Inside Formula E as ex-F1 stars prepare for new season of battling at 199mph around the globe on way to London finale

2 weeks ago 6

The 2024-25 Formula E season is ready to burn rubber once more as teams and drivers prepare for the new season to get underway.

Formula E is paving the way for the future with radical cars, all powered by electricity.

Formula E cars can propel a driver to a maximum top speed of 199mph, which is close to the top speed of traditional cars[/caption]

HOW DOES IT WORK?

In the simplest terms, Formula E is an international car racing championship that uses electric cars instead of traditional petrol-powered vehicles.

There are 11 teams, all of which have two cars and two drivers, operating single seater cars similar in appearance to those in F1.

This season, the 11th since it started, consists of 16 races in 10 countries from Sao Paulo to Shanghai and Miami to Monaco.

Drivers and teams score points according to where they finish in each race, and the aim is to finish the season with the highest points.

The current season starts on December 7 in Sao Paulo and finishes in July in London, a race that the likes of Cara Delevingne have attended in the past.

WHAT SPEED DOES A FORMULA E CAR GO?

The batteries in the current generation of Formula E cars can deliver up to 350kW of power and can propel a driver to a maximum top speed of 199mph, which is close to the top speed of traditional cars.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN F1 AND FE?

The noise levels are the first real contrast, with almost nobody in the crowd wearing earplugs as they might in Formula One.

When the cars zip around the track they sound no louder than electric toothbrushes.

During Formula E races, the scoreboard shows the cars’ energy levels, and a crucial aspect of strategy is based on battery conservation.

There are typically no pit stops, because the drivers don’t change tyres, for the sake of sustainability.

There have been plenty of crashes, just not fiery ones due to the lack of fuel.

Compared to F1 the races are shorter and the crowds are smaller, but the rise is inevitable.

The racing is also closely contested due to the rules, with Formula E drivers moving back and fourth in the pack far more than F1 drivers.

ONES TO WATCH

German-Mauritian driver Pascal Wehrlein won his maiden Formula E title last season with TAG Heuer Porsche looking to defend his crown this term.

The ex-Formula 1 driver has spent six seasons in Formula E, first joining the grid with Mahindra before moving to Porsche for the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

Prior to this season, Wehrlein had taken four wins with the German manufacturer which included a title tilt two-seasons ago before eventually finishing fourth in the standings.

He was once a member of the Mercedes junior team but was thrust onto the F1 scene with Manor in 2016, making his debut at the Australian Grand Prix and scoring their only Championship point.

He then moved to Sauber in 2017 and despite scoring all of their points that season he was replaced by Charles Leclerc.

Jaguar are the defending teams’ champion in Formula E, having earned 368 points last season through drivers Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy.

There are several ex-Formula One drivers who have made the move to Formula E over the years, including defending champion Wehrlein.

Others include Nyck de Vries, who competed for Williams and Scuderia AlphaTauri, and Stoffel Vandoorne, who raced for McLaren.