Despite the rain this week in Valencia, Spain, Formula E teams took the opportunity to try out the new Gen 2 cars as they took to the track for three days of test racing.
New teams, new drivers and new, more powerful cars with an extended battery life were on display despite the wet conditions.
Two drivers for BMW i Andretti Motorsport had the fastest and third-fastest times while Season 4 champion Jean-Eric Vergne was second-fastest.
Antonio Felix da Costa had the fastest time with 1:16.977. The team’s other driver, Alexander Sims, a rookie, finished with a time of 1:17.402.
“It’s been very promising,” da Costa said. “We got off to a good start from the word 'go,' so that was really positive. We’ve done a lot of testing — 15 days that each manufacturer gets — and we worked hard and went through a lot. It’s nice to see that we’re on the pace together with everyone on track.”
“All in all it was a really positive pre-season test in Valencia,” said Sims. “I was a bit hesitant of how to judge things after the first session on Tuesday, but we’ve gone through all the different conditions. I learned a lot from my side as the team was able to put me through different runs and set-ups, which has been really beneficial.”
The biggest change for Season 5 is the Gen 2 car. This car can go the whole race on one charge. Drivers were amazed how that will impact the races that begin in December.
“Testing has gone very well. I’m very pleased and we haven’t had any issues,” said reigning champion Jean-Eric Vergne of team DS TECHEETAH. “The team is working very well together and we have more people thanks to DS and a lot more resources - it’s just a question of how to use them best. So far I’ve been very happy with what I’ve seen. I also see a lot of improvements in many areas and the car behaves well. There’s still a lot to come with understanding the car and systems.”
“The track isn’t very representative compared to our street circuits,” said da Costa. “So it’s not like we can go away from here thinking we’ll win the first race. But the performance definitely motivates everyone and I’m encouraged with the outcome of testing. I’m very excited for the new season - it’s impressive what’s going on here in this paddock. The growth of this sport is remarkable.”
Pre-season testing is the first time all 11 Formula E teams and 22 drivers will take to the track together, ahead of the first round of Season 5 of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. That first race is scheduled to be held in Ad Diryiah, Saudi Arabia despite the fact that many have questioned whether that race should still be scheduled in the wake of the alleged murder of Washington Post reporter James Kossogi. The race is still on as scheduled.
Envision Virgin Racing finished both 16th and 17th in the practice race. Sam Bird finished 17th with a time of 1:18.115s less than a second behind Virgin newcomer Robin Frijns. Frijns spent a year away from Formula E after the 2016-2017 year with Andretti. Now he joins Bird at Envision Virgin Racing with high expectations.
"I'm really enjoying being back in Formula E with Envision Virgin Racing,” said Frijins. “Every day this week we've made more and more progress which is encouraging. For sure, the timing sheets don't show our true potential but I know there's much more to come from the team."
Sylvain Filippi, Envision Virgin Racing's Managing Director, said: "We've had a lot to learn and get through this week, but the team and drivers have worked extremely hard to ensure we extract the maximum from these three days. Our focus for the test has not been about outright performance – because this track is unrepresentative of the tracks Formula E races on – but on energy management and ensuring we're ready for the exciting new Formula E season."
The new cars feature the ‘halo’ cockpit safety device that is prevalent in other types of race cars, including Formula One. The cars feature new ‘hyperboost’ LED lights that will allow fans to follow the strategy of each team and driver thanks to new lights on the outside of the car that indicate different power modes and other important information during the race.
Team NIO is debuting a new race team and new partnerships as they take on the challenges of Season 5. “After a long summer of testing as a Manufacturer outfit, the three-day pre-season test at Valencia was the first time officially that the NIO Formula E Race Team will re-group since the New York e-Prix which rounded off Season 4,” said Gérry Hughes, Team Principal, NIO. “It will also be the first time Oliver (Turvey) and Tom (Dillmann) will be driving together as team-mates and whilst they will both be working through their own test programs, it will be interesting to see how the newest addition to the NIO Formula E Team fares against the well-established Briton.”
Next up for these teams is rigorous training during the month of November. Formula E is looking for big increases in attendance and global viewership as it ushers in the Gen 2 car and a new era in a sport that is about research and the usage of energy as much as it is skill on the racetrack.
