Five storylines ahead of the São Paulo E-Prix
- Teagan Crump
- 10 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Written by Teagan Crump, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
With Season 12 of Formula E getting underway this weekend in São Paulo, there are many storylines developing and shaping the season. DIVEBOMB takes a look into the biggest stories ahead of the first race weekend......
Big money moves: Which drivers have switched teams?
Ahead of Season 12, the likes of Taylor Barnard, António Félix da Costa, Nico Müller, Nick Cassidy and Jean-Éric Vergne all switched teams. Fans are eager to see how they will perform. At pre-season testing, the five drivers who switched had varied results. All of them managed to finish at least one of the days in the top ten, but were also positioned lower down the field on some of the other days.
The variation of results shows that some drivers have adapted to their new cars quickly, whereas others have struggled slightly more with the change.
This storyline will be one to watch, not only during this race weekend but across the season as a whole. It could lead to some uncomfortable conversations about whether or not drivers have made the correct choices.
Mitch Evans and António Félix da Costa — how will Jaguar fare in Season 12?
After two seasons partnering Nick Cassidy, Mitch Evans will have a new teammate for Season 12. Both Evans and da Costa have a wealth of experience in Formula E, but will Jaguar choose a number one driver? Or will the two be free to battle amongst themselves?
Some fans may believe that Evans’ loyalty to Jaguar would make him the favourite, and with da Costa being ‘the new kid on the block’, the team have less history and would not give him the ascendancy at Jaguar.
We have seen some friendships become stale through the close competition in Formula E, and fans may be wary that Evans and da Costa may become rivals, and Jaguar will not be prepared to handle that situation.
The rise of the Season 12 rookies?
This year, we have three Formula E rookies. Felipe Drugovich, Joel Eriksson and Pepe Martí all have a big challenge to adapt to. Many other rookies have struggled adapting to the requirements of driving a Formula E car, such as the balance of power usage and aggressive driving.
Seemingly, Joel Eriksson struggled as he set the slowest time in the overall testing classification. However, he has the most experience in the all-electric series out of all the rookies, so this could be seen as an advantage. He has an insight on how to maximise performance for races and qualifying, as well as an indication of how the other drivers may react.
Felipe Drugovich also brings two Formula E race starts of experience with him into Season 12, which could be advantageous. It is also potentially helpful that he is partnering Jake Dennis. Dennis has a lot of experience with different teammates, so can advise Drugovich on what he has seen working previously.
Pepe Martí brings the least Formula E experience out of all of the rookies for Season 12. He may struggle during the first few races as he will have to adapt from the FIA Formula 2 car, one that is notoriously challenging to a Formula E car, a car that is also challenging but for different reasons.
Many people will be interested to see how the rookies perform, with a potential focus on Pepe Martí as the predecessor of the F2 to Formula E pipeline. Barnard, the previous driver to make the move, claimed five podiums in his first full season.
Cupra Kiro and Dan Ticktum- a match made in heaven?
Dan Ticktum is entering his fifth Formula E season, and has been with the same team (despite the various names that they have had) since the start. Whilst his first few seasons were a struggle, Ticktum proved the critics wrong in Season 11, showing that he had matured not only as a person, but as a racing driver.
Towards the end of last season, Ticktum claimed his maiden victory at the Jakarta E-Prix. He claimed pole position for the final race of the season in London. At pre-season testing, he had the eighth fastest time overall, but was actually the fastest driver on track during the third session.
This season could see Ticktum fighting at the front of the grid- he has the drive and determination. Pair that with a good car and Ticktum could be a challenger for wins and podiums. The fact that he has been with Cupra Kiro for so many seasons will also be helpful, as he knows the team and will have confidence in his side of the garage.
Can Oliver Rowland defend his title?
One of the biggest questions going into this season is ‘Can Oliver Rowland become a back-to-back champion?’ Notoriously, it is rare for Formula E to have the same champion in successive years — the only man to do so is Jean-Éric Vergne, winning both Season 4 and Season 5.
Rowland was relatively successful at pre-season testing- he was the second fastest driver overall, and fastest in Test Session 6. However, he looks set to have some stiff competition. Mahindra’s Mortara was the only man to set a faster overall time than Rowland, and he was also consistently at the top of the timing sheets. Additionally, Season 10 champion Wehrlein looks to be one of the fastest drivers on the grid ahead of Season 12.
The title fight for Season 12 will certainly be interesting. Some drivers are looking to add to their achievements by winning another title, whilst some are chasing their first. Formula E has a long season ahead, and the fight for glory will certainly be captivating.
