Rome ePrix: Presentation and Stakes

The Techeetah legion and centurion Vergne ready to go to battle.

The leader of the championship is still named Jean-Éric Vergne. After already securing two victories this season, the latest of which was achieved after an epic duel against Lucas Di Grassi in Punta del Este, the Frenchman will have only one intention in the streets of Rome: to win or at least gather more significant points to strengthen his position.

Felix Rosenqvist still holds a slim lead of three points over Sam Bird for second place in the standings. The Swede lost a large part of his lead in the last race where he only managed to take fifth place, while the Briton from DS Virgin took the last spot on the podium, confirming his now customary consistency.

For Sébastien Buemi, he will have to quickly get back in the saddle after the major disappointment of the last ePrix where the Swiss driver had to retire following a driving mistake, breaking a rear suspension in the process. Although he is now more than twenty points behind the aforementioned drivers, the leader of Renault e-dams will need to get back on track to maintain a slim chance of securing a second championship crown.

Regarding Jaguar driver Nelson Piquet, it’s the qualifying session that ruined his last weekend, as the former F1 driver suffered a major crash against an Uruguayan wall. This relegated him to the back of the grid (fifteenth place) and a regrettable retirement from the race. There is no doubt that he will manage to recover, but his last hopes of a title seem to have unfortunately disappeared.

To conclude on the stakes of this race, let’s now focus on the case of the reigning champion Lucas Di Grassi, who finally managed to score big points in Punta del Este with a convincing second place that could have easily turned into a victory. This allowed him to climb to the tenth place in the championship, reducing his deficit to the lead to 88 points. Even though he no longer has any hope for the title, the upcoming race in Rome, if it unfolds smoothly, should help him regain confidence in himself and, most importantly, in his car.

The Eternal City goes electric

The Roman circuit, which measures 2.84 kilometers and has 21 corners, will be located in the heart of the residential district of the Esposizione Universale di Roma. The track, which will be one of the longest on the calendar, will use as its start-finish line Italy’s longest avenue, named Via Cristoforo Colombo. The single-seaters will then pass around the Obelisco di Marconi (dating from the 1960 Olympic Games) and the Colosseo Quadrato (or Palace of Civilization).

For more details on the route through the streets of the city twinned with Paris, here is a video illustration:

Your first look at the Circuto Cittadino Dell’EUR, ahead of next weekends 2018 CBMM Niobium #RomeEPrix presented by Mercedes EQ!

Thoughts? #ABBFormulaE pic.twitter.com/gxaB1MCoZE — ABB Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) 8 avril 2018

The latest information to remember

Amusing detail, the small world of Formula E takes advantage of its visit to Rome to meet… Pope Francis. It’s not every day that racing drivers receive the blessing of the sovereign pontiff!

Earlier this morning @fiaformulae Championship leader @jeanericvergne and our Team Principal @markpreston3 were #blessed by @Pontifex at the Vatican ahead of the inaugural #RomeEprix. We are very honoured to have been invited and what an unforgettable moment! pic.twitter.com/u7ApCXpZ2n

— TECHEETAH (@TecheetahFE) 11 avril 2018

Tom Dillmann is expected to replace Edoardo Mortara for the Berlin ePrix:

The French driver Tom Dillmann is expected to be chosen to replace Edoardo Mortara at least for the Berlin race, but possibly also for the final round in New York, which includes two races. The regular Venturi driver is busy with DTM on the Lausitzring for the German Formula E round and at Zandvoort for the New York round. The 28-year-old Alsatian, 2016 Formula V8 3.5 champion, already competed in seven races in the discipline last season for Venturi. Dillmann has also conducted private tests with the team on several occasions and participated in the Monteblanco tests. His program could be complemented by participating in the World Endurance Championship with ByKolles Racing in the LMP1 category. The two other serious candidates for the seat were Stéphane Sarrazin and James Rossiter. However, the Frenchman signed a contract with DS to conduct tests for next year’s car. The Briton is unavailable for the Berlin ePrix due to his Super GT Japan schedule and cannot be designated as Mortara’s replacement since only three drivers can race for each team per season.

Some information regarding the two test days in Monteblanco:

Two days of testing were organized at the Monteblanco circuit in Spain, on March 26 and 28. Although these tests were held under confidentiality, some information has leaked. First of all, several anonymous drivers revealed that the halo did not pose a significant obstacle to track visibility. The same goes for the wheel fairings, which only slightly hinder visibility. The seven manufacturers Audi, DS, Jaguar, Mahindra, Nissan, Penske, and Venturi were indeed present for both days with no less than 2000 kilometers of cumulative driving. Monday was, as expected, focused on extensive work to become familiar with the operation of the cars and their various systems.

The future is here! Say hello to the #M5Electro. #passioneering pic.twitter.com/isbK5j8VSP

— Mahindra Racing (@MahindraRacing) 29 mars 2018

Be aware that the track included two chicanes on the start-finish straight, resulting in lap times estimated around one minute one. Regarding driving sensations, the drivers interviewed were enthusiastic about the power gain and the different engine modes. On the teams’ side, the cooling of the new generation of batteries proved satisfactory, and the standard parts provided by the various manufacturers also gave satisfaction. Concerning the tires, the new single-seaters were equipped with the second generation of Michelin rubber, without notable differences, despite a very abrasive track.

To conclude, Wednesday saw the teams focus on long stints and standing start tests at the end of the pit lane. Two teams did little running and some were equipped with sensors that are not allowed in races to collect crucial data.

Venturi creates its academy for young drivers:

The Monegasque structure led by Gildo Pastor has decided to launch its academy for young drivers dedicated to electric motorsport. The goal of this structure is clearly to train its future Formula E drivers. The first eight selected members come from various backgrounds. First, there are two karting drivers, Louis Iglesias aged 9 and Benjamin Cartery aged 14. Then, two F4 France drivers, Pierre-Louis Chovet, 16, and Charles Leclerc’s brother, Arthur Leclerc, who is 17. Venturi also chose three e-Sports drivers, Maxime Pain, 21, Kevin Leaune, 29, and Gaétan Goarant, aged 29. The last member of the academy is none other than the 19-year-old Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci, who will be driving next year for a second season in GP3.

TV program

Formula E is returning to Europe at times without significant time differences. You will have three ways to follow the event. First, on Canal+ Sport where the qualifying session will begin at 11:55 AM and the race at 3:50 PM. You also have the option to watch the race for free on TNT and channel C8 starting at 3:55 PM. Finally, via the Eurosport channel which will broadcast the qualifications at noon and the race at 4:00 PM.