Is everyone strapped-in, plugged-in and primed for the final FIA Formula E weekend of the season? Motorsport Week has you covered for everything you need to know ahead of the season finale in London.
Formula E is a spectacularly-unpredictable motorsport, and what better proof is there than the fact seven different men are mathematically capable of winning the Drivers’ title?
However, reigning champion Jake Dennis, Jean-Éric Vergne and Oliver Rowland sit on the periphery of the title fight, all needing a miracle to leave the ExCel Centre as the victor.
It is both drivers from Jaguar TCS Racing and Tag Heuer Porsche respectively who stand the most likely chance of winning the championship. Nick Cassidy may well be feeling the jitters, the Kiwi twelve points ahead in the standings, but had he not spun off whilst leading on the penultimate lap last time out in Portland, the outcome will have been more of a formality rather than a potential battle royal. Cassidy has been, by default, one of the standout stars of the season, winning two races and with a further six podiums to his name, the level of consistency he has shown is what has given him his best chance yet at becoming World Champion.
Behind Cassidy is team-mate Mitch Evans, who, like his countryman, is seeking his first title having been third and second in the last two years. Also on two wins – including heading a brilliant 1-2 for Jaguar in Monaco – Evans has only failed to score points in one race this year so far, and that similar level of consistency sets him up for a chance of finally moving from bridesmaid to bride.
Pascal Wehrlein, joint-second with Evans, is the third of the four men also seeking his first title, and like Evans, has only failed to score in one race. Also on two victories – including a dominant lights-to-flag win at the opener in Mexico – Wehrlein has improved significantly from last year, where inconsistently, in part due to the qualifying failings of the Porsche car, let him down with the final furlong approaching.
And finally, the renaissance man of Season 10: Antonio Felix da Costa. Looking to be heading out of Porsche after just two race weekends, the Portuguese’s form overturned in incredible fashion, taking four wins [including the last three back-to-back, or should that be DAC-to-DAC?], as well as a fifth morally, if you include his harsh disqualification in Misano. Champion in 10-20, da Costa is the veteran of the four, and his guile and experience holds him in good stead when a time for cool heads are needed.
WHAT COULD HAPPEN THIS WEEKEND?
If we are to assume that one of the four aforementioned men are to win the title, the team game is likely to play a huge role in who wins and how. Given Cassidy and Wehrlein are their respective teams’ leading driver in terms of points, there is a big possibility that their team-mates will be utilised as such under the circumstances that may arise, particularly in the Jaguar camp, who will want to wrap-up the Teams’ Championship with a 33 point buffer going into the weekend. Both teams of course have their customers – Envision and Andretti – to potentially come into play should their cars be qualifying high enough to make a significant difference to the races.
This is situation that Cassidy may feel the most nervous about, having been a victim of Envision’s title strategy in London last year, which contributed to him losing the title to Dennis. The Porsche drivers were asked to play a part to help Dennis twelve months ago, but with Wehrlein and Dennis’ history of tangling with each-other this year, will the reigning champion be so willing as to help his German counterpart take his title?
THE CIRCUIT
At 1.30 miles and consisting of 20 turns, the circuit is the only inside-outside venue in the Formula E calendar, with cars starting inside the ExCel, and then taking-in the Royal Victoria Dock on the outside complex. Attack Mode is situated at T16, and cars will run to 27kW/h. Race 1 will consist of 37 laps, with Race 2 being 34 laps long.
WHEN
On-track action begins on Friday afternoon, running through until early Sunday evening, by which time we will know the latest Formula E champions. All times listed below are in BST:
19/07
FP1: 16:55 – 17:45
20/07
FP2: 09:55 – 10:45
20/07
Qualifying: 12:20 – 13:43
20/07
Race 1: 17:03 – 18:30
21/07
FP3: 09:55 – 10:45
21/07
Qualifying: 12:20 – 13:43
21/07
Race: 17:03 – 18:30
Friday will be the warmest day, with temperatures at around 29 degrees for FP1. Saturday will be cooler and with a higher chance of showers, with Sunday showing similar temperatures.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Nico Müller and ABT will part ways at the end of the season, with rumours rife that he may be looking to switch to Andretti next season. Müller is highly-respected, and after being tested by Porsche early in the season, partnering Jake Dennis at the Porsche-powered customer team will be a logical switch given that Antonio Felix da Costa’s decision to stay with the German outfit closes that particular door.
DS Penske are set to announce the departure of Stoffel Vandoorne. The Belgian has not been able to show the form that took him to the title in Season 8, and according to reports, has spoken to Maserati and Envision. Motorsport Week understands that if Jake Hughes leaves NEOM McLaren to join the works Nissan team for next season, a new partnership with McLaren – for whom Vandoorne raced in Formula One – may be a possible destination.
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