Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Formula E orchestrated a successful last-gasp switch to ensure pre-season testing wouldn't be too affected by the floods and devastation across Spain, putting in all the effort to switch to the Circuito Del Jarama, Madrid for four days of pre-season testing. Vyas takes us through the major points from the four days of testing...
Formula E's resilience is in full show
It's never easy to shift equipment across the length and breadth of any country at short notice. Not least when the same nation is affected by unprecedented flooding and devastation.
But the manner in which Formula E pulled off such a successful switch highlights the resilience the team at Formula E displayed to pull off such a feat.
Flash floods effectively rendered access roads to the Circuit Ricardo Tormo unmotorable, with visuals displaying how the roads had broken up around the circuit. The closest possible location to host the pre-season test was the Jarama circuit, around 350 km from Valencia. This arrangement materialised in short order.
Despite most of Formula E's equipment situated at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, an efficient logistical chain saw trucks making as many as 40 round trips to ferry equipment all the way across Spain, ensuring a swift turnaround in just under 72 hours, with the start date pushed back by one day to 5th November.
While Formula E has been criticised for its inability to fill large gaps on its calendar emerging from cancelled races in the past, especially with the Hyderabad E Prix's cancellation in 2024, as well as a potential round in Thailand scheduled for March, this quick turnaround highlights just how quickly Formula E can pull off a switch to keep its schedules on track.
Although the plan would have initially been to cancel pre-season testing out of respect for the community, the Formula E paddock certainly observed a minute of silence for those affected by the flooding, whilst pledging €50,000 towards rescue efforts in the affected regions.
The all-women Formula E test: A success
One of the biggest reasons for many to be excited for pre-season testing was the all-female racer test set to take place on the final day of testing. All the teams were expected to field atleast one driver, and some teams went one step ahead by fielding two racers.
The test brought together a diverse talent pool of racers from across the pond. Female racers from Indy NXT, F1 Academy, British F4, endurance racing, and erstwhile W Series names were in the spotlight. Another notable name was former Formula E racer Simona De Silvestro, who raced for Andretti in the series back in the 2015-16 season.
While Formula 3 racer Sophia Floersch was the only one to pull out from the test before it got ahead, the other 18 names took to the Circuito del Jarama on Friday for the three hours of testing in the afternoon.
Some names didn't get the full chance to prove themselves. Jaguar's Lilou Wadoux couldn't set a time on the board at all, having faced issues with her seat fit. De Silvestro was limited to only six laps of running, with Kiro diagnosing an electrical issue on their car, confining them to the garage for the rest of the session.
Jess Edgar found the barriers in the final hour, with the DS Penske racer's incident bringing out a red flag after going off in the barriers at turn three.
However, the rest of the Formula E female contingent excelled on the track, with Nissan's Abbi Pulling, also the F1 Academy champion-elect setting a scorching 1:30.889 to go top at the end of the test, three tenths from Indy NXT racer Jamie Chadwick, who took part in the test for Jaguar.
The only other racer to dip within one second of Pulling was NEOM McLaren's Bianca Bustamante, who set a 1:31.715, eight tenths off her British F1 Academy counterpart. Impressive performances from ABT Lola's Miki Koyama and Mahindra's Lena Buhler saw them complete the top five for the session.
"It was a really exciting session, and felt amazing to put what I've learned in the simulator into real life and to experience the thrill of driving a Nissan Formula E car," Pulling described after her table-topping run in the test.
It was a rare opportunity for these talented female youngsters to test their skills in Formula E cars, and certainly leaves the drivers as well as fans yearning for more such opportunities in the future, to witness more female racers take to Formula E in the future.
Newcomers ABT Lola and Kiro impress
One of the major storylines heading into testing was the emergence of the newest team at the block, Kiro Race Co. American firm Forest Road acquired a 100% stake in the ERT Formula E team, ensuring a smooth transition of ownership for the now American outfit.
The team reached out to Porsche for a successful agreement to use their powertrains for season 11. While they haven't announced who will be racing for them in the upcoming season, Kiro fielded the line-up of the incumbent Dan Ticktum, and Porsche reserve David Beckmann for the four-day pre-season test, alongside former Porsche reserve Simona De Silvestro.
The unmissable lime green liveried-machine proved to be on pace across the test, with both Ticktum and Beckmann regularly finding themselves closer to the head of the timesheets than their predecessors.
The Briton rounded out day two second in the timesheets, only a smidgeon off the leading DS Penske of Max Gunther, while Beckmann's efforts saw him land the fourth quickest time on day two, behind the other Penske car of Jean-Eric Vergne.
The German racer then went on to set the fastest lap time on day three of the test too, setting a 1m27.755 as he eclipsed reigning champion Pascal Wehrlein, who had also dipped below the 1m28s barrier on day three.
All in all, the team in lime green conducted plenty of running in their maiden test. Both regular drivers as well as female racer Simona De Silvestro turned a whopping 473 laps around the Jarama circuit, totalling over 1800 km of running across four days of testing.
The Lola name too set foot into Formula E ahead of season eleven, partnering ABT, alongside a technical partnership with Yamaha. Barbadian racer Zane Maloney, who switched from Formula 2 to the all-electric racing series, didn't experience the easiest of introductions.
While he eased into his new surroundings, Maloney's first race start was one to forget. The youngster failed to launch his ABT Lola off the line during the simulation race, meaning he put no laps on the board in race trim.
However, Maloney ended testing on a higher note, finishing eighth on the final day of the test. It marked an improved showing, and it will certainly be interesting how he gets along in race trim when the grid hits Sao Paulo on December 7th.
Porsche look quick — but how quick?
One of the biggest talking points from the test was the remarkable pace of the Porsche powertrain across the four days of testing. The German manufacturer have been the powertrain to beat across the Gen3 era, powering Andretti's Jake Dennis to the title in 2023, and a championship for Wehrlein in season ten this year.
The Porsche powertrain's prowess saw the team expand their coverage to four teams across the grid, with newcomers Kiro too opting for the German manufacturer's powertrain.
The works Porsche team looked to be quick right from the outset, with Antonio Felix Da Costa setting the quickest time in the first session of testing on day one.
Beckmann later added his name onto the honours board with the quickest time the following day, in the afternoon session. The Porsche duo of Wehrlein and Da Costa then proceeded to take a 1-2 finish in the race simulation session on Thursday.
The dominant Porsche pace even led to Jaguar's Nick Cassidy quipping about the Porsche duo "running rings around us", in comparison to how quick the works Porsche duo were in comparison to the rest of the field.
The dominance from Porsche across the test would certainly be an ominous sign heading forward. However, if there's anything we have learnt from the past, testing times are to be taken with a hint of caution, and aren't truly representative. Yet, it will be interesting to see if Porsche still maintain their pace once the Formula E caravan hits Sao Paulo.
Will "Pit Boost" finally make its much-awaited debut?
The simulation race on day three of testing saw drivers also trial the fast-charging mode Formula E has contemplated ever since the Gen3 era commenced.
Now renamed the 'Pit Boost' concept, it required each driver required to come into the pits and receive the additional charge of power, which equates to 10% of the battery’s capacity via a 600kW recharge in approximately 30 seconds.
This element is expected to add a unique strategy element to races, incorporating the traditional 'overcut' and 'undercut' style approaches you see in various motorsport series, with drivers running longer or pitting earlier to receive a boost of energy.
However, concerns still remain around the technology. There are cases when a safety car may bunch up proceedings, and the safety concerns still remain over the technology.
It will be interesting to see if Formula E incorporates the pit boost feature, as they are yet to make a final decision on whether to implement the technology this season. The data from the simulation race will be analysed and a final verdict made before the season-opener next month.
From now, it's a long wait until Formula E officially gets underway in the city of Sao Paulo come 5th December, when free practice begins, and the upcoming season gets underway. Do make sure to tune in to live coverage for what is set to be another exciting season of racing.
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