Category: Formula E

Andretti’s Dennis clinches Formula E crown as Evans wins in London

Jake Dennis dodged the slings and arrows of a typically frenetic Hankook London E-Prix to come home second, enough to secure the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Drivers’ Championship for the Avalanche Andretti driver with one race remaining, while …

Jake Dennis dodged the slings and arrows of a typically frenetic Hankook London E-Prix to come home second, enough to secure the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Drivers’ Championship for the Avalanche Andretti driver with one race remaining, while Mitch Evans took the checkered flag first for Jaguar TCS Racing.

Dennis survived two missed trips through the Attack Mode power boost loop, heavy pressure from his closest rival and polesitter Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) as well as two red-flag stoppages to become Formula E’s first British champion and the first to take the title on home soil by taking a record 10th podium finish of the season. Dennis’ title is also Andretti’s first in Formula E, the American team having been a part of the series from day one.

Dennis headed into the race 24 points clear of Cassidy, who started from pole after Evans qualified first but was handed a five-place grid penalty for causing an accident last time out in Rome.

Cassidy led the early stages before ceding top spot to eventual winner and countryman Evans on lap 11 and second spot to teammate Sebastien Buemi. Dennis had earlier made it by Cassidy with an opportunistic move at the final corner just a couple of laps before, with Cassidy immediately fighting his way back by the Andretti car — a titanic scrap looked to be brewing.

However, with Cassidy running in formation, close behind the Swiss, the Envision drivers came into contact. The former’s front wing was dislodged, catching beneath his left-front wheel. Repairs were attempted but his race couldn’t be salavaged — one fewer challenger for Dennis to deal with.

Loose bodywork from that clash caused a brief spell under the safety car, bunching the pack up. Dennis, meanwhile was not impressed over the radio with Porsche stablemate Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche), the German hanging onto fourth at the expense of the standings leader in the customer, Porsche-powered Avalanche Andretti as the teams’ title battle heated up. Team owner Michael Andretti wasn’t pleased either…

Wehrlein’s challenge then also fell by the wayside in a shunt just before a red flag was flown for the recovery of Sacha Fenestraz’s Nissan. He and Jake Hughes tangled into Turn 1, with the damage to the German’s Porsche terminal.

Evans leads Sebastien Buemi. Simon Galloway/Motorsport Images

On the restart Evans led away, with Dennis working his way into third. An over-optimistic move from Norman Nato (Nissan) at the penultimate turn on lap 34 then caused a chain reaction behind with several cars unable to avoid the melee, enforcing another spell under the red flag.

It was a three-lap sprint to the flag at the restart, with Dennis having only to hold fast to ensure he’d take top honors. Duly, he did, in front of jubilant home support — made doubly sure by his promotion to second at the flag, just behind Evans, with a penalty for TAG Heuer Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa, dropping him out of the podium positions. Sebastien Buemi (Envision Racing) rounded out the podium.

“Oh my God. That is incredible!” said Dennis. “That race was so hard, everything thrown at us. World champions, baby!

“I felt like everyone was racing against us but Jesus Christ — we have just become world champion and I am so so happy for myself, the team and everyone, we deserved it so much.

“I only joined the championship three years ago and we almost won it in our rookie year, but now to come back and properly have the year that we had, you know break all the podium records and to become world champion, it’s just mind blowing. I really didn’t think it coming into this year and full credit to my boys — I love them so much and they’ve given me an absolute rocketship all year. And this is the least I can do for them.

“I can hear the fans as well and it’s just absolutely incredible to share this with them.”

While the drivers’ crown is secured, there’s still all to play for in the teams’ title race in tomorrow’s season finale in London, with Envision Racing heading the way from the factory Jaguar TCS Racing squad while TAG Heuer Porsche clings to third with a mathematical chance of the top spot.

Cassidy on pole for London E-Prix 1 after penalty for Evans

There was good and and bad news for Mitch Evans and Jaguar TCS Racing in qualifying for today’s first race of the doubleheader in London that will settle the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship titles. Evans came out on top in a square fight …

There was good and and bad news for Mitch Evans and Jaguar TCS Racing in qualifying for today’s first race of the doubleheader in London that will settle the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship titles. Evans came out on top in a square fight against title rival Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) in the Duels final. But it’s Cassidy who’ll take to P1 on the grid after Evans was served with a five-place grid penalty for a collision in Rome.

Cassidy may head into Saturday’s race P1 on the grid but it’s Evans who takes the all-important three points for setting the fastest time in the Duels final. These points created a big swing in the teams’ standings, as Jaguar tries to chase both Envision and TAG Heuer Porsche for the title. Drivers’ championship leader Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) qualified third and will start on the front row for the race where he can clinch his first Formula E crown. After the penalty, Evans will start Round 15 from sixth on the grid.

Evans went against Cassidy in the finale, and with both drivers pushing to their absolute limits Cassidy appeared to kiss the wall on his lap. As a result, Evans emerged victorious, but it will be Cassidy who starts in that important P1 slot for the race in just a few hours. Lining up alongside him is Dennis, a copy of the Rome grid but in the opposite order. The drivers who started first and second in the two London races last year, finished first and second in the races too. Will history repeat itself?

Formula E targeting additional North American races

Formula E is considering expanding its footprint in North America. The series’ first foray into racing on a full permanent race circuit in Portland last month also marked the first event where new CEO Jeff Dodds had his boots on the ground since he …

Formula E is considering expanding its footprint in North America. The series’ first foray into racing on a full permanent race circuit in Portland last month also marked the first event where new CEO Jeff Dodds had his boots on the ground since he assumed leadership June 5. The welcome, both for Dodds and the fans, made a lasting impression.

“(Portland International Raceway), for us, was a bit of an unknown,” Dodds said ahead of this weekend’s season finale in London. “We know that IndyCar’s there, we know NASCAR has been there. We weren’t sure what it would be like to go to a permanent track.

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“I have to say — not just from me, but from a lot of the people that are longer in the tooth around Formula E — they were very, very pleasantly surprised by what happened in Portland. I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the fans. (They) were queuing to get in, which I loved. That’s not typical of turning up to a Formula 1 or Formula E event in the same way, but it would be typical of IndyCar or NASCAR. We had a lot of IndyCar fans come to see what this was all about.

“The second thing is they were very complimentary that, when we turned up, we kind of built the circus. So all of a sudden there was infrastructure built and we put on a bit of a broader event. There’s music playing, things that they might not necessarily see at the (Portland) IndyCar race.

“The third thing that really surprised them was the competitive nature and the speed of the racing. We actually recorded our fastest ever speed in a Formula E race — I think it was 184-185mph, something like that…

“I also was there spending a bit of time with Michael Andretti — obviously three-time winner on that circuit — and he took the car out, was driving around and was raving about how well the electric cars perform on that track. So we were all surprised how well that worked and also how well we were embraced by the Portland race community.”

Formula E’s calendar for season 10 hasn’t been finalized yet, with three spots left to fill. While China is being looked at, Dodds has his sights set on at least one more race to feed the burgeoning market across North America.

“There are live conversations with multiple venues around the world to look at where we would fill those slots from — pre-existing venues where we’ve raced before, but also venues in mainland China and also other venues in North America,” he said. “That’s pretty exciting.

“We have Portland in the calendar for next year, but for me, North America is big enough to have more than one race in the series. I believe there are other, what I would call ‘tier one’ cities in the U.S. — whether it’s New York, Los Angeles, Vegas, Miami, Atlanta, wherever it might be –where there’s room to bring another North American race to the calendar. The market is big enough. We know from our manufacturer partners, the two biggest markets they would talk about candidly would be mainland China and North America. Therefore, we feel we have an obligation to race in the places that our biggest supporters and investors want us to race in.”

It remains to be seen where and exactly when the U.S. will see another round confirmed, but odds are that announcement won’t be too far off.

“There’s a window for us to conclude negotiations and lock those three venues down,” Dodds said. “By October, you’ll know for season 10. If one of those three isn’t another North American venue for season 10 — I won’t guarantee it — but I would be very confident that there’s other North American venues announced for season 11.”

‘Unlocked’ Formula E car smashes indoor land speed world record

A revolutionary Formula E electric race car, the GENBETA, has smashed the indoor land speed world record by more than 33 mph after reaching a top speed of more than 135.9 mph inside a building in London. The official Guinness World Records title was …

A revolutionary Formula E electric race car, the GENBETA, has smashed the indoor land speed world record by more than 33 mph after reaching a top speed of more than 135.9 mph inside a building in London.

The official Guinness World Records title was achieved by Jake Hughes of NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, who competed against Mahindra Racing’s Lucas di Grassi to set the world record for the fastest speed achieved by a vehicle indoors.

The pair went head-to-head in the ‘Duels’ format used in qualifying for Formula E races to see who could set the fastest speed on just .176 miles – less than a quarter mile – of straight race track, using the same GENBETA car.

Neither driver had ever been behind the wheel of the GENBETA before, but both beat the previous world record of 102.7 mph set in February 2021 on all three of their practice runs before their official world record attempts.

Hughes was the first to go with three practice drives, instantly becoming the unofficial world record holder with his first run of 133.5 mph. He then pushed that unofficial world record even further in his next two practice runs with recorded speeds of 133.6 mph and 135.2 mph before topping out at 135.9 mph on his final run before di Grassi took the wheel.

The Brazilian started strongly with a first run of 134.8 mph, faster than Hughes’ initial practice, and looked to be on course to snatch the world record from his championship rival when his next practice clocked 135.4 mph before the third and final practice hit 135.6 mph, a fraction off Hughes’ benchmark.

It was not to be for the former Formula E champion, whose fourth and official run achieved a top speed of 135.2 mph, meaning Hughes had won the Duel and was officially declared the holder of the Guinness World Records title as driver of the fastest-ever vehicle indoors.

“I feel very honored to have been asked, and to be involved in such an exciting project,” said Hughes. “It wasn’t something I ever imagined I’d have the opportunity to even attempt, so now to hold the record is pretty incredible, especially in a Formula E car. I didn’t realize how much I wanted this record until I saw Lucas [Di Grassi] trying to break the record after me. When I was announced I was the record holder I felt a massive sense of pride.”

The GENBETA car featured a range of modifications to effectively ‘unlock’ the specifications of the GEN3 race car, which was introduced this season in Formula E:

● Enhanced battery power output of 400kW, up from 350kW in the GEN3, through the activation of the front powertrain kit in traction, delivering all-wheel drive for the first time in a Formula E car. The battery was charged by ABB, the title partner and official charging partner of the Championship.

● New, softer iON Race tire compound allowing faster warm-up and better peak grip, developed by Hankook Tire, official tire supplier of Formula E.

● 3D printed front wing endplates, wheel fins and a wind deflector with circular, more sustainable thermoplastic solutions developed by SABIC, principal partner of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, to optimize aerodynamics for enhanced straight line speed of the GENBETA.

“The GENBETA is the first time that four-wheel drive has been activated in a single-seater race car for both acceleration and braking regeneration,” said Alessandra Ciliberti, Formula E Technical Manager, FIA.

“This was achieved by turning on the front powertrain kit to achieve greater traction during acceleration. The GENBETA showcases what will be possible for Formula E racing in the near future.”

Hughes joins the small club of drivers to have a Guinness World Record certification in their trophy cabinet. Image via Formula E

In addition to technology innovations on the GENBETA car, Google Cloud provided generative artificial intelligence (AI) for analysis of the drivers’ runs. Using their leading platform, Vertex AI, Hughes and Di Grassi were able to interpret real-time telemetry data to generate speed, power and grip recommendations. This gave them the ability to interact and converse with an interface to help fine tune their approach across their three attempts.

Experts from McKinsey & Company, led by its AI arm, QuantumBlack, built data and analytics components to create the driver interface that analyzed and queried data in real time through generative AI for the record attempt.

An adjudicator from Guinness World Records monitored the attempts to ensure the drivers met strict criteria. To set the official indoor landspeed record, the GENBETA car had to set off from a static start and come to a complete halt inside one continuous building structure.

The drivers started from a standstill inside the ExCeL London events arena and navigated a 130-degree turn at around 24.9 mph before quickly accelerating along the .176 mile straight of the race track.

The indoor straight is part of the 1.299 mile track which is unique in world motorsport for extending inside and outside the 1,076,391 sq/f ExCeL London events arena in the Docklands area of east London which will host the final two races in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday.

Their speed was measured by a sophisticated speed trap system at a fixed point just 16.4 feet before the drivers entered the braking zone – the length of track needed to come to a complete stop and remain inside the building.

The world record was set late night on July 25 after construction work to install the track and grandstands at the venue was completed for the day.

Dennis targets Formula E title for Andretti at London finale

Britain’s Jake Dennis is on the brink of claiming his first world championship title as the Avalanche Andretti Formula E team driver goes into the final two races of the electric racing series’ season in front of home fans on a track where he has …

Britain’s Jake Dennis is on the brink of claiming his first world championship title as the Avalanche Andretti Formula E team driver goes into the final two races of the electric racing series’ season in front of home fans on a track where he has won twice before.

A repeat of his victory last time out on the streets of Rome would be enough to seal a first ABB Formula E world championship title for Dennis in the opening race of the Hankook London E-Prix doubleheader on Saturday. But as this season has proved time and again, anything can happen in Formula E races.

Races 15 and 16 will settle what has been arguably the most competitive and entertaining season in Formula E history. The introduction of the series’ third generation race car this year has led to a number of Formula E records falling including the fastest lap and the most overtakes, lead changes and different leaders in a race.

There have been seven different winners representing six different teams, with only TAG Heuer Porsche able count both their drivers as winners. Eleven drivers have made it to the podium and 19 drivers have led a lap. 

Dennis is one of four drivers who quickly got to grips with their new EV technology and battled for supremacy all season long as the championship returned to established circuits in Berlin, Mexico City, Diriyah, Jakarta, Monaco and Rome, while debuting in no less than four cities — Hyderabad, Cape Town, São Paulo and Portland.

He has 50% more Duels appearances than any other driver in qualifying and last time out in Rome, he became the only driver to have won lights to flag in the GEN3 era. Couple those records with the joint-largest standings lead this season, tied with TAG Heuer Porsche driver Pascal Wehrlein’s post-Brazil advantage at 24 points, and a podium tally of nine, two more than next best Nick Cassidy, and Dennis is sitting pretty.

The action has been wilder than ever in Formula E with the Gen3 cars. Alastair Staley/Motorsport Images

Wehrlein set the early pace after finishing second to Dennis in the GEN3 debut in Mexico City followed by a doubleheader sweep in Diriyah. Wehrlein wouldn’t return to the podium until winning Round 10 in Jakarta but consistent points in the intervening races kept him in in touch at the top.

Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy took control in midseason, claiming five podiums in six races from Rounds 4 to 9 including back-to-back wins in Berlin and Monaco to emerge as a strong championship contender.

Meanwhile, Mitch Evans of Jaguar TCS Racing entered the title picture in Round 6 in Brazil after a frustrating start to the GEN3 era for the Kiwi kept him off the podium. But Evans followed success in São Paulo with a win in the Berlin opening race to force his way into the title conversation. From midseason it was Cassidy, Dennis and Wehrlein edging the lead in the championship, often separated by just a single point, with Evans staying in close contention.

That all changed in the final stop on Formula E’s 10-city world tour before the London finale. On the sweltering streets of Rome and what is regarded as the most challenging circuit in the series, the biggest crash in Formula E history in Saturday’s race was the main talking point. But Evans secured avoided the carnage to take the win, while second for Cassidy put him a point beyond Dennis who could only finish fourth.

In the second race in Rome, Cassidy and Evans were in close formation hunting down Dennis for the race lead in the closing stages, when sharp braking caused Evans to lose control of the back of his car, clipping Dennis ahead of him, before going fully airborne and hitting the top of Cassidy’s car. Evans had to retire while Cassidy limped to P14, both losing critical points.

The dramatic incidents in Rome highlighted the uniquely intense, high-risk nature of wall-to-wall street racing in Formula E with no margin of error.

The impact on the drivers’ world championship was equally significant as Dennis delivered the most dominant performance of the season, claiming a Formula E grand slam – pole position, fastest lap and the race win — while leading the entire race from lights to checkered flag.

The result propelled Dennis to the top of the leader board with a 24-point advantage over Cassidy in second. Evans is 44 points back in third while Wehrlein still has a mathematical chance of the top spot at 49 points behind Dennis, with 25 points available for each race win, and 18 points for second (plus three points for pole position and one for the fastest lap).

The teams’ championship is also wide open and likely to go to the final race. Envision Racing leads the table by 14 points over TAG Heuer Porsche, while Jaguar TCS Racing is third with 228 points.

Formula E returns to East London’s historic docklands and the ExCeL events arena in the London Borough of Newham. The 2.09km/1.3-mile, 20-turn track starts off indoors on a silky-smooth surface offering plenty of grip, and after a quick succession of corners the track heads outside. Immediately on exit the Formula E cars will touch a strip of slippery metal, before heading down into the outdoor portion with the highly abrasive asphalt surrounding the exhibition center.

The outside features a flowing set of chicanes prime for passing opportunities. From there it’s a quick run down to a twisty set of curves before heading back up and inside the main hall to finish a lap. With changes in surface, elevation and dealing with the shift in lighting, the field face a unique challenge with this indoor and outdoor circuit.

Saturday’s race will air on CBS, while Sunday’s season finale will be available on CBS Sports Network. Free Practice Sessions and Quali will be live on CBSSports.com as well as the CBS Sports App.

Porsche extends Formula E program by two years

Porsche has reaffirmed its commitment to Formula E for a further two seasons, signing a deal to remain in the all-electric single seater series until at least the 2025-26 season. The brand joined the series in 2019, originally with a five-year …

Porsche has reaffirmed its commitment to Formula E for a further two seasons, signing a deal to remain in the all-electric single seater series until at least the 2025-26 season.

The brand joined the series in 2019, originally with a five-year commitment that was due to expire at the end of the 2023-24 season next July.

“We want to bring innovative technologies and more sustainability to motorsport and be at the forefront of new developments. Formula E plays a major role in this,” said Thomas Laudenbach, vice president of Porsche Motorsport. “The competition in this series is at an exceptionally high level and enables us to provide important impetus for future production models.

“With high-class and exciting races, it inspires people around the globe for electromobility. We will be happy to continue to contribute to this in the future.”

This year has been Porsche’s most successful in the category to date. It currently sits second in the teams’ standings after taking four wins from 14 races so far, Pascal Wehrlein claiming three wins to Antonio Felix da Costa’s one. It also has a customer operation for the first time, with Avalanche Andretti running Porsche powertrains. Andretti driver Jake Dennis currently tops the drivers’ standings, having won the opening round of the season in Mexico City and the most recent race in Rome.

As part of its ongoing commitment to Formula E, Porsche will also play an active role in shaping the championship’s future, including being involved in the development of the fourth generation car. The third generation of Formula E racer debuted at the start of the current season.

“With our entry into Formula E, we have opened a new chapter in all-electric motorsport. We remain convinced that our presence and successes in Formula E will lay the foundation for future mobility solutions,” said Michael Steiner, member of the executive board for research and development at Porsche. “It provides the most competitive environment to accelerate the development of high-performance vehicles with a focus on environmental friendliness and energy efficiency.

“We look forward to playing an active role in shaping the successful future of Formula E and thereby giving electric mobility even more impetus on a global scale.”

Andretti’s Dennis stretches Formula E title lead with ‘Grand Slam’ in Rome

Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) took full advantage of his rivals’ misfortune to hammer his authority home on the ABB FIA Formula E drivers’ championship with a stunning first “Grand Slam” of the all-electric series’ GEN3 era: pole Position, …

Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) took full advantage of his rivals’ misfortune to hammer his authority home on the ABB FIA Formula E drivers’ championship with a stunning first “Grand Slam” of the all-electric series’ GEN3 era: pole Position, fastest lap and the race win, leading every lap of Round 14 on the streets of Rome in the process.

Dennis led away from pole and just about kept himself out of the absolute disaster that struck his closest title rivals Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) and Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) behind on just the second lap of the race.

As the former took a look at Dennis for the lead into the braking zone at the infamous Turn 7, Evans lost the rear of his Jaguar in the compression, clipped the leader’s Andretti and spectacularly launched over the top of Cassidy’s Envision Racing Jaguar I-TYPE 6. It was another huge moment in the battle for the drivers’ title and one Dennis took full advantage of. Evans’ damage proved terminal while Cassidy could only recover to 14th by the end of the race.

“It hurts — it sucks right now,” Evans said. “It all happened very quickly, I wasn’t expecting them to back up so much as I was approaching the back of Jake Dennis. I tried to avoid it, but then I rode Nick Cassidy’s wheel, and it just got out of control. I feel really bad. It caught me by surprise, I was not expecting them to be that slow at the apex.

“I was in an attacking mindset, I wanted to make progress and position myself into Turn 8 to get Nick, but obviously it didn’t go to plan. Feel sorry for Nick, and the Envision Racing guys. This has obviously really hurt my championship now.”

From that point, Dennis pulled away to the tune of three seconds at the checkered flag, helped by Nissan’s Norman Nato managing to hold off Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing) for the duration despite suffering early damage to his front wing.

“I am honestly lost for words how we have just won that race. It was so tactical inside the cockpit, trying to keep Bird within a certain distance because obviously he is going to try and help Mitch (Evans),” said Dennis. “I really needed Norman as my wingman that race, and we worked together really well. I gave him space to help him defend when Bird went on ATTACK MODE and then when I needed the same he did just that.”

Dennis is one of only three drivers to have sealed a Grand Slam and is the first driver to have achieved the feat twice in Formula E history. More importantly, that result means Dennis takes a 24-point advantage over Cassidy into the season finale doubleheader in London on July 29-30 — home soil and a circuit he’s strong at as a two-time winner. Evans is 44 points back in third, while TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein retains a slim mathematical hope, 49 points shy of top spot with 58 points available.

Envision Racing heads the way in the teams’ table by 13 points over TAG Heuer Porsche.

 

Evans wins opening race of Rome E-Prix doubleheader

Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) became the first polesitter to stride to victory in Rome in Hankook Rome E-Prix Round 13. The first race of the weekend doubleheader was itself a race of two halves, split by a massive multi-car shunt involving his …

Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) became the first polesitter to stride to victory in Rome in Hankook Rome E-Prix Round 13. The first race of the weekend doubleheader was itself a race of two halves, split by a massive multi-car shunt involving his teammate Sam Bird and several other drivers.

Polesitter Evans was jumped by Bird off the line, with Jaguar looking like playing it tactically, ensuring the New Zealander could conserve energy in the slipsteam behind the sister I-TYPE 6.

The pair swapped back after the opening throes of the race before Sacha Fenestraz (Nissan) made it by Bird first and then Evans for the race lead through the first round of ATTACK MODE power boost activations and a brief break in the action for a safety car while Andre Lotterer’s car was recovered after the German found the wall.

High drama on lap 9 saw multiple cars caught up in a massive shunt at the quickest part of the track with Bird losing the rear of his Jaguar over the tricky, rapid and undulating section between Turns 6 and 7.

Sebastien Buemi’s Envision Racing clipped back end of the Jaguar on his way through — the Swiss narrowly missing a square-on impact, though still suffering severe and terminal damage to his car. Edoardo Mortara (Maserati MSG Racing) flew into the side of Bird’s I-TYPE 6 as it sat stricken in the middle of the circuit while several other drivers picked their way through and escaped with minor damage — including championship contender Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche). That meant big ramifications for the teams and drivers — who all thankfully escaped unharmed in testament to the GEN3 Formula E car’s resilience — as well as the potential final destination of the title; standings leader Dennis himself also coming within inches of a big race-ending smash.

Fourteen cars made the restart, with Fenestraz heading the pack away with Evans in tow. From there, Dennis seized the initiative, passing Evans with a sweeping move around the outside of the Jaguar driver through Turn 5 before slicing by Fenestraz for the lead on lap 13. Evans and Cassidy followed by the Nissan in quick succession and after the former missed his second ATTACK MODE activation, it looked like Dennis’s race to lose.

However, the Jaguar driver put in the fastest lap of the race twice on the bounce and made amends to pass Dennis for the lead on lap 22. The Brit exclaimed he was a “sitting duck,” down on energy targets to those around him and the ease at which Cassidy pinched second from him showed as much.

Evans closed it out from there easily, heading home Cassidy while Maximilian Guenther (Maserati MSG Racing) also dispatched Dennis for third at the flag. The Andretti driver had it all on defending to the line from Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Penske). He did hold fast, though, with Vergne following fifth under severe pressure from Nico Mueller for his and ABT CUPRA’s best result of the season.

“First of all it was good to see everyone was fine after that shunt — it was pretty big and obviously Sam had a pretty scary moment, so good to see everyone is fine,” said Evans. “After that I was a little bit down on energy compared to Nick and Jake, so I had to try and equalize that. The energy targets dropped a lot after the safety car, so it became much more of an energy race than we were expecting. But I managed it well, and the team helped guide me through like always, and then leave the rest for me.

“One little scare was missing the Attack Mode. I missed it at the last loop — I was going through super slow and I still missed it! I need to practice that tomorrow. But a huge result today, maximum points, which was what I needed. Only a small dent into Nick’s lead, but it’s better than nothing.

“Four wins here is amazing — not sure what it is about this place, but I love the track. We obviously have another day tomorrow, I think people will make another big step, Nick was quick in the race as well. It is there for the taking tomorrow but we need to take the right steps, and hopefully we have got a good balance like we had today.”

The second race in the Hankook Rome E-Prix takes place Sunday, starting at 9:00am ET. The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship then concludes with Rounds 15 and 16 in London on the weekend of July 29 and 30.

 

Formula E unveils expanded CBS deal, launches U.S. streaming partnership with Roku

Formula E has unveiled new broadcast distribution partnerships in the U.S. that will bring more live races to long-standing partner CBS, and introduce Roku as the series’s American streaming home. Beginning in January 2024, five races will air live …

Formula E has unveiled new broadcast distribution partnerships in the U.S. that will bring more live races to long-standing partner CBS, and introduce Roku as the series’s American streaming home.

Beginning in January 2024, five races will air live on CBS Television Network and simulcast on Paramount+, with both channels already featured and integrated prominently on Roku’s platform. Roku users that subscribe to Paramount+ can view the races airing on the service through the Paramount+ app on Roku’s Sports Experience. CBS Sports Network will also show one highlights program per round.

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The new partnerships, which mark Roku’s first-ever live sports rights acquisition, reflects growing interest in all-electric motorsport racing in the United States. Starting next season, 11 races in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will be available on The Roku Channel, a leader in free ad-supported streaming, and will also be accessible through the Sports Experience on Roku’s Home Screen.

“It’s an honor to partner with Formula E on Roku’s first-ever live sports partnership, making it easier for millions of TV streamers to discover the thrill of Formula E races through the unique integrated viewing experiences only available on Roku,” said David Eilenberg, Head of Content, Roku Media.

“We look forward to working together with Formula E, as well as our longstanding partners at CBS and Paramount+, to drive viewership to this programming and to connect new audiences with the exhilarating world of Formula E.”

In addition to offering streamers the live races, Roku will also bring its audience a collection of Formula E library content, including Formula E’s docuseries ‘Unplugged’, as well as race previews, highlights, replays of all races and more.

Season 10 Provisional Calendar:

Event Round(s) Location Date(s)
1 1 Mexico City, Mexico 13 Jan. 2024
2 2 &3 Diriyah, Saudi Arabia 26 & 27 Jan. 2024
3 4 TBD 10 Feb. 2024
4 5 TBD 24 Feb. 2024
5 6 Sao Paulo, Brazil 16 Mar. 2024
6 7 Tokyo, Japan* 30 Mar. 2024
7 8 & 9 Rome, Italy 13 & 14 Apr. 2024
8 10 Monaco, Principality of Monaco 27 Apr. 2024
9 11 & 12 Berlin, Germany 11 & 12 May 2024
10 13 TBD 25 May 2024
11 14 Jakarta, Indonesia 8 Jun. 2024
12 15 Portland, United States 29 Jun. 2024
13 16 & 17 London, United Kingdom 20 & 21 Jul. 2024

*subject to ASN confirmation.

Swings of momentum shake Formula E form book at Portland

The first Formula E race at Portland International Raceway offered a significantly different challenge to the teams and drivers from the series’ typical street course events, which offer more chances to recover energy with slow, 90-degree bends. The …

The first Formula E race at Portland International Raceway offered a significantly different challenge to the teams and drivers from the series’ typical street course events, which offer more chances to recover energy with slow, 90-degree bends. The nature of the track made conserving momentum and managing energy for the all-electric race cars critical.

Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy measured his race to perfection starting from P10 on the grid, hitting the front by the third lap, after the strategic battle for top spot was clear from the opening lap as positions and race leaders changed corner by corner in groups five and six wide at points, resulting in 403 passes during the race. Cassidy led several times before making a decisive move to the front past the TAG Heuer Porsche of António Felix da Costa on the 28th of the 32 laps — only a few turns after the Portuguese had seized the initiative.

“That race was fun,” said Cassidy, after holding off polesitter Jake Dennis, who also made his way past da Costa on the final lap, by 0.294s. “Look it’s close. The guys we’re racing are top. Jake did an amazing job in quali. I think he was unlucky to be starting on pole — today wasn’t the race to be doing that. And António is always fantastic in the3se races as well. It’s close, it’s fun — it’s Formula E.”

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For Dennis, who emerged from the race as the new world championship leader by a single point over Cassidy, it was a balance of pluses and minuses.

“Yeah we had a good day. I think after the flag I was a little bit disappointed, just because the way the race panned out,” admitted the Avalanche Andretti driver. “It was really, really difficult. Nevertheless, we got P2. There was some really difficult overtakes to be had. There are some guys fighting for the championship and other guys with nothing to lose. A race like today is all about risk. I just had to keep my powder dry and come home with an undamaged car and I knew I could get a good result.

“Me and Nick are really fighting for the championship. It’s just who takes the most risk. Some of those moves on António were brave and he did a really good job there. I obviously did António right on the last lap and I just about got through (for the win). I’m looking forward to having that race behind me now and getting to Rome where it’ll be a bit more normal and pole will actually be a benefit.”

In terms of the fan reaction, eco-friendly Portland appeared to respond well to Formula E, with the event selling out its available tickets and a crowd of more than 20,000 reported for the event.

“When I came onto the track this morning, I was not expecting the turnout from all these guys. This is big. You guys like IndyCar, you like NASCAR, to see this support for Formula E is insane so thanks for coming out, it’s really, really cool.” said third-place finisher da Costa from the podium. “I thought that was a great show, to be honest — there was a lot going on.”

The series bolstered the American flavor for the event with appearances by cheerleaders from the Portland Trail Blazers NBA team and its first-year forward, Jabari Walker. Olympic champion skier Lindsey Vonn was also embedded with the Jaguar TCS Racing team and experienced a high-speed electric lap of the track.

American rapper, singer and fashion designer Jaden Smith also got involved for the series’ U.S. round, providing his own unique livery design for a Formula E show car displayed in the Allianz Fan Village before the race.

“I have such a connection with Formula E,” said Smith. “I absolutely loved coming back for my second E-Prix, even more being able to design my own Gen3 livery. It’s such an incredible platform to express myself and my passion for innovation. Seeing it come to life was unreal.

“I believe we all need to give back to the world and create our own sustainable future. That’s where Formula E is leading the charge. They prove it can be done in a thrilling way which showcases innovation, technology and outrageous racing. That’s really exciting to me. I’m all in. I can’t wait to be back.”

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