History is upon us as in less than a week, Formula E will commence its tenth season of competition. After 116 races, Formula E is still around and it is about to start another season where it will visit ten countries on four different continents. Twenty-two drivers competing for 11 teams with seven different powertrains are set for this campaign. A few drivers have been in the series since the first race in Beijing. Others have been around for quite some time. Some are new and others are just starting their Formula E careers.
Seven drivers won a race last year and there are 15 past winners on the grid. A past champion is returning, making it seven of the eight Formula E champions contracted for this season. There have been five different champions in the last five Formula E seasons.
Schedule
The 2024 calendar will again be 16 races, but this time over ten rounds, as there are six doubleheader weekends scheduled, including four consecutive to end the season.
The opening round is a single-day affair. Mexico City remains the season opener and will take place on January 13. Jake Dennis used victory in last year's Mexico City season opener to springboard his championship run, and there have been six different winners in seven Mexico City races.
Two weeks later will be the first doubleheader of the season, from Riyadh on January 26-27. This is the fifth consecutive time the Saudi Arabian city hosts a Formula E doubleheader. Pascal Wehrlein swept the races last year, and Wehrlein, Sam Bird and Nyck de Vries have combined to win two-thirds of the nine Riyadh races run since its 2018 debut.
There will be a six-week break between Riyadh and the fourth race of the season, São Paulo on March 16. In last year's debut event, Mitch Evans won on the Sambadrome ahead of fellow New Zealander Nick Cassidy by 0.284 seconds with Sam Bird in third, 0.507 seconds back as Jaguar powertrains swept the podium.
After São Paulo will be a pair of new rounds. On March 30, Formula E makes its first trip to Tokyo. The 1.604-mile circuit will take place around Tokyo Big Sight, the exhibition center located on Tokyo Bay, and the circuit will include 18 turns. Two weeks after Tokyo, Formula E will race at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, the home of MotoGP's San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix, on April 13-14. The Misano circuit layout still remains to be confirmed.
Monaco marks the halfway point of the season on April 27. This will be the fourth year Formula E has used the full Monaco Grand Prix circuit. Nick Cassidy won last year's race ahead of Evans and Dennis.
After Monaco will begin the stretch of four consecutive doubleheaders to close the season. The traditional Berlin Tempelhof Airport round will be on May 11-12. This will be the ninth time the Tempelhof Airport has hosted Formula E, and it will be the sixth time the round has at least been a doubleheader. There have been 11 different winners in the last 11 races from Berlin. In 18 Berlin races, the most victories for a driver is two, a record Sébastien Buemi, Lucas di Grassi and António Félix da Costa share. Buemi won the only Berlin round held on the Karl-Marx-Allee Circuit in 2016.
Formula E returns to China for the first time since Sanya in 2019 with a doubleheader at the Shanghai International Circuit on May 25-26. The circuit configuration has yet to be confirmed.
After a month break, Formula E will return to Portland over June 29-30. Last year's Portland race had a record 403 passes. Cassidy won from tenth on the grid ahead of Dennis while da Costa rounded out the podium. The top ten finishers were covered by 4.3 seconds.
For the second consecutive season, and fourth time overall, London hosts the Formula E season finale, a doubleheader taking place over July 20-21. The only repeat winner in six races on the ExCel London circuit is Jake Dennis.
Teams:
Andretti Global
Jake Dennis: #1 Porsche 99X Electric
What did he do last season: Dennis won the championship with two race victories, 11 podium finishes and 12 top five finishes in 14 races. He started on pole position twice and he scored a total of 229 points.
What to expect in this season: A slight return to Earth after how Dennis won the championship last season. The Briton was methodical to take the 2023 championship, but that form will be difficult to duplicate for a second consecutive year. It does not help that in the Valencia test in October the Porsche powertrain cars were off from the top times. It was not a massive gap, and the Valencia test was over two months before the first round of the season, but Andretti was not the hands down best team last year. Porsche was good, but not the clear favorite. It should be a good year, a fight for the championship top five, but a drop from the top.
Norman Nato: #17 Porsche 99X Electric
What did he do last season: Driving for Nissan, Nato ended up tenth in the championship on 63 points. After having only two finishes in the points in the first ten races with his best result being seventh, Nato ended with six consecutive points finishes, including a runner-up finish in the second Rome race and he had three top five finishes.
What to expect in this season: Nato made great strides in 2023 with a Nissan program that is still trying to find its footing. He should continue to make progress this season, but he will find it hard to top his teammate Dennis. On the right day, victory is possible, but it will not be expected. Nato should have more frequent days in the points and be comfortably in the championship top ten.
Envision Racing
Robin Frijns: #4 Jaguar I-Type 6
What did he do last season: At ABT CUPRA, Frijns fractured his wrist in the first race at Mexico City and missed the next four races. He scored points in only two races, a ninth in the first Jakarta race and a tenth in Portland after Sam Bird was issued a five-second penalty. He did win pole position for the second Berlin race, giving him six points on the season, 22nd in the championship and the final driver with points.
What to expect in this season: Frijns should be more competitive than he was last season at ABT CUPRA. The Jaguar powertrain is undoubtedly one of the best if not THE best powertrain on the Formula E grid, something Frijns has not experienced for some time in his Formula E career. In 2018-19, while with Envision Virgin Racing, Frijns was fourth in the championship with an Audi powertrain. A spat of poor results canceled out a pair of victories and a host of top five finishes, leaving him fifth in the championship. Victory is not out of the question, but between his teammate and the factory Jaguar team, it will be a daunting task to come out on top.
Sébastien Buemi: #16 Jaguar I-Type 6
What did he do last season: Buemi scored points in 12 of 16 races, but he only stood on the podium once, a third in the penultimate race of the season in London. The Swiss driver had six top five finishes and two pole positions. His 105 points placed him sixth in the championship, more than double the 50 combined points he had from the previous two seasons.
What to expect in this season: Last season showed Buemi had not lost it. His FIA World Endurance Championship results are enough to tell us that, but he was lurking last year in many races. It has been nearly four and a half years since the joint all-time leader in Formula E victories has won a race. The car is there for Buemi to retake the top spot all on his own. Is it enough for him to return to championship form? It isn't out of the question, but it will require being flawless considering the camp he is in.
Jaguar TCS Racing
Mitch Evans: #9 Jaguar I-Type 6
What did he do last season: Ending up tied for most victories in the 2023 season with four, Evans was third in the championship on 197 points as he had nine top five finishes in the final 11 races after having not finished better than seventh in the first five races of the season. He did retire from three races, including at the unfortunate time of the antepenultimate race in Rome.
What to expect in this season: One of the four Jaguar-powered cars should win the championship. The factory team might be the best driver pairing we have ever seen in Formula E. Evans has ten Formula E victories. Last season, he did everything right to win a championship. The speed is there and Evans is a capable driver. The goal will be to get that last bit to claim the trophy. He has what it takes, but stiff competition from within as well.
Nick Cassidy: #37 Jaguar I-Type 6
What did he do last season: Ending up tied for most victories in the 2023 season with four, Cassidy was second in the championship on 199 points driving for Envision Racing. Cassidy had eight podium finishes. His only retirement was at the unfortunate time of the penultimate race in London.
What to expect in this season: Between Evans and Cassidy, the Jaguar team has a combined 15 Formula E victories. Cassidy and Evans will be each other's big hurdles this season. If they both trip over one another it will allow someone else through. These drivers were near-identical in 2023. They should be near-identical again in 2024. The hope for Jaguar is they are the two battling for the championship and have left the field in the dust, difficult to do but not improbable.
TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team
António Félix da Costa: #13 Porsche 99X Electric
What did he do last season: While he won the Cape Town round, da Costa had three podium finishes all season, and he failed to score a point in the final four races and he did not finish in the points in half of the 16 races in 2023. Da Costa was ninth in the championship on 93 points.
What to expect in this season: With da Costa focused on Formula E and not competing in any sports car championship regularly, he should be leading the Porsche contingent. Last year was a disappointment for the factory Porsche effort as a customer car won the championship despite the factory's fast start. I do not expect the same kind of struggles and da Costa to piece together a complete season while making a title push.
Pascal Wehrlein: #94 Porsche 99X Electric
What did he do last season: Opened the season like gangbusters with a second, first, first and fourth, but despite regularly scoring points, he scored in 15 of 16 races, Wehrlein was fourth in the championship on 149 points. The German had one top five finish in the final nine races of the season, a victory at Jakarta.
What to expect in this season: Somehow Wehrlein could have equal results to his 2023 season, feel better about how he runs but finish worse in the championship. His 2023 results are so funky they could not be repeated no matter how hard one tries. That lack of oomph in the final 75% of the season is a concern, and if he starts any worse than he did in 2023, he will not come close to finishing fourth in the championship. The championship top ten is still rather practical, but considering Wehrlein's past track record, he isn't going to be clutching silverware come the summertime.
DS Penske
Stoffel Vandoorne: #2 DS E-TENSE FE23
What did he do last season: A year after winning the Formula E championship, Vandoorne did not even get on the podium let alone win a race in 2023, as the Belgian had two top five finishes all season. He failed to finish in the points six times and dropped to 11th in the championship on 56 points.
What to expect in this season: Neither DS Penske car was in the top ten of the Valencia test, which is a little concerning. Again, much time has past from the test to the eve of the season opener. DS did have a drive in the top five mix last season, however, I do not senses this team is trending upward at the same rate as others. Vandoorne could get on the podium once or twice but see fewer points finishes in total.
Jean-Éric Vergne: #25 DS E-TENSE FE23
What did he do last season: After nearly two years without a victory, Vergne won in Hyderabad, but he finished outside the point in seven of 16 races. Somehow his lack of points finishes and only three total podium finishes still earned Vergne fifth in the championship on 107 points.
What to expect in this season: Vergne was good last season, but this could be a year for a step back considering the pace of the Jaguar and Porsche cars. There were also a number of other teams that appeared to make up ground. Vergne should still remain competitive, he has finished in the championship top five in six of the past 11 seasons, but a slight slide backward would not be surprising.
Maserati MSG Racing
Maximilian Günther: #7 Maserati Tipo Folgore
What did he do last season: Günther failed to score points in the first six races of the season. He ended up with four point finishes, including a victory in the second Jakarta race, and finished seventh in the championship on 101 points.
What to expect in this season: Günther does bounce all over the place when it comes to the Formula E standing. His late flourish earned him seventh in the championship but that was after going 16th and 19th in the previous two seasons. Before that, he was ninth but his only three points finishes were two victories and a second. I don't buy the speed. He can have a few good days, but not a great season. We will hear his name but for good and bad reasons.
Jehan Daruvala: #18 Maserati Tipo Folgore
What did he do last season: Daruvala spent his fourth season in Formula Two. Unfortunately, his Formula Two career came full circle. After finishing 12th as a rookie in 2020 with consecutive seasons in seventh after that, Daruvala was 12th again in 2023, but this time, he scored 13 points fewer than in 2020 and did not win a race after winning four over his first three seasons in the series.
What to expect in this season: Rookies do not splash into Formula E and make great waves. The championship sees experienced drivers in this discipline regularly run the front as others need two or three years to really get into the mix. Daruvala will follow the same path at best. He could end up on the podium, but there will be days he is not in the mix because this is a new experience for him.
Nissan Formula E Team
Oliver Rowland: #22 Nissan e-4ORCE 04
What did he do last season: Rowland's best finish of the season was sixth at Hyderabad, but he left Mahindra after nine races last season. His only other points finish was tenth in the first Berlin round.
What to expect in this season: Outside of the 2019-20 season, Rowland does not have an outstanding Formula E track record. He is more known for having two or three brilliant day and then not much else during a season. After a two-year dip, Nissan did better in 2023, but has a ways to go to get back to where the team once was when branded as Renault. Rowland's season will look like many that he has had before.
Sacha Fenestraz: #23 Nissan e-4ORCE 04
What did he do last season: With only four finishes in the points and a pole position at Cape Town, Fenestraz was 16th in the championship on 32 points. He was fourth at Monaco and in the second Jakarta race.
What to expect in this season: Competition has remained high in the Nissan camp for Fenestraz as Rowland returns. While Rowland was tenth in the Valencia test, Fenestraz was 20th. I think these two drivers could be close to equal, but get to the same total two different ways. Fenestraz could end up finishing in the points more but Rowland has more big points days. It will be a fight for either to crack the championship top ten.
NEOM McLaren Formula E Team
Jake Hughes: #5 Nissan e-4ORCE 04
What did he do last season: After starting the season with three top five finishes, seven top ten finishes and two pole positions in the first ten races of the 2023 season, Hughes closed with only one top ten finish in the final six races, a tenth in the penultimate race from London. Combined with fastest lap in that London race, Hughes scored two points in the final six races, leaving him 12th on 48 points.
What to expect in this season: McLaren's Formula E effort almost had a reverse of McLaren's Formula One effort in 2023. Instead of struggles early and scoring late, McLaren's maiden year in Formula E saw it score early and suffer through the back half of the season. Hughes was just behind Rowland for tenth in the test, placing the top two Nissan-powered cars next to one another. McLaren should have a more settled season compared to last year, but that likely means it will solidly be in the middle.
Sam Bird: #8 Nissan e-4ORCE 04
What did he do last season: After no podium positions in 2022, Bird was on the podium four times with Jaguar in 2023. Bird nearly doubled his points total, going from 51 points to 95 points, placing the Briton eighth in the championship. He did miss two races, which likely cost him a few points. Though things were better, Bird did go winless for a second consecutive season.
What to expect in this season: The McLarens were close in testing. Bird was three spots behind Hughes in testing. Bird should get the better of Hughes. There could be a few days Bird gets more out of the car and might end up on the podium, it could result in a surprise victory, but McLaren should be right around where it was last year.
ERT Formula E Team
Sérgio Sette Câmara: #3 ERT X24
What did he do last season: Câmara was fifth in the Hyderabad race, but his only other finish in the points was eighth in the first Rome race. He was disqualified from a fifth-place finish in the first London race after not following instructions from the officials. The Brazilian was 20th on 14 points.
What to expect in this season: Though NIO has left and the team has a new name and investors, and this organization is coming off its best season in five seasons, do not expect another leap forward. ERT had the slowest two times in testing. Sure, Câmara could have another two or three brilliant results and it could gift him 16th in the championship, but that is his best hope. Points will not be a regular thing.
Dan Ticktum: #33 ERT X24
What did he do last season: Though he never finished better than sixth, Ticktum did score points seven races and ended up 17th in the championship on 27 points. It was the most points for a NIO driver since Oliver Turvey scored 45 points in 2017-18.
What to expect in this season: Similar to Câmara. Ticktum could steal a fifth on a fortunate day, but he will not be finishing in the point nine times in 2024. It would be a great season if either driver broke 15 points. It isn't impossible, but if they get there, it will still mean likely finishing outside the top fifteen in the championship.
Mahindra Racing
Nyck de Vries: #21 Mahindra M9Electro
What did he do last season: The 2021 Formula E champion started with AlphaTauri in Formula One after he finished ninth on his Formula One debut in the 2022 Italian Grand Prix substituting for an appendix-less Alexander Albon. De Vries struggled with AlphaTauri, removed from the car after ten races where his best finish was 12th at Monaco.
What to expect in this season: After a taste of Formula One, de Vries is back in Formula E and he is not with a powerhouse. Mahindra has been stuck at the bottom for the last four years. Testing was inconclusive. Three of the four Mahindra-powered cars were 17th, 18th and 19th in testing. De Vries was 18th. Mahindra has been on the podium in each of the last three seasons, but those are more flukes than form. De Vries isn't going to be picking up where he left off in 2022. Points will be tough to come by.
Edoardo Mortara: #48 Mahindra M9Electro
What did he do last season: At Maserati, Mortara retired from five of the first eight races with finishes of ninth, tenth and ninth sprinkled in. He had three more retirements over the final eight races. A pair of top five finishes in the final three races did lift Mortara to 39 points and 14th in the championship.
What to expect in this season: While three Mahindras were nowhere to be seen, Mortara was sixth in testing. Yet, Mortara has a way of teasing us. He was 14th in the championship last year. In his first three seasons, he was 13th, 14th and 14th. Prior to 2023, he was second and third in the championship for Venturi, what is now Maserati. I think we are more likely to see Mortara repeat 2018-19 where he had a three-race stretch of fourth, third and first early in the season before ending the year with eight finishes outside the points, six of which were retirements, than seeing Mortara end up winning four times and finishing in the points in 11 of 16 races like he did in 2021-22.
ABT CUPRA Formula E Team
Lucas di Grassi: #11 Mahindra M9Electro
What did he do last season: Di Grassi was third from pole position in the Mexico City season opener, earning him 18 points. He scored 14 points over the final 15 races, a seventh in Portland and a sixth in the first London race. About 43.9% of Mahindra's points scored in the 2023 season came from di Grassi's season opener.
What to expect in this season: A few days where di Grassi is surprising us and has an encouraging finish, but mostly difficult days where he isn't competitive or close to points. It is tough to see how it will be better, and it looks like matching 2023 will require another podium finish that does not fit in with the rest of his season.
Nico Müller: #51 Mahindra M9Electro
What did he do last season: Müller scored points in only four races, but scored in three of the final four to end on 15 points and 19th in the championship.
What to expect in this season: Müller has never been great in Formula E. It has not helped that he has been with some sluggish teams in his first three seasons participating. If he can score 15 points again it will be a successful season. If he beats di Grassi in the championship, it will be a successful season. It will be tough for Müller to have a successful season.
The Mexico City ePrix weekend begins with a practice session on Friday January 12 at 5:25 p.m. ET. A second practice will be held at 8:25 a.m ET on Saturday January 13 with qualifying scheduled for 10:40 a.m. ET. The Mexico City ePrix opens the 2024 Formula E season at 3:00 p.m. ET.
