Category: Formula E

‘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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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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