Formula E – Punta del Este ePrix: Circuit Presentation and TV Schedule

The third ePrix of the first Formula E season will take place this Saturday, December 13, in Punta del Este, a Uruguayan seaside resort located in the department of … Maldonado (no connection with the Lotus driver, of course).

Les pilotes

Three changes are to be noted in the lineup, two of which are from the Andretti team. The first was announced a few days ago, it is the arrival of Jean-Eric Vergne in Formula E for this Argentine round. The Frenchman was supposed to team up with Franck Montagny, but the F1 commentator on Canal+ is ill, and the American team has decided to call upon Matthew Brabham – who had replaced Charles Pic at Putrajaya – to support Vergne.

On the Japanese team Amlin Aguri’s side, Katherine Legge will be absent for the third round of Formula E due to other commitments. The British driver will be replaced by Salvador Duran, a Mexican driver who has competed in A1 GP, Formula Renault 3.5, and British F3.

The circuit

The circuit – 2.8 km long, composed of 20 turns – winds through the streets of the “Saint Tropez” of Uruguay, as Punta del Este is sometimes called. It runs counterclockwise and features a mix of fast and slow turns – including a hairpin at turn 19 and two right-angle turns at curves 8 and 9. There are also three long straights, which should make it a fairly fast track.

The opinion of… Oriol Servia (Dragon Racing)

« The layout reminds me a lot of Surfers Paradise [an Australian track in the city of the same name, editor’s note]. Apart from the location near the beach, the way the track is designed is also similar, a bit like a ‘mini Surfers Paradise’. I like it because it worked well for me as I once got pole position there! At turns 3 and 4, there’s a fast chicane that should be taken flat out. Then we have a second chicane. […] There’s a hairpin at turns 8 and 9, which is like a corner with two apexes. There will be a lot of time to lose or gain here. It’s also a heavy braking zone, which could be good for energy recovery. »

The TV program

In France, the Canal+ group has acquired the rights for the first three seasons of Formula E. It will be CanalSat’s Sport+ channel that will broadcast all the ePrix live. Laurent Dupin, who covers Formula 1 Grand Prix for Canal+, and Renaud Derlot, who already comments on GP2, will provide commentary for the races this season.