Monaco ePrix: Circuit Presentation and TV Program

The seventh ePrix of the first Formula E season takes place this Saturday, May 9, in the famous city-state on the Mediterranean Sea, along the Côte d’Azur, about twenty kilometers east of Nice.

The pilots

The 10 teams involved prioritize stability just like in Long Beach. Indeed, there are still no driver changes to report. Jarno Trulli confirmed that Viantonio Liuzzi will once again represent the Trulli Formula-e Team. The same goes for Scott Speed with Andretti and Charles Pic for Nextev Tcr (better known as China Racing).

On the side of long-term contracts, the Audi Sport Abt team has already confirmed Lucas Di Grassi for the second season.

Note that this Monaco race will be truly unique for many drivers: of the 20 starting, 13 have already participated in the Monaco Grand Prix in Formula 1, while others like Sam Bird or Antonio Félix da Costa have raced on the track in promotion formulas.

The update on the Drivers’ and Constructors’ standings:

The last meeting in California saw a change of leader with Lucas Di Grassi. The Brazilian currently leads the standings with a total of 75 points. He is just ahead of the most recent winner, Nelson Piquet Jr. with 74 points, and Nicolas Prost with 69 points. Slightly behind, Sébastien Buemi is in 4th position with 55 points and Sam Bird with 52 points.

On the Constructors’ side, the French team eDams-Renault holds the lead with 124 points. 27 points behind is Audi Sport Abt with 97 points, while Virgin Racing is in 3rd position in this standings with 82 points.

But these Rankings remain very provisional: each meeting since the opening in Beijing has produced a different winner. The challenge this weekend will be to see if one of the first 6 winners will be able to achieve a second victory.

The circuit:

This Monaco ePrix will use a modified configuration of the circuit used for the Formula 1 weekend. At 1.76 kilometers long, the drivers will use the iconic start/finish line before diving completely right at Sainte-Dévote. They will then take a long straight that leads to a very tight right hairpin. The drivers will return to the classic circuit at the chicane exiting the Tunnel: they will finish using the mythical section, from the series of corners at Tabac Bureau to Anthony Noghes.

The opinion of… Jarno Trulli (Trulli Formula-e Team)

« I think it’s a relatively well-designed track, obviously in a fantastic location here! It includes half of the Formula 1 circuit, which is sufficient for a Formula E car and I am sure it will be good for overtaking. You can see that at the first turn there is a hairpin, then we reach the tunnel chicane with a big braking zone which will also be a place for overtaking. Then, you head towards the Tobacco and Swimming Pool corners, which are exciting in Formula 1. In Formula E, they will be slightly easier, but they will still remain a challenge: particularly the exit from the Swimming Pool which will be a bit slippery. The last two corners are also very familiar. So, the whole track promises to be particularly exciting! »

The TV schedule

In France, the Canal+ group has acquired the rights for the first three seasons of Formula E. It is the CanalSat Sport+ channel that will broadcast all the ePrix live.