London ePrix: Circuit Presentation and TV Schedule

The ultimate Formula E event for the 2014/2015 season is therefore taking place in the London megacity, more precisely in the heart of Battersea Park, along the Thames. We are a little over 3 kilometers west of central London, facing the district of Chelsea.

As usual, the drivers will be in action from the beginning of the Free Practice sessions on Saturday morning until the end of the race in the late afternoon. However, this time, the 20 drivers will return on Sunday for another day of competition and a second ePrix, with a format identical to Saturday.

The pilots:

Many changes are set to pepper the grid for this final round. Five drivers will make their debut in Formula E.

As announced earlier this week on our site,

Jaime Alguersuari was not allowed to participate in this London weekend. Caution is advised after he felt unwell following the last ePrix in Moscow. The Spaniard is not in full possession of his physical abilities. He is therefore replaced at Virgin Racing by Swiss driver Fabio Leimer, the 2013 GP2 series champion.

–Chez Amlin-Aguri, Sakon Yamamoto remplace Antonio Félix da Costa.

The Portuguese, winner this season in Buenos Aires, is prioritizing his DTM seat by participating in the Norisring round. This delights the Japanese, a former Formula 1 driver for Super Aguri.

-Après Michela Cerruti et Katherine Legge, une nouvelle femme fera son apparition au sein du plateau de Formule E. Simona de Silvestro roulera effectivement ce week-end pour Andretti Autosport aux côtés de Jean-Eric Vergne. Un nouveau changement de paire de pilotes est donc à signaler : au total, 8 pilotes auront roulés pour l’équipe américaine (Franck Montagny, Charles Pic, Matthew Brabham, Marco Andretti, Scott Speed et Justin Wilson ont également participé à au moins un ePrix cette saison.

-Chez l’équipe Trulli, Alex Fontana remplacera dans l’un des deux baquets Viantonio Liuzzi, qui roulera de son côté ce week-end en Super GT. Fontana est un pilote suisse de 22 ans qui a notamment participé à des courses en GP3 en 2013.

Finally, a new teammate change for Nelson Piquet. After Ho-Pin Tung, Antonio Garcia, and Charles Pic, Oliver Turvey will drive for the Chinese team NEXTEV.

Test driver at McLaren in the past, the Briton will certainly have plenty of encouragement this weekend, just like Sam Bird.

Update on the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Standings:

At the dawn of this London weekend, the uncertainty offered by the two races broadens the field of possibilities. With 60 points still up for grabs, 6 drivers are mathematically still in the running to clinch the first Formula E Drivers’ Championship title.

These drivers are as follows:

Nelson Piquet Jr (NEXTEV TCR) – 128

Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT) – 111 (+17)

Sébastien Buemi (e.dams-Renault) – 105 (+23)

Nicolas Prost (e.dams-Renault) – 82 (+46)

Jerome D’Ambrosio (Dragon Racing) – 77 (+51)

Sam Bird (Virgin Racing) – 68 (+60)

However, the odds differ depending on the candidates. It is mainly Lucas di Grassi and Sébastien Buemi who appear most capable of challenging Nelson Piquet’s position. For the leader of the World Championship, the situation is clear. Scoring a point in race 1 this Saturday would eliminate Sam Bird from the title race.

Moreover, a pole position for Piquet in the top 5 during Race 1 would also end Jérôme d’Ambrosio’s hopes, regardless of the Belgian’s performance.

Another contender with the slim chance of being crowned, Nico Prost will have to perform from Saturday onwards to stay in the race. With a 46-point deficit, the Professor’s son must hope to achieve the maximum score (Pole, Victory, and Fastest Lap), in which case Piquet would need to finish on the podium to eliminate him from contention.

At eDams, the strongest chance of triumph actually rests on the shoulders of Sébastien Buemi. Winner in Uruguay and Monaco, the Swiss driver will mainly need to finish ahead of Piquet in Race 1 to keep hope alive for the final day.

Nelson Piquet can nevertheless rely on securing the Pole or the fastest lap to maintain a sufficient lead over Buemi.

The most real threat will truly be Lucas di Grassi. The consistency of the Audi Sport Abt team driver this season is noteworthy with 6 podiums to his name. However, the disqualification of his victory in Berlin weighs heavily in the balance: he is now in the position of the hunter.

Like Buemi, Di Grassi will first have to beat Piquet on track on Saturday. But with a 17-point deficit, he will also need to attack in Qualifying and the Race to earn points for the Pole Position and/or the Fastest Lap.

Ultimately, Nelson Piquet holds all the cards at the start of the weekend. However, a problem or a poor position during Saturday’s race would very likely see his lead melt away like snow in the sun. Lucas di Grassi and Sébastien Buemi have the talent and the right car to also believe in their chances of victory and to become the first to inscribe their name in the record book of the 100% electric single-seater championship.

Among the constructors, nothing is set in stone yet, but e.dams-Renault (187 pts) is leading the race for the title against Audi Sport ABT (143 pts, 44 pts behind) and Nextev TCR (132 pts, 55 pts behind). Strong on the majority of the proposed tracks, the French team had a disappointing last meeting in Russia, earning only 8 points.

The circuit:

The London ePrix will therefore take place over two races – ePrix numbers 10 and 11 of the season, both of which will use the same circuit. The 2.925-kilometer track, laid out in a counter-clockwise direction, will utilize the roads of Battersea Park. The 20 Formula E drivers will compete on a circuit made up of a mix of fast straights and tight chicanes, with a total of 17 turns. The circuit was designed by British architect Simon Gibbons, who is already known in the Formula 1 world as a circuit designer. More recently, he played a major role in the construction of the rowing and canoeing events at the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Note:

– La ville de Londres a déjà un passé fourni dans le sport automobile. Un circuit permanent existait à Crystal Palace, le 1er Grand Prix de Londres s’y est disputé dés 1937. Jochen Rindt, champion du monde de Formule 1 1970 y établit notamment un record de vitesse en étant le premier pilote à passer la limite des 100 miles par heure lors d’une course de Formule 2.

– Mais le circuit tomba en désuétude pour ne plus servir que pour les besoins de quelques films, comme « Rush » sorti en 2013.

– La ville de Londres a aussi vibrée quelques années durant pour la Course des Champions disputé dans le stade de Wembley. Au mois de Novembre 2015, la course reviendra d’ailleurs à Londres mais cette fois dans le Stade Olympique de Londres.

The opinion of… Sam Bird (Virgin Racing)

« I am impressed by what I have seen so far! The track is set in the beautiful Battersea Park, right next to the Thames, near the Chelsea district with the most famous skyscrapers of London in the background. The circuit seems to combine fast straights and challenging chicanes. The braking zones will also be a challenge. I think the London ePrix organizers have done a great job with this layout. Spectators can expect a race full of action and overtakes! I can’t wait to drive on the circuit, in front of my own crowd! »

The TV program:

In France, the Canal+ group has acquired the rights for the first three seasons of Formula E. After broadcasting the first 9 races, the CanalSat Sport+ channel ceased to exist during the night of Friday, June 26 to Saturday, June 27. It is now the Canal+ Sport channel that takes over the broadcasting of Formula E.