Written by Jacob Awcock and Jake O'Callaghan
The Formula E season dawns upon us, and the grid wears a largely changed look to the one that took to the track for the inaugural season of the Gen3 era. Driver changes galore over the winter break, with only three teams maintaining the same driver line-up going into season ten.
This two part piece will focus on the 2024 Formula E grid. The first part dives into the line-ups of some big names, including 2023 champions Envision Racing, and Andretti Global, the team of the reigning drivers' champion Jake Dennis.
Envision Racing: Robin Frijns and Sebastian Buemi
Having topped the teams championship last time round, Envision Racing will be looking to go one better and claim both the drivers and constructors titles this season. Last year the Silverstone based team managed to pip Jaguar to the constructors championship by just 12 points but missed out on the drivers championship by ten points.
They were left to rue a collision between championship contender Nick Cassidy and his Envision teammate Sebastian Buemi which, had it not occurred, would have shifted the dynamic of the championship battle dramatically.
Team principal Sylvain Fillipi replaced last year's championship contender Nick Cassidy, who has departed for rival team Jaguar, with Dutchman Robin Frijns who returns to the team having spent four seasons at the team, claiming 12 podiums during his time there.
He will partner 2015-16 Formula E world champion Sebastian Buemi, who begins his second season with Envision in search of a second world title. The ex-F1 driver has become somewhat of a veteran in Formula E with this season set to mark his 125th race in the series having been a part of the inaugural race in 2014.
There is no doubt that Envision have a bank of experience and ability in their team, both drivers with over 200 combined race starts and a total of 43 podiums, which they hope will be able to deliver them championship glory.
Andretti: Jake Dennis and Norman Nato
Andretti enter this season as the team to beat. Having won the drivers championship last season, there is no doubt Jake Dennis and Andretti will have a target on their back, and be the ones to beat on the grid. The team led Brit Jake Dennis to world championship glory which he claimed at his home race in London on the final day of the season.
Dennis comes into this season with the aim of being a two-time world champion, and only the second driver to win back-to-back world championships in Formula E history. It is safe to say, however, that Jake has not been starved of racing opportunities over the summer break, having been given the opportunity to take part in FP1 at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix for Red Bull.
He was also able to take part in the postseason test there, clocking up the laps in arguably one of the most dominant race cars of all time.
The Brit is partnered with a new driver for this season in the form of Norman Nato, who will be starting only his third full season in Formula E having acted as a reserve driver for multiple seasons. He will look to add to his 2 podiums and 1 race victory and outperform his teammate in what will be a challenging test for the Frenchman.
The pressure of the competition snapping at their heels will undoubtedly spur Andretti on this season and they will look to maintain a similar level of performance for the coming season and beat the competition in both championships as a supposed to just one.
With a powerful pairing they will fancy their chances heading into the first round in Mexico, which they won with Dennis last year.
Porsche: Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix Da Costa
2023 was a tale of two stories for Porsche; a strong start to the campaign with Pascal Wehrlein seemingly cementing himself as a championship contender tailed off towards the end of the season as he and Porsche failed to make results count and their championship hopes slowly sizzled out.
This season, they will look to learn from their mistakes in 2023 and deliver a much more prosperous campaign with championship glory their main aim.
Porsche are one of three teams to keep the same driver line-up for this season and it is without doubt a powerful pairing. A combined 12 wins and 26 podiums and over 400 racing laps led, between the two drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix Da Costa makes Porsche a team to fear.
Both drivers will inevitably fancy themselves as championship contenders, and will both be gunning for glory both on and off the track. Last year both drivers remained fairly well behaved but it would not be surprising if tensions began to show and cracks begin to form when the pair are competing fiercely over the championship.
Both are passionate and competitive individuals who will look to get any advantage possible over the other and team principal Florian Modlinger will have to keep these fiery feelings under control if his team is to have any chance of championship glory.
NEOM McLaren Formula E Team: Jake Hughes, Sam Bird
Mclaren go into their sophomore season in Formula E hoping for a return to the successes the team enjoyed under their previous guise, Mercedes. 2023 was a difficult year for the papaya outfit, only managing eighth place in the Teams’ Championship. They managed to secure one podium and two poles over the season.
2024 is a fresh start for the team. They have retained British driver Jake Hughes after an impressive rookie season in Formula E in 2023. Hughes recorded eight points finishes in 2023, with a season-high of fifth achieved on three occasions; in Mexico, Diriyah, and Monaco.
Alongside Hughes, McLaren have signed veteran Formula E driver Sam Bird. The London native has raced in Formula E since its inception in 2014, and over the course of 112 starts has recorded 11 wins and 26 podiums.
Bird departed the Jaguar team after a fraught 2023 campaign which was bookmarked by multiple collisions with his then-teammate Mitch Evans. Despite this, he managed four podiums including his season-best finish of second in Berlin.
McLaren will be focusing on an improved campaign for 2024, with their sights set on achieving more podiums and becoming victorious for the first time in Formula E.
Winning the Teams’ Championship may be seen by many as unrealistic for the budding team in the coming season, but Formula E is one of the most unpredictable motorsports in the world, so only time will tell.
ERT Formula E Team: Dan Ticktum, Sergio Sette Camara
The newly-named ERT Formula E Team (formerly NIO 333) will begin their 2024 campaign on the back of another difficult year for the Chinese squad. The team only managed ninth in the Teams’ Championship, with nine points finishes in 32 total entries between their two drivers.
However, this was the team’s best championship finish since their eighth place finish in 2018. The team has retained their lineup of Dan Ticktum and Sergio Sette Camara for the coming season.
Dan Ticktum had a solid run of performances in 2023 with the team, scoring seven top-ten finishes, amounting to 28 points. His season-best finish was sixth, which he recorded twice in Cape Town and Monaco.
Ticktum competed in the Macau Grand Prix over the winter break, finishing thirteenth in the main race. Ticktum is known for an abrasive personality, but his on-track performances have cemented him as the team leader going into 2024.
Sergio Sette Camara had a more difficult campaign in 2023, with only two points finishes in Hyderabad and Rome, his season-best coming at the former, with a fifth place finish. He brought home 14 points for the team, landing him in 20th in the Drivers’ Championship. The Brazilian driver will hope for an improved season in 2024.
ERT will be hoping to reach higher heights in 2024, with a new name hoping to revitalize the outfit. They have struggled in years past as they develop their own powertrains which have often been underperforming compared to some of their competitors.
ABT Cupra - Lucas Di Grassi, Nico Mueller
ABT Cupra Formula E Team had a baptism of fire in their first season in 2023. The team finished 11th and dead-last in the Teams’ Championship, with a mere six points finishes across 30 entries. Their points haul was almost half that of the team above them in the championship, Mahindra. Despite these difficulties, there were some highlights in 2023, including a sensational 1-2 result in a rainy Berlin Qualifying. The team enter 2024 with a changed driver lineup.
ABT Cupra retained Swiss driver Nico Mueller, who in 2023 recorded the majority of the team’s points, 15 out of 21. His best finish was an impressive sixth place in Rome. His 15 points were only enough for 19th in the championship, and he will be looking for improvement going into 2024.
Alongside Mueller is a new face, that of Formula E champion Lucas Di Grassi. Di Grassi has started every Formula E race in history except one. The Brazilian has 13 wins and 40 podiums in 113 starts. He won the championship in 2016 with Audi.
Di Grassi, however, is coming off the back of his worst-ever season in the sport. He struggled with an underperforming Mahindra Racing team, only scoring 32 points and finishing 15th in the championship. Despite this, his best result was an impressive podium, finishing third at the season opener in Mexico.
Di Grassi will be hoping Mahindra have stepped it up with their powertrains, as ABT Cupra is a customer of the Indian company. His only non-start in Formula E history was due to a suspension fault in Cape Town 2023 that forced the withdrawal of all Mahindra-powered cars from the event.