The 2019-20 Formula E season wrapped up just a little over a month ago in the German capital of Berlin. However, a busy month of August has knocked this review back a few weeks. That delay has provided a little extra time to look back and a little more time to look ahead for what is to come for the all-electric series.
This year's championship, like every other championship, saw a significant shift from the original planned schedule due to the covid-19 pandemic. Formula E was one of the few series already in the middle of its seasons when the pandemic began and halted all sports for months.
While the series was not able to run notable events in Monaco and Brooklyn, and was not able to return to London nor visit Seoul or Jakarta for the first time, it was able to piece together an 11-round championship, which saw eight different race winners from six different teams. Three of the race winners were first-timers and one of the teams, a historic manufacture, got its maiden Formula E victory.
We will go team-by-team, looking at how each driver did in comparison to preseason expectations and seeing how wrong I was nearly ten months ago.
DS Techeetah - 244 points
António Félix da Costa: #13 DS E-TENSE FE20 (1st - 158 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: I think things should be better for da Costa than 2018-19. Going into last season, I thought da Costa was one of the championship favorites with BMW i Andretti program and that looked good for the first race and for about 80% of the second race. Then the BMW program was flat until the finale in Brooklyn. I think we are going to see a better season from da Costa, possibly multiple victories and more top five finishes.
What to expect in 2019-20: I think things should be better for da Costa than 2018-19. Going into last season, I thought da Costa was one of the championship favorites with BMW i Andretti program and that looked good for the first race and for about 80% of the second race. Then the BMW program was flat until the finale in Brooklyn. I think we are going to see a better season from da Costa, possibly multiple victories and more top five finishes.
How wrong was it: We did see a better season from da Costa. We saw a three-victory, six-podium, 158-point championship season. Considering Techeetah had won the last two championships with Jean-Éric Vergne, da Costa was in a good situation, but no one could have expected it would have been this good. Da Costa wasted no time getting to work after the restart. He won the first two races from Berlin and a fourth and second in the third and fourth Berlin races locked him up the title.
Jean-Éric Vergne: #25 DS E-TENSE FE20 (3rd - 86 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Vergne has won the last two championship. Three consecutive titles in any championship is a difficult task. He is going to be in the mix. I know testing had him 11th overall in Valencia but da Costa was fourth. He is going to win multiple races, some of which it will feel like he doesn't deserve and be in the top five of the championship.
How wrong was it: Vergne's only win was the fourth Berlin race, but he was third in the championship with 86 points. Other than da Costa, no one had a great season. Vergne's only two podium finishes were a third in Marrakesh and a third in the third Berlin race. It was not a bad season, but far from a great season.
Nissan e. dams - 167 points
Oliver Rowland: #22 Nissan IM02 (5th - 83 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: The Nissan program was hit or miss at the start of last season and Rowland's up and down results were something his veteran teammate Sébastien Buemi also had to battle. He was also a late addition to the grid. I think Rowland results are slightly better than last year. He could increase his number of podium finishes but a victory could be tough to come by. It would not be impossible but I would only expect one victory for Rowland.
What to expect in 2019-20: The Nissan program was hit or miss at the start of last season and Rowland's up and down results were something his veteran teammate Sébastien Buemi also had to battle. He was also a late addition to the grid. I think Rowland results are slightly better than last year. He could increase his number of podium finishes but a victory could be tough to come by. It would not be impossible but I would only expect one victory for Rowland.
How wrong was it: Rowland's won the penultimate race of the season in Berlin and he went from tenth on 71 points to fifth on 83 points. He scored points in eight of 11 races. It was a good season for Rowland. He was a strong all year and was equal to his senior teammate Sébastien Buemi all year.
Sébastien Buemi: #23 Nissan IM02 (4th - 84 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Buemi has finished in the top two of the championship in four of five seasons and his worst championship result is fourth. While last season didn't start well, it ended very strong and Buemi was sixth fastest in testing. I think he will be back in the championship fight immediately with a few victories.
How wrong was it: Buemi did not win a race, and really wasn't in the championship fight, but again finished in the top four of the championship. He has never finished worse than fourth in the Formula E championship. He had four podium finishes, only the champion da Costa had more. It is going to be disappointing not to win and not to be in the fight, but Nissan was strong again and a better start to the season could see Buemi back in the hunt.
Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team - 147 points
Stoffel Vandoorne: #5 Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrows 01 (2nd - 87 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Somewhat better than 2018-19. Mercedes-Benz was 20th in testing and there is no reason to be hopeful other than it is one thing for HWA Racelab to be at the back. It is another if it is Mercedes-Benz. Vandoorne had encouraging days last season. Top ten might be out of reach but breaking into the top 12 would be a start.
What to expect in 2019-20: Somewhat better than 2018-19. Mercedes-Benz was 20th in testing and there is no reason to be hopeful other than it is one thing for HWA Racelab to be at the back. It is another if it is Mercedes-Benz. Vandoorne had encouraging days last season. Top ten might be out of reach but breaking into the top 12 would be a start.
How wrong was it: Vandoorne leaped to vice-champion, up 14 spots and 52 points from the previous season. He opened with a pair of third in Saudi Arabia and ended with a victory in the Berlin finale. The Mercedes-Benz was a decent car. Four points covered second to fifth and ten points covered second to sixth. Any of those positions would have been a fair showing for Vandoorne.
Nyck de Vries: #17 Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrows 01 (11th - 60 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: This is a little different for de Vries. He was 21st in testing and while he has adapted to sports cars quickly, this is a tad different. I think he has to outperform the nine points Gary Paffett scored last season.
What to expect in 2019-20: This is a little different for de Vries. He was 21st in testing and while he has adapted to sports cars quickly, this is a tad different. I think he has to outperform the nine points Gary Paffett scored last season.
How wrong was it: De Vries did outperform Gary Paffett's nine points, and he rounded out the season with a runner-up position and a Mercedes-Benz 1-2. The points finishes were a little too choppy. He scored points in only five of 13 races and never finished in the points in successive races. It was a good start to his Formula E career.
Envision Virgin Racing - 121 points
Sam Bird: #2 Audi e-Tron FE06 (10th - 63 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Bird was 13th in testing; four spots better than last season's pre-season test. Ninth is not really indicative of how Bird did in 2018-19. If he kept his victory at Hong Kong, he would have been sixth, two points outside the top five. Formula E will be Bird's focus in 2019-20. He is out of AF Corse's FIA World Endurance Championship program. I expect Bird to get back to the top of the championship.
What to expect in 2019-20: Bird was 13th in testing; four spots better than last season's pre-season test. Ninth is not really indicative of how Bird did in 2018-19. If he kept his victory at Hong Kong, he would have been sixth, two points outside the top five. Formula E will be Bird's focus in 2019-20. He is out of AF Corse's FIA World Endurance Championship program. I expect Bird to get back to the top of the championship.
How wrong was it: Bird opened the season with a victory, but that was it. The results weren't there and he was tenth in the championship. I think Bird has gone as far as he could go with Virgin and he will be moving to Jaguar for next season. He is still one of the best in the series.
Robin Frijns: #4 Audi e-Tron FE06 (12th - 58 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Even though Bird was negatively affected in the championship by the Hong Kong result, Frijns was giving him a run for his money at Virgin Racing. Frijns is a legitimate threat to Bird and the championship. It could be a case of Virgin Racing cars stealing points from each other. Both cars will be fighting for the top five in the championship.
How wrong was it: Neither Virgin car was fighting for the top five, rather both were fighting for the top ten. Frijns did have a pair of runner-up finishes in Berlin, but he failed to score points in six races and failed to start another. That is too many points left on the table.
BMW i Andretti Motorsport - 118 points
Alexander Sims: #27 BMW IFE.20 (13th - 49 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Sims was a slight disappointment compared to his testing results last year. I think things will get better but only because of how low the bar was set. He should challenge for top ten in the championship. He was seventh in testing and his teammate was fastest.
What to expect in 2019-20: Sims was a slight disappointment compared to his testing results last year. I think things will get better but only because of how low the bar was set. He should challenge for top ten in the championship. He was seventh in testing and his teammate was fastest.
How wrong was it: Sims missed out on the top ten by 14 points. He earned two pole positions to start the year in Saudi Arabia and won the second race, but like the 2018-19 season, the results dropped off. He had one other top five finish all season and he ended with just three points from the final six races in Berlin.
Maximilian Günther: #28 BMW IFE.20 (9th - 69 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: The results of 2018-19 tell you that there is no reason Günther to think Günther deserved this type of promotion but he has gotten it and he went right to the top of the charts in testing. He is definitely going to do better than last year but it is hard to believe he will immediately be a championship contender. He should be fighting for tenth in the championship at worst.
How wrong was it: This was better than expected but still disappointing because Günther won two races and finished second in Marrakesh. The problem is he only won two races and finished second in Marrakesh. He had three retirements and was outside the points in eight races. He over-achieved and underperformed simultaneously. Not easy to do but disappointing either way.
Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler - 114 points
Lucas di Grassi: #11 Audi e-Tron FE06 (6th - 77 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Testing was not great for di Grassi, as he was 17th overall, and the last two seasons have seen him and the Audi team get off to slow starts only to recover and finish in the top three of the championship. Di Grassi has been in the top three of the championship in every Formula E season. He has won a race in every Formula E season and he has won multiple races in the last four seasons. He could keep up his winning ways and still end up with the worst championship finish of his career and I think that is bound to happen.
What to expect in 2019-20: Testing was not great for di Grassi, as he was 17th overall, and the last two seasons have seen him and the Audi team get off to slow starts only to recover and finish in the top three of the championship. Di Grassi has been in the top three of the championship in every Formula E season. He has won a race in every Formula E season and he has won multiple races in the last four seasons. He could keep up his winning ways and still end up with the worst championship finish of his career and I think that is bound to happen.
How wrong was it: Di Grassi did not win a race and he suffered his worst championship finish. He was only on two podiums but he finished in the points in nine of 11 races. It was a good season, a textbook good season.
Daniel Abt: #66 Audi e-Tron FE06 (21st - 8 points/First five races)
What to expect in 2019-20: Abt was a spot better than his teammate during testing. He has proven to be a consistent points scorer but he does not get the same level of finishes as his teammate. If I think di Grassi is going to take a slight step back in 2019-20 then I have to think Abt will as well. He may still score points at the same rate but ninth and tenth place do not pay that much.
How wrong was it: Abt had one points finish, sixth in the second Saudi Arabia race. Then he was fired during the hiatus because of having a professional sim racer fill-in for a Formula E virtual event and this deception led Audi to fire the driver. Don't worry, Abt landed on his feet.
René Rast: #66 Audi e-Tron FE06 (15th - 29 points/Final six races)
What to expect in 2019-20: Not applicable. Midseason replacement.
How wrong was it: Rast came in and scored nearly five times the number of points Abt had with Audi. Rast was third and fourth in the final two races. Not bad for a driver who had not raced a single-seater car since 2004 Formula BMW ADAC.
Panasonic Jaguar Racing - 81 points
Mitch Evans: #20 Jaguar I-Type 4 (7th - 71 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Evans has carried the Jaguar Racing program since it got into Formula E and I do not expect that to stop. He was fifth in testing and I think any championship hopes are depended on results early. He scored points in the first seven races last season but only one of those was a podium and only one other of those results was a top five. I think he is the sleeper.
What to expect in 2019-20: Evans has carried the Jaguar Racing program since it got into Formula E and I do not expect that to stop. He was fifth in testing and I think any championship hopes are depended on results early. He scored points in the first seven races last season but only one of those was a podium and only one other of those results was a top five. I think he is the sleeper.
How wrong was it: Evans did win in Mexico City and was third in Santiago, but those were his only top five finishes all season. He did score points in seven of 11 races. It was a slight step back from last year compared to 2018-19, but Evans led the way and scored Jaguar respectable results.
James Calado: #51 Jaguar I-Type 4 (19th - 10 points/First nine races)
What to expect in 2019-20: This is Calado's first time in a single-seater car since the 2013 GP2 season. It is going to be a learning experience as he has been in GT cars for the last five-plus years. I think his goal should be to score more points than what Nelson Piquet, Jr. and Alex Lynn combined for in this car last season and that was 11 points. That should be an easy get but he should be pushing to be in the top half of the championship, especially if Evans is going to be in the thick of it at the front.
How wrong was it: Calado was not in the top half of the championship. He did lose two points because he was disqualified for using too much energy in Mexico City. He missed the final two races due to FIA World Endurance Championship commitments.
Tom Blomqvist: #51 Jaguar I-Type 4 (26th - 0 points/Final two races)
What to expect in 2019-20: Not applicable. Midseason replacement.
How wrong was it: Blomqvist filled in for the final two races and finished 12th and 17th, his first Formula E races in over two years at Andretti.
TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team - 79 points
Neel Jani: #18 Porsche 99X Electric (20th - 8 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Jani was 22nd in testing. Porsche will have some growing pains and it will be interesting to see Porsche and Mercedes-Benz battle toward the back of the field. The goal should be to get at least one car ahead of both Mercedes-Benz entries or split them. It will be a fight 15th to 20th for Jani.
What to expect in 2019-20: Jani was 22nd in testing. Porsche will have some growing pains and it will be interesting to see Porsche and Mercedes-Benz battle toward the back of the field. The goal should be to get at least one car ahead of both Mercedes-Benz entries or split them. It will be a fight 15th to 20th for Jani.
How wrong was it: Jani was 20th and his only points scored was from a sixth-place finish in the penultimate race of the season.
André Lotterer: #36 Porsche 99X Electric (8th - 71 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Lotterer's first two Formula E seasons have been encouraging and it is unfortunate he has not won a race yet. He was 19th in testing. I think he could get a few inspiring results but it will be tough for him to challenge for the top fifteen.
André Lotterer: #36 Porsche 99X Electric (8th - 71 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Lotterer's first two Formula E seasons have been encouraging and it is unfortunate he has not won a race yet. He was 19th in testing. I think he could get a few inspiring results but it will be tough for him to challenge for the top fifteen.
How wrong was it: Lotterer had no problem cracking the top fifteen, in fact, he was eighth in the championship and had a runner-up finish in the first Saudi Arabia race and first Berlin race. He scored points in seven races and had a pole position in Mexico City. Victory alludes Lotterer in Formula E, but he is there.
Mahindra Racing - 49 points
Jérôme d'Ambrosio: #64 Mahindra M5Electro (16th - 19 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: D'Ambrosio has had a good Formula E career but no better or worse than good. Some races he is competitive and others he is not really in the mix. One race is on the podium and the next he is 14th. Mahindra was one of three teams to put both cars in the top ten overall in testing. I think d'Ambrosio could be slightly better than last year but we not really notice it.
What to expect in 2019-20: D'Ambrosio has had a good Formula E career but no better or worse than good. Some races he is competitive and others he is not really in the mix. One race is on the podium and the next he is 14th. Mahindra was one of three teams to put both cars in the top ten overall in testing. I think d'Ambrosio could be slightly better than last year but we not really notice it.
How wrong was it: d'Ambrosio was worse than 2018-19, finishing five positions worse and scoring 48 fewer points. For only the second time in his Formula E career, he did not finish on the podium.
Pascal Wehrlein: #94 Mahindra M5Electro (18th - 14 points/First five races)
What to expect in 2019-20: Wehrlein should jump ahead of d'Ambrosio this season. He scored points in more races than d'Ambrosio last season and was nine points back and missed a round. Wehrlein was second overall in testing. I think there could be one or two races where Wehrlein is competing for a race victory but I am not sure the team can put together a title push for the entire season.
Pascal Wehrlein: #94 Mahindra M5Electro (18th - 14 points/First five races)
What to expect in 2019-20: Wehrlein should jump ahead of d'Ambrosio this season. He scored points in more races than d'Ambrosio last season and was nine points back and missed a round. Wehrlein was second overall in testing. I think there could be one or two races where Wehrlein is competing for a race victory but I am not sure the team can put together a title push for the entire season.
How wrong was it: Wehrlein was fourth and ninth in Santiago and Mexico City, but outside of that he was not all that close to victory, and he left the team during the hiatus. He will be with Porsche next year.
Alex Lynn: #94 Mahindra M5Electro (17th - 16 points/Final six races)
What to expect in 2019-20: Not applicable. Midseason replacement.
How wrong was it: Lynn scored points in the final three races with finishes of ninth, fifth and eighth. This was the second consecutive season Lynn was a midseason replacement and, on both occasions, he outscored the driver he was replacing.
ROKiT Venturi Racing - 44 points
Felipe Massa: #19 Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrows 01 (22nd - 3 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: More of the same. Massa was 12th in testing. The team has made the switch from its own powertrain to the new Mercedes-Benz powertrain. I think Massa could finish a few spots better in the championship but breaking into the top ten is asking a lot.
What to expect in 2019-20: More of the same. Massa was 12th in testing. The team has made the switch from its own powertrain to the new Mercedes-Benz powertrain. I think Massa could finish a few spots better in the championship but breaking into the top ten is asking a lot.
How wrong was it: Massa took a step back, down seven spots in the championship, and went from scoring 36 points with his best finish being third to scoring three points with his best finish being ninth.
Edoardo Mortara: #48 Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrows 01 (14th - 41 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Same as Massa, more of the same. Mortara scored an unexpected and rather fortunate victory last year. I think him and Massa will be together on the racetrack quite a bit.
Edoardo Mortara: #48 Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrows 01 (14th - 41 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Same as Massa, more of the same. Mortara scored an unexpected and rather fortunate victory last year. I think him and Massa will be together on the racetrack quite a bit.
How wrong was it: I did expect more of the same for Mortara and he was 14th last year and 14th this year. The one difference is Mortara did not score all his points in three races with finishes of fourth, third and first. This year, Mortara was in the points in seven of 11 races and his best finish was fourth.
GEOX Dragon Racing - 2 points
Brendon Hartley: #6 Penske EV-4 (23rd - 2 points/First five races)
What to expect in 2019-20: I think Hartley will have good days but also struggle because that is kind of what Dragon Racing is known for. The team had two really good seasons in Formula E, including second in the Teams' Championship in the inaugural season but in the last three seasons the team has one podium finish and has finished eighth, ninth and tenth in the Teams' Championship. I think Hartley could be in the top five one race and then 15th the next.
What to expect in 2019-20: I think Hartley will have good days but also struggle because that is kind of what Dragon Racing is known for. The team had two really good seasons in Formula E, including second in the Teams' Championship in the inaugural season but in the last three seasons the team has one podium finish and has finished eighth, ninth and tenth in the Teams' Championship. I think Hartley could be in the top five one race and then 15th the next.
How wrong was it: Hartley's best finish was ninth, he left the team during the hiatus and he was 23rd in the championship.
Nico Müller: #7 Penske EV-4 (25th - 0 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Müller gave the team some hope in testing after ending up third but Hartley was 14th. This is Müller's first time in a single-seater since Formula Renault 3.5 in 2013. I think one Dragon car could sneak into the top ten in the championship but not both and no better than tenth for that entry.
Nico Müller: #7 Penske EV-4 (25th - 0 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Müller gave the team some hope in testing after ending up third but Hartley was 14th. This is Müller's first time in a single-seater since Formula Renault 3.5 in 2013. I think one Dragon car could sneak into the top ten in the championship but not both and no better than tenth for that entry.
How wrong was it: Neither Dragon car made the top ten in the championship. Müller's best finish was 12th.
Sérgio Sette Câmara: #6 Penske EV-4 (27th - 0 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: Not applicable. Midseason replacement.
How wrong was it: Câmara's best finish in the final six races was 15th. He was disqualified on debut after using too much engird while finishing 20th.
NIO 333 FE Team - 0 points
Oliver Turvey: #3 NIO FE-005 (24th - 0 points)
What to expect in 2019-20: NIO was bottom of the timesheet at Valencia. Because it is Formula E, I think Turvey could score a few points but it will be difficult for him to match his seven points from last season.
What to expect in 2019-20: NIO was bottom of the timesheet at Valencia. Because it is Formula E, I think Turvey could score a few points but it will be difficult for him to match his seven points from last season.
How wrong was it: God bless Oliver Turvey for sticking with this abomination of a team. No points. His best finish was 11th in Santiago. He did finish eighth in the second Saudi Arabia race, and was promoted to sixth after a few other time penalties to other drivers, but Turvey was disqualified from this race for using too much energy.
Ma Qinghua: #33 NIO FE-005 (28th - 0 points/First five races)
What to expect in 2019-20: Ma Qinghua returns to Formula E for the first time since the 2018 season finale in Brooklyn. In nine Formula E starts over three seasons; he has scored zero points with his best finish being 11th in the first London race in 2016. He was slowest in testing. He might get a few points but don't expect double figures.
Ma Qinghua: #33 NIO FE-005 (28th - 0 points/First five races)
What to expect in 2019-20: Ma Qinghua returns to Formula E for the first time since the 2018 season finale in Brooklyn. In nine Formula E starts over three seasons; he has scored zero points with his best finish being 11th in the first London race in 2016. He was slowest in testing. He might get a few points but don't expect double figures.
How wrong was it: Qinghau's best finish was sixth and he missed the final six races, partially because of travel restrictions.
Daniel Abt: #33 NIO FE-005 (21st - 6 points/Final six races, 0 points with NIO)
What to expect in 2019-20: See Audi section.
How wrong was it: Abt landed on his feet in the worst car and kept his streak of starting every Formula E race alive. However, no points and his best finish was 15th. He did win Fan Boost for every Berlin race, so that is something.
NIO did make Formula E history becoming the first team to fail to score a point in a season. TrulliGP did withdraw from the 2015-16 season after two rounds but did not compete in either because the car did not pass scrutineering.
Conclusion
All things considered, this was a good season for Formula E.
I have already applauded the series for how it ended its 2019-20 season. The Berlin week of races worked and it was nice to try a few different configurations.
It was an odd end to the season and one driver capitalized on it, while a lot of drivers never got things straightened out. Da Costa was focused and never had an off day, other than possibly the season opener in Saudi Arabia when it was 14th and tenth. Every other driver had a snag. Vandoorne had his pair of bad races. Vergne retired from two of the first three races. Buemi was outside the points in the first three races.
Even the driver that were scoring points regularly were not regularly at the front. Rowland was outside the top five in four of the eight races he scored points. Sixth to tenth do not pay enough for a driver to be a championship contender. Di Grassi was sixth, seventh or eighth in eight races. That's not good enough for a driver to be a champion.
We did lose a little of this season. I am not talking about all the cancelled rounds, but this was supposed to be a 14-race season, three more than actually happened. I don't think it would have mattered if da Costa had the same form as we saw and the rest of the field could not string together results to challenge the Portuguese driver.
In terms of schedule for next year, I have already expressed reservations about the opening five races in Chile, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and China from the middle of January through the middle of March. Perhaps, the schedule from April 10 in Rome onward can take place, but 2021 could be a day of reckoning for Formula E scheduling.
Hopefully, come spring next year we can host sporting events and have some type of attendance allowed, but will street races in city centers be allowed during a pandemic, especially if significant spectator restrictions are still in place? If the answer is no, we very well could see Rome, Paris and Seoul fall off the schedule.
Berlin worked because Tempelhof Airport is currently a park. You can race there and not affect local traffic patterns. Mexico City is at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the same boat as Berlin, and Monaco is Monaco.
Every other venue is in question. A city is not going to spend the millions of dollars to work on track construction for the weeks, if not months, ahead of a one-day show. If the first five races cannot happen on schedule, Formula E might need another Berlin setup with four races at one location just to get the season on track. It could be more if Rome and Paris and axed early. I doubt Berlin would be the option in the springtime. This might require Formula E to look at a permanent facility, such as Valencia and Donington Park, two venues the series has used for testing in the past.
Formula E might have to accept an identity change because of this pandemic. I know the series has built its identity on being in cities, but if European cities balk at the idea and other cities around the globe have the same hesitation, the series will have to change. Is it ready to accept that? Can it accept that? Every series is going to face tough times over the next few years with the ripple effect from the pandemic. How will Formula E handle an identity change to its schedule? Will it evolve or will it try and hold on to what it wants to be?
Identity in location is one thing, but identity on track is another area where evolution will be necessary. The current production is not bad, but it come be hamstringing the series from its full potential.
On paper, it is not impressive. The average speed of the 11 races were...
Saudi Arabia I: 68.296 MPH
Saudi Arabia II: 59.596 MPH
Santiago: 73.835 MPH
Mexico City: 74.893 MPH
Marrakesh: 80.334 MPH
Berlin I: 67.054 MPH
Berlin II: 72.023 MPH
Berlin III: 66.43 MPH
Berlin IV: 69.992 MPH
Berlin V: 70.808 MPH
Berlin VI: 70.977 MPH
These are only 45-minute races and with cars limited on how much energy that can be used they are automatically conservation races. That doesn't have to be the case and shouldn't be the case. People do not want to watch conservation all the time. These should be sprint races. The energy limit should be the entire battery. A Formula E race should be about completing the most mileage in 45 minutes and using the entire battery to get there, not being limited and trying to make the most of what is given.
If one team can run 100 miles in that 45 minutes before the battery dies, and other teams can only go flat out and complete 90 miles, then great! That is what this series should be! It should be about getting the most mileage going as fast as you can, and it should show the capabilities of an electric automobile going flat out.
People don't want to tune in to watch cars race at speeds that are equal to what they run on the highway. The racing has to be something the everyday person does not do! It should be out of their skill set and something that is admired. If it is not, then the people will not give it the time of day.
There are still a lot of questions for the grid.
Techeetah is retaining da Costa and Vergne. Bird is moving to Jaguar with Evans. Nick Cassidy joins Virgin after years of success in the Super GT and Super Formula series in Japan. Sims moves to Mahindra with an unknown teammate. Günther will have a new teammate at BMW i Andretti. Wehrlein makes Porsche an all-German lineup with Lotterer.
We don't know the futures of NIO, Dragon, Audi, Venturi, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz. I would think Nissan and Mercedes-Benz will keep its drivers. Audi will need a new drive to pair with di Grassi and Rast could be the guy. Massa already announced his retirement, so Venturi will have at least one new driver. Dragon and NIO both have to get their acts together.
Significant driver movement lurks on the horizon for 2021.
With many changes likely ahead of us, it should be noted we have seen a third power rise in Formula E. Techeetah has consecutive teams' championships and was second the year before. It has won three consecutive drivers' championships. Along with Nissan and Audi, those are the three big powers and Techeetah is leading the way. Mercedes-Benz could make it a four-horse battle. Jaguar is knocking on the door but is struggling to breakthrough.
After six seasons, each new Formula E seasons is not a complete unknown. We have history. We have patterns. We know who should be strong based on past results. We know who to be surprised with if they show great pace. Expectations have been set and there is no passing off not living up to them.
