session at the Rome E-Prix for NIO.

“We’re delighted to have Daniil join us for FP0 in Jeddah,” said DS Penske deputy team principal Phil Charles. “His background in Formula 1 and his proven ability to perform at the highest level will provide invaluable insights for our team. We are looking forward to seeing how Daniil adapts to the demands of the track and contributes to our overall weekend preparations.”

Also announced this week for the Jeddah rookie free practice were sports car racer Mikkel Jensen, who will drive for Cupra Kiro; McLaren junior Alex Dunne, who will drive for NEOM McLaren; and Théo Pourchaire, who will drive for Maserati MSG Racing.

Nissan has enlisted Italian Formula 2 ace Gabriele Mini, who drove for the team in last season’s rookie test after the Berlin E-Prix, while Jaguar TCS Racing will have another returnee in Jamie Chadwick, who drove for the team at the series’ female driver test in November

Kush Maini and Zak O’Sullivan were previously announced for Mahindra and Envision Racing respectively, with Lola Yamaha Abt, Andretti, and TAG Heuer Porsche still to confirm their drivers. All 11 teams must field one rookie driver in the session.