Category: Formula E

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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Cassidy storms from 10th to win Formula E’s first Portland E-Prix

Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy clambered from 10th to the top step of the podium with a perfectly judged drive to win the inaugural Southwire Portland E-Prix, Round 12 of the ABB Formula E World Championship. He led home the Avalanche Andretti entry …

Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy clambered from 10th to the top step of the podium with a perfectly judged drive to win the inaugural Southwire Portland E-Prix, Round 12 of the ABB Formula E World Championship. He led home the Avalanche Andretti entry of Jake Dennis and TAG Heuer Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa, while just seven seconds split the first 17 runners.

Cassidy measured his race to perfection from P10 on the grid as the 22-strong field jostled for superiority over the 32-lap encounter, where Formula E’s unique balancing act between energy efficiency and outright pace came to the fore. The strategic battle for top spot was evidenced from the opening lap as positions and race leaders changed corner by corner in groups five and six wide at points.

The New Zealand driver led several times but got the better of da Costa on lap 28 with the decisive move — only a few turns after the Portuguese had seized the initiative. Cassidy first hit the front on lap 3 while da Costa rose through the pack from eighth at the outset to pile the pressure on the Envision Racing driver right to the flag, but Cassidy held fast for his third win of the season.

Polesitter Dennis led the opening stages but wouldn’t time his late-race charge as precisely as Cassidy managed to. The Avalanche Andretti driver took second late from da Costa, enough to keep the drivers’ standings lead by a single point over Cassidy.

Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) recovered from 20th on the grid to fourth — ensuring he’s still well in the fight for the title with four races to run.

As it happened…

Formula E’s unqiue balancing act between energy and outright pace is always the challenge and the strategic battle took as many turns as ever in Portland.

Dennis flew away from pole as the pack filtered through the first chicane, with Fenestraz in tow while the big climber over the opening couple of laps was the NIO 333 of Dan Ticktum — the Briton up eight places to seventh by lap 3.

The strategic battle began to play out immediately, with drivers unwilling to head the way and lifting early into the big stops — energy was widely expected to be a priority for the teams on the quick, sweeping circuit. The order would hardly be representative of the final shakeup in the opening stages but strong progress from 10th on the grid for Cassidy saw the second-placed driver in the standings briefly lead on lap 3 before he became the first driver to jump for two of eight mandatory minutes’ ATTACK MODE. A brief break in racing action followed a lap later with Roberto Mehri’s Mahindra stranded on-track after suffering technical trouble and requiring recovery.

During the ssfety car, Fenestraz pitted to replace his broken nosecone — heartbreaking for the front-row starter but it was his own error, the French-Argentine running into the back of Dennis’ Andretti. Back under racing conditions on lap 8, the lead group went for their first 50kW boosts — Cassidy taking his second early and Mortara holding off entirely.

On lap 9, Nato was the incumbent leader, with da Costa, Guenther, di Grassi, Cassidy, Mortara, Dennis, Rast, Ticktum and Hughes the top 10 – though this order was changing several times over a given lap. Lap 10 saw a big shunt for Nico Mueller in the ABT CUPRA who fired off the track at high speed into a 27G impact with the wall at Turn 10, reporting “no more brakes.’ Safety car number two ensued. Just prior to the neutralisation, Cassidy retook the lead and pole position in the title fight — but this would by no means be the last word on the race order.

After a long delay, the restart on lap 17 had Nato leading Cassidy, Guenther, Mortara, da Costa, Dennis, Rast, di Grassi, Ticktum and standings leader Wehrlein rounding out the top 10. The leader and the Maserati pair jumped for ATTACK MODE immediately, along with Rast — for their second boosts. Cassidy retook the lead from da Costa and Nato with the whole pack split by only three seconds.

The concertina effect caught out Wehrlein into Turn 1 on lap 18 — the Porsche’s front wing damaged and the German relegated down the order to 16th.

It was six wide into Turn 1 on lap 20 with drivers jostling for position and reluctant to be the first to make the jump and seize the initiative though Cassidy still held P1 — as he did in Berlin on the way to his race two victory — with Jakarta race two winner Guenther just behind. At the start of lap 22, Porsche’s da Costa made the jump on the leaders to hit the front as the field. From there, the former champion began to stretch his legs and dictate the pace, drawing out just under a second on Cassidy in P2.

Four laps were added on for those lost under the safety car. It was da Costa from Cassidy, Dennis, Guenther, Bird, Mortara, Vergne, Evans and Wehrlein.

On lap 26, Cassidy once again jumped to the head of the pack into Turn 1. Track position was becoming king and Cassidy was defending hard as da Costa and Dennis behind looked for an opening. The latter made a nice move stick on da Costa through the first sector for second but he couldn’t hold the Portuguese back for long as the pair swapped positions again halfway around the same tour. Da Costa then set about Cassidy — and made it by the leader on lap 28 with a surprise leap into Turn 11. It wouldn’t last any more than a few seconds, though, as Cassidy forced his way by once again into Turn 1.

On the final lap, da Costa held fast under severe pressure from Dennis but the Andretti driver made it count to pinch second spot at the last from the Porsche driver, but had nothing left for Cassidy who held on to win by 0.294s.

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Andretti’s Jake Dennis duels his way to Portland Formula E pole

Avalanche Andretti’s Jake Dennis took Julius Baer Pole Positon and the lead of the ABB Formula E drivers’ world championship ahead of the Southwire Portland E-Prix Round 12, beating Sacha Fenestraz (Nissan) in the final Duel. Dennis went into the …

Avalanche Andretti’s Jake Dennis took Julius Baer Pole Positon and the lead of the ABB Formula E drivers’ world championship ahead of the Southwire Portland E-Prix Round 12, beating Sacha Fenestraz (Nissan) in the final Duel.

Dennis went into the Finals looking for his first pole of the season — on his team’s home soil to boot. Going up against the Nissan of Fenestraz was going to be tough, with the rapid French-Argentine a three-time Formula E record breaker as he once again broke the series’ fastest speed over a lap for the third time this season earlier on. In addition, Dennis had lost all three final appearances this season, with this being his third consecutive Final in a row, however he finally managed to bag the all-important P1 spot in Portland.

Explaining that he was behind in the first sector, Dennis said he went full send in the final part of the lap and managed to make it an Andretti pole in front of the home crowd. His boss, Michael Andretti, was on hand to see the heroics unfold.

The three points for pole also means Dennis now takes the championship lead from the TAG Heuer Porsche of Pascal Wehrlein. It’s the first time he’s been back on the top spot sine leading the standings for the first two races of Season 9.

Semis
First up was the battle of the Nissans, and it was Fenestraz who finished quicker than his teammate Norman Nato. These two are no strangers to a duel against one another, and the last time this happened was in Monaco when Fenestraz won, leaving Nato settling for third on the grid.

For the other place on the front row, Dennis took on Rene Rast. Dennis has been unbeaten in the Semis this year, and now makes it four-nil in the third consecutive race that he has reached at least the Semis. In his final lap, Dennis also set the fastest lap of the weekend so far with a 1m08.919s to beat Rast, who starts fourth in tonight’s race.

Quarters
Despite learning that he would be starting the race from the pit lane, as his DS Penske team was found to have installed RFID scanning equipment at pit entry this morning that was able to collect live data from all cars, Jean-Eric Vergne still took part in his quarters duel with Nato. Even though his result wouldn’t impact the penalty the team got for breaking the regulations, Vergne lost to the Nissan either way.

Next up was Fenestraz, who continued the Nissan dominance from the weekend, and beat the Maserati MSG Racing of Maximilian Guenther. It meant the end of a good run of form for the Maserati driver, who up until today had won six consecutive Duels, but was still in the Duels for the fourth race in a row. Guenther starts fifth.

It was the battle of the Jakes again as Hughes took on Dennis for a spot in the Semi Finals. It was the second consecutive race and fourth time overall these two had battled one another in the Duels. Despite Hughes having the highest win percentage in the history of the Duels at 69%, it was Dennis who impressed in front of the team’s home crowd. Hughes will line up seventh.

Finally, the TAG Heuer Porsche of Antonio Felix da Costa took on Rast. With the Porsche team struggling with qualifying this season and Rast setting the fastest lap in Formula E history yesterday, it was an easy victory for the McLaren driver with da Costa set to start Round 12 from eighth position.

Group A
The first of the two groups was always going to provide some excitement. Three of the five championship contenders were in this group, with TAG Heuer Porsche’s Wehrlein, Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy and Vergne all looking for a spot in the Duels.

The Nissan of Nato, who went quickest in FP2, had a close call during one of his qualifying laps as he narrowly missed the wall at Turn 1. Plenty of others also found the limits and exceeded them, including Guenther who ran wide on his final lap.

It was a French-dominated top four, with Fenestraz going quickest with a time of 1m09.860s. The Nissan powertrain has topped all sessions of the weekend so far, and looks very strong around this Portland circuit. DS Penske’s Vergne finished in second, although there were reports after the session that there could be an issue for the team which could see him demoted.

FP2’s leading man Nato finished in third and Guenther rounded up the top four despite his trip through the grass at the end of the session. Cassidy finished in sixth, with Wehrlein down in 10th which would provisionally put him on the second-to-last row of the grid.

Group B
It was a shock start to Group B qualifying, as Mitch Evans got out of his car and failed to start. The championship contender had undergone a new gearbox and battery ahead of the inaugural Portland E-Prix.

After topping FP1, Rast seemed right at home around the PIR, and set the fastest time in his group. Behind him, Jake Dennis became the only championship title rival to make it through to the Duels. Rast’s teammate, Jake Hughes, slotted into third, and Porsche’s da Costa secured the last space in the Duels.

UP NEXT: Southwire Portland E-Prix, 8pm ET. Live coverage on CNS Sports Network begins at 7:30pm ET

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Nato leads for Nissan in Formula E practice 2 at Portland

Nissan’s Norman Nato led the second and final practice session before qualifying for the inaugural ABB Formula E World Championship race at Portland International Raceway. The Frenchman set a time of 1m09.101s, fractionally slower than the top lap …

Nissan’s Norman Nato led the second and final practice session before qualifying for the inaugural ABB Formula E World Championship race at Portland International Raceway. The Frenchman set a time of 1m09.101s, fractionally slower than the top lap set by FP1 pace-setter Rene Rast — driving for customer Nissan powertrain team NEOM McLaren — in the opening session on the Oregon road course.

Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther finished FP2 in second, the young German driver aiming to replicate his victory last time out in Jakarta. Jaguar TCS Racing’s Sam Bird had a late start to the session, but ended up third when the checkered flag was waved.

Rast would eventfully finish the 30-minute session in fourth, with the DS Penske of Jean-Eric Vergne rounding up the top five.

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Vergne had an unusual off at Turn 1 during the session, as he bailed on the corner and instead decided to venture down the escape road. He later did the same, kicking up dust when finding the limits of the two-mile course. The two-time champ also had an off-track moment in first practice yesterday evening when he missed the corner at Turn 11. He wasn’t alone — the NIO 333 of Dan Ticktum had an identical incident and went on the grass, with Robin Frijns also taking to the grass in his ABT CUPRA.

Championship contender Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) had to take evasive action to avoid hitting the NIO of Sergio Sette Camara who sat on the racing line at Turn 11 with a few minutes left to go. He was given a black and white flag for impeding Dennis.

At the end of the session, three of the championship contenders sat in the bottom four with Dennis in 19th, Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy in 20th and Jaguar’s Mitch Evans in 21st out of 22 drivers.

UP NEXT: Qualifying, 3:40pm ET

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New speed records for Formula E in opening practice at Portland

NEOM McLaren’s Rene Rast topped the first practice session of the Southwire Portland E-Prix fastest, as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship broke several series records on the Portland International Raceway circuit. Rast, who has not been in …

NEOM McLaren’s Rene Rast topped the first practice session of the Southwire Portland E-Prix fastest, as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship broke several series records on the Portland International Raceway circuit.

Rast, who has not been in the top five in any practice session this season, set a time of 1m09.054s which put him quickest of the field of 22 drivers. The DS Penske of Jean-Eric Vergne was just 0.172s behind him to finish second, with the NIO 333 of Dan Ticktum completing the top three.

Jaguar TCS Racing’s Sam Bird lined up in fourth, and the winner last time out in Jakarta, Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther finished in fifth.

As the grid got to grips with the two-mile natural terrain road course, the times tumbled with seconds being taken off each lap, and just minutes into the session the McLaren of Rast became the first driver to break Sacha Fenestraz’s all-time Formula E average speed record. Maserati MSG Racing’s Edoardo Mortara then recorded the first 100mph average lap in Formula E history.

Several drivers found the limits and exceeded them in this first practice session of the weekend, with the likes of Vergne and Ticktum each taking a journey off the circuit over the 30-minute session, although this didn’t stop them finishing top three.

Mahindra Racing’s Lucas di Grassi has had a rollercoaster season so far. The Season 3 champion started the season with pole position and third place in Mexico City but hasn’t achieved a single championship point since then. However, he will be pleased with his and the team’s pace in FP1, as he topped the timesheets for most of the session and finished in 10th.

The Jaguar TCS Racing of Mitch Evans hit a 171.9mph top speed on his final flying lap of the session, an impressive stat to accompany Jaguar’s Sam Bird who also became the first driver to break a speed of 275km/h (171mph) for the first time Formula E history.

UP NEXT: Free Practice 2, 1:30pm ET

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Faster, straighter and smoother: Portland throws new curves at Formula E teams

The inaugural Southwire Portland E-Prix at fast and flowing Portland International Raceway will provide a new set of challenges for the Formula E teams and their Gen3 electric race cars from the street courses that the series regularly race on. …

The inaugural Southwire Portland E-Prix at fast and flowing Portland International Raceway will provide a new set of challenges for the Formula E teams and their Gen3 electric race cars from the street courses that the series regularly race on. Energy management will be crucial, as drivers won’t have the usual assortment of 90-degree corners found on street circuits to regenerate and harvest energy for their cars, which have 350KW of power, are capable of 200mph and can regen a staggering 600KWh of energy. The circuit also offers atypical operating conditions for the series’ spec Hankook tires.

“The race in Portland is held at a permanent racetrack for a change. With this in mind, we are expecting far less dirt than we have seen at some other races this season. That will allow the Hankook iON Race to exploit its high level of grip even better, and above all faster, and to offer the drivers optimal support out on the track,” said Hankook Motorsport Director Manfred Sandbichler. “The temperature is expected to be lower than at the doubleheader in Jakarta, which means the teams will need a different setup for the Gen3 cars, in order to get the tires into their optimal working range.”

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Nico Müller of the ABT CUPRA team feels the characteristics of the Portland track will help demonstrate the versatility of the series’ all-weather tires — a specification aimed at furthering Formula E’s sustainability goals.

“The Hankook iON Race is a very efficient tire. You can immediately feel that the roll resistance is very low, which is really important in Formula E, in order to save energy during the race,” the Swiss driver noted. “Furthermore, the tire works very well in any condition, which I find extremely impressive.

“In Formula E, there is just one tire for all situations. Whether the track is dry, wet, damp, or dirty, the Hankook iON Race always performs impressively. We do almost all the sessions on a weekend with the same set of tires, and the wear is still very low. That is particularly good for the environment.

“I find the all-around capabilities of the tire really pleasing,” Müller continued. “We cope very well with the tire at every race weekend, as we showed with a one-two in the rainy qualifying in Berlin.”

Extracting the most performance with the least rolling resistance is a part of the Formula E game that Nico Muller feels his ABT CUPRA team excels at. Gareth Harford/Motorsport Images

Phil Charles, technical manager for Jaguar TCS Racing which fields drivers Mitch Evans and Sam Bird, is particularly looking forward to seeing what kind of show the Formula E cars can put on at Portland.

“It promises to be a super high-speed track. It features two of the longest straights we’ve had on this season’s calendar, which will require our drivers to hit that breaking point correctly,” he said. “Turns 4-6 offer corner-to-corner action, so that will be a really exciting part of the lap. Compared to the normal street surfaces we’re used to, Portland International Raceway provides a good, flat surface to race on. Expect to see lots of overtakes, lots of slipstreams, and a really tactical race.”

Portland’s 12th round of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is set for 5:00pm local time on Saturday, June 24. The race airs live on CBS Sports Network with coverage starting at 7:30pm ET.

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Formula E returns to America with Portland debut

After eight previous races in the United States, including stints on the streets of Long Beach, Calif., Miami, Fla., and the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., Formula E is trying a different tack – a traditional road course – for this year’s …

After eight previous races in the United States, including stints on the streets of Long Beach, Calif., Miami, Fla., and the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., Formula E is trying a different tack — a traditional road course — for this year’s American round of the all-electric open-wheel series. For the first time, the series will race at Portland International Raceway, making the move to Oregon for the inaugural Southwire Portland E-Prix after five prior trips to Brooklyn. Heading to eco-friendly Portland in the Pacific Northwest, the championship aims to introduce a whole new set of potential fans to its electric racing and its drive for clean, sustainable EV tech.

The Portland race comes just as Maserati MSG Racing and Maximilian Guenther are hitting their stride. The German driver clicked instantly with the new circuit last time out in Jakarta, Indonesia and dominated the timed sessions on the way to his first pole in Formula E a third place finish in Round 10. He doubled up with a second pole in as many days and converted an historic race win on Sunday, becoming the only driver to win from pole in the past 14 races to seal the first victory for Maserati in a world championship single-seater race since the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio won at the Nurburgring way back in 1957.

Portland International Raceway is one of the longest circuits Formula E will have raced on at 1.98 miles/3.19km, and teams are predicting slipstreaming will play a big part on the 12-turn, fast and flowing course, as it did in Jakarta.

“It has a high number of fast, sweeping corners, but very few braking zones, which will likely make for a highly strategic race with a reliance on slipstreaming,” noted Maserati MSG team principal James Rossiter. A good omen for the Porsche- and Stellantis-powered cars? We’ll see.

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The fight for the season’s world championship honors, meanwhile, is looking to be a five-horse race between three marques, five teams and as many drivers with TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein heading Jake Dennis in the Avalanche Andretti Porsche 99X Electric GEN3 by just a single point.

Longtime standings leader Wehrlein had lost top spot in the table in Monaco but stamped his authority on proceedings with a controlled Round 10 victory, leading home his closest rival Dennis. That was an important result for the young German. Since his previous win in Diriyah, he’d failed to make the podium while Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy hit a rich run of form, eventually overcoming Wehrlein in the standings with his win in Monaco.

Driving for the Andretti team ought to give Dennis a boost in America. The British driver and has been going about his business quietly and consistently this season, with four podiums to his credit, and is breathing right down Werhlein’s neck.

Cassidy finds himself third in the standings for Envision Racing, the customer Jaguar team driver ahead of factory Jaguar TCS Racing racer Mitch Evans. The former endured an all-but disastrous weekend in Indonesia after back-to-back wins in the Principality and Berlin just weeks before. He’s still only six points back but a seven-point haul with more than 50 on offer in Jakarta handed the advantage back to his rivals.

Two-time Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Penske) has kept himself in touch and sits fifth, 37 points from the top. The Frenchman was a winner in Hyderabad and will be looking to close the gap to the top as the season heads towards its climax, with only the doubleheader rounds in Rome July 15-16 and the London finale on July 29 remaining after Saturday’s race in Portland.

Action gets underway with Free Practice 1 on Friday from 8:00pm ET, with Free Practice 2 from 1:30pm ET on Saturday. Qualifying follows at 3:40pm ET and Round 12 itself starts at 8:00pm ET. The race airs live on CBS Sports Network, with coverage beginning at 7:30pm ET.

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Tokyo joins 2024 Formula E calendar

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will race on the streets of Tokyo for the first time next March as the series targets more world cities to host debut races in its 10th season. The race in Tokyo on Saturday, March 30 will be the first …

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will race on the streets of Tokyo for the first time next March as the series targets more world cities to host debut races in its 10th season.

The race in Tokyo on Saturday, March 30 will be the first FIA-sanctioned world championship motorsport event held in Tokyo. It will be contested on roads around the Tokyo Big Sight convention centre on the Tokyo Bay waterfront.

Formula E and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government have been working together to bring the race to the city to support the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) initiative, part of the Zero Emission Tokyo strategy. The city has a climate action plan that aims to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.

“I am delighted by the official decision that Tokyo will host a Formula E race in March 2024,” said city governor Yuriko Koike. “Centering on spreading the use of zero emission vehicles, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is accelerating actions in all realms to realize Zero Emission Tokyo, an environmentally advanced city that does not emit carbon dioxide. Formula E is held in major cities around the world as a road race for electric vehicles which do not emit exhaust gas or engine noise.

“This race will be held around Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo’s bay area, where developments are underway to become a sustainable next generation city. Let’s all look forward to seeing up close the dynamism of this race to be held for the first time in Japan and cheer the racers on. The race will not only add momentum to the spread of zero emission vehicles but will also provide a wonderful opportunity to enhance Tokyo’s international presence by showing the attractions of our city to the world. Tokyo will join forces with the organisers and others related to the race to ensure its success.”

Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will begin in Mexico City on Saturday, January 13. Three rounds of the 17-race provisional calendar remain to be determined, while Formula E continues advanced discussions with a range of potential host cities that would see the championship create more showpiece race events in iconic global locations.

Formula E returns to the Unites States this weekend at Portland, Oregon, and will return next season when Portland will host the final international race before the championship concludes in London in late July. Formula E will also return to São Paulo after an inaugural race there this season.

Berlin will maintain its record as the only city to host an E-Prix in all 10 seasons of the championship, consolidating its reputation as a popular venue for drivers and fans who witnessed a record-breaking 190 overtakes and 23 lead changes in Round 7 this season.

Diriyah will again host the only night race doubleheader on the calendar while Monaco, Rome and Jakarta complete the calendar of named host cities.

“We are excited to take Formula E to the streets of Tokyo next season,” said Alberto Longo, co-founder and Chief Championship Officer of Formula E. “It is an iconic world city providing the perfect backdrop to showcase the unique qualities of our sport and will capture global attention. The Season 10 calendar represents our ongoing mission to create a dynamic schedule of new cities hosting races for the first or second time like Tokyo, São Paulo and Portland alongside established hosts like Berlin, Rome, London, Monaco, Diriyah and now Jakarta.”

“Tokyo will be a highlight of our historic 10th season,” added series CEO Jeff Dodds. “We are also in advanced discussions with many more iconic world cities who are keen to host a Formula E race and create blockbuster world championship motorsport events with us. We expect this to be reflected in the updated calendar published later this year.”

Marek Nawarecki, Director of FIA Circuit Sport Department, said: “This calendar is an illustration of Formula E’s continuing growth and promises to treat fans to another season of superb racing with the new GEN3 car, which has already produced countless crowd-pleasing battles.

“The schedule offers an appealing blend of established Formula E favourites like Mexico City, Rome, Monaco, Berlin and London and popular recent additions such as São Paulo and Jakarta. We are also delighted that the championship will visit Japan for the first time. This will also increase the series presence and impact in Asia, which is important for many manufacturers.”

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