Five storylines ahead of the Shanghai E-Prix
- Teagan Crump
- Jul 3
- 4 min read
As Formula E begins to reach the conclusion of Season 12, several factors are still at play. Not only are the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships undecided, but the Manufacturers’ Championship remains open as well. Many drivers will be looking to improve on their seasons so far; some will likely feel disappointed with Season 12, while others will be elated. This weekend’s Shanghai E-Prix could prove vital in the title race.
The weather
Similar to Season 11, the Shanghai E-Prix looks set to be a wet race, there is also a risk of lightning. The most affected sessions look to be Friday’s Free Practice and Saturday’s E-Prix with over 70% rain forecast for both.
Because of this, we may see drivers push during both practice sessions in case the forecast changes and qualifying becomes wet or is potentially cancelled. While a wet weekend could add drama, it also presents an additional challenge for the drivers to manage.
The races could also be red-flagged if weather becomes too severe which may disrupt the title fight.
The final few races
All of the championships are still available to be won meaning that the final six races are as important as ever. Mitch Evans still has a grasp at the top of the Drivers’ Championship but Oliver Rowland and Edoardo Mortara are second and third in the table and will be looking to capitalise on any mistakes made by the Jaguar driver.
Mathematically, all drivers are still in contention with 174 points available across six races but Evans does have a 19-point advantage over Rowland.
Additionally, the final few races will likely be important for some of the grid who face contract negotiations. The championship leader has not announced where he will be moving to in Season 13 and Jaguar are yet to announce his replacement. Many rumours are being spread about who we will see on the Season 13 grid, with some speculation that F2 drivers will transition to the all-electric series following the successes of Taylor Barnard and Pepe Martí, but nothing is confirmed as of yet.
There is one seat that remains open at Lola Yamaha ABT due to Lucas di Grassi’s retirement as the Brazilian’s successor has not yet been announced.
Will past successes help?
Last year, the Shanghai races were won by Maximilian Günther and Nick Cassidy. While Cassidy is now with a different team, he has demonstrated the pace and ability to win with Citroën.
Günther has not had the best season so far, sitting 16th in the standings with just 18 points, and will be looking to rely on his experience to secure valuable points this weekend in Shanghai.
The Jaguar duo of Mitch Evans and António Félix da Costa won the first two Shanghai E-Prix which may give them the much needed advantage this year. Both drivers are highly decorated and have had strong seasons so will surely be able to recreate past successes and finish near, if not at, the front of the field.
Out of the entire grid, only the rookies have not raced at the Shanghai International Circuit which may be seen as a disadvantage. However, they have all adapted quickly to the GEN3 Evo and have delivered some promising results.
A rookie win incoming?
The three rookies have developed significantly over the course of Season 12, with both Felipe Drugovich and Martí earning podiums while Joel Eriksson has a best result of fourth.
As the trio go from strength to strength, surely it is only a matter of time before one of them claims their first win. At Cupra Kiro, Martí has shown that he has the ability to capitalise on performance and gain impressive results on merit. Whilst his first podium did come at the expense of teammate Dan Ticktum, his drive was still impressive and deserving of recognition.
Drugovich has also demonstrated the ability to deliver strong results for Andretti, despite a time penalty that cost him a second career podium in Sanya.
Without a doubt, the three rookies have a bright future in Formula E and one of them will claim the top step of the podium soon enough.
Jaguar and Envision’s partnership
The tactical partnership between Jaguar and Envision will continue into GEN4, as announced by the teams on Wednesday, but what does it actually mean?
Envision Racing uses the Jaguar powertrain and it is an immensely successful one, having taken the most victories in the GEN3 era. Currently, Evans is leading the Drivers’ Championship whilst Jaguar lead the Manufacturers’ Championship highlighting just how successful they have been.
Both teams have talented drivers who have capitalised on the Jaguar power train and accomplished some incredible results. The partnership has definitely been positive and the teams work well together.
This weekend’s Shanghai E-Prix takes place on Saturday 4th July and Sunday 5th July at 08:05 UK time (15:05 local time).
Written by Teagan Crump
Edited by Grace Hobson
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