Formula E Season 2 is launched: presentation of the teams involved
The 100% electric discipline made its grand return this weekend in the streets of Beijing for the start of the second season in its history. After the first season that ultimately crowned Nelson Piquet with the Drivers' title and Renault e.Dams with the Constructors' title, multiple changes have marked the off-season. Motorsinside.com provides an overview of these modifications.

You have been able to follow it on our site, the 2014-2015 Formula E season featured twenty drivers and ten teams competing in ten races held in megacities around the world. Aiming to be innovative in motorsport, Formula E experienced a certain level of success and sparked the curiosity of fans. Season 2 will certainly be just as fascinating!
Technical innovations: Opening the race for development!
The 2014-2015 Formula E season was a single-make car championship: the ten teams competed with a common model: the Spark-Renault SRT-01E, born from the collaboration between Dallara (chassis), McLaren (for electronics), and Williams (for batteries).
The 2015-2016 season will now open the competition to technical innovations: the Formula E regulations allow teams to manufacture their own powertrain. The motor as well as the battery, gearbox, and cooling system are involved.
Out of the ten teams competing this season, only two have kept the original system from the first season: Amlin-Andretti and Team Aguri.
Direct consequence of these changes? Development paths are now multiple.
For example, the DS Virgin team stands out by using two powertrains: one at the front of its car, one at the rear. They also use a single-speed gearbox solution. A bold choice that contrasts with other teams: for instance, the Renault e.Dams team uses only one engine and a two-speed gearbox, while other teams like Dragon Racing use an extended four-speed gearbox.
These innovations have been praised by Alejandro Agag, head of Formula E Holdings. The major figure in the discipline believes that it will be fascinating to see how teams will manage their new powertrains. He even goes further, stating that the interest in these modifications would exceed the simple scope of the discipline: We have already learned two essential lessons from the first season: battery cooling and battery regeneration, teams have collected a lot of data that can now be applied to everyday cars. Formula E would therefore align with the desired spirit: that of progress and a new conception of motorsport.
The fact remains that each single-seater now stands out with a characteristic sound. Here’s clear evidence of that, captured during pre-season testing at the Donington circuit:
It will therefore be very interesting to see which technical package selected will be the most convincing. An initial answer was provided this weekend by the first ePrix in Beijing.
Update on the lineup of participants: A season with a French touch!
About the stables, the main information to remember is the arrival of DS Automobiles, a brand of the PSA Peugeot Citroen group, which has partnered with Virgin Racing (already present in 2014-2015). The French manufacturer thus adds another string to its bow, with its current commitments in WRC, Dakar, or WTCC.
This arrival is proof of a massive commitment of French forces in the discipline.
Besides DS Automobiles, Renault-e.Dams is indeed still part of the adventure. With a constructors’ championship and a runner-up world championship finish with driver Sébastien Buemi in season 1, the team led by Jean-Paul Driot and Alain Prost hopes to continue its successful streak and clinch both crowns up for grabs this time.
For the rest of the lineup, two other changes are noteworthy: the Amlin structure has ended its partnership with Team Aguri to join forces with Andretti. However, Team Aguri remains present on the starting grid. On the other hand, there is still concern for the team of Italian driver Jarno Trulli. The Italian team was unable to participate in the first ePrix in Beijing and seems to severely lack competitiveness and reliability to simply finish a race.
Among the drivers, a leading figure will allow for a new development of the discipline. Jacques Villeneuve, winner of the Indianapolis 500 and Formula 1 World Champion, has joined the ranks of the Monegasque team Venturi, in place of Nick Heidfeld, who himself has joined the Indian team Mahindra Racing.
The rest of the lineup still consists of a solid team: out of the 20 participants, 10 drivers have at least taken part in a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The French drivers will also have high ambitions. Five Frenchmen are at the start: Nicolas Prost (Renault e.Dams) and Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Virgin Racing) seem best placed in the race for victories, or even for the World Championship title if consistency is maintained. However, the experience of Stéphane Sarrazin (Venturi) or the good adaptation of Loic Duval (Dragon Racing) in the discipline will also be crucial to pull off major successes. It should be noted that Loic Duval only competed in just over half of the Formula E season last year. Finally, let’s welcome the arrival of Nathanael Berthon (Team Aguri), an eminent driver in LMP2 and GP2 Series, notably a race winner in 2013.
The 26-year-old Frenchman will be one of the three rookies alongside Jacques Villeneuve or Robin Frijns, who will be racing for Andretti. Swiss driver Simona de Silvestro for Team Aguri will be the only female representative in the 2015-2016 lineup.
The Appeal of the Season 2 Calendar: Formula E Arrives in Paris!
The rumor had been growing since the end of Season 1: the French capital will indeed host a leg.
of the discipline on Saturday, April 23, 2016! Given the French impact in Formula E, one can hope that the fans will show up to support their favorites. The circuit has not yet been officially announced, but we know at this time that the site of the Esplanade des Invalides will serve as the venue for the event.
Besides Paris, Mexico City is also expected to host its first ePrix on Saturday, March 12, 2016. However, it is still necessary to speak conditionally as Alejandro Agag stated that the city has not yet been confirmed on the calendar.
If this race were to take place, it would be the first not to be held in an urban environment since it has been confirmed at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which will also host its first Formula 1 Grand Prix next week. The two cities numerically replace Miami and Monaco, for a total of ten meetings, with the last meeting in London featuring two races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Date | Country | City | |
1 | Saturday 24 October 2015 | China | Beijing |
2 | Saturday 7 November 2015 | Malaysia | Putrajaya |
3 | Saturday 19 December 2015 | Uruguay | Punta del Este |
4 | Saturday 6 February 2016 | Argentina | Buenos Aires |
5 | Saturday 12 March 2016 | Mexico | Mexico City |
6 | Saturday 2 April 2016 | United States | Long Beach |
7 | Saturday 23 April 2016 | France | Paris |
8 | Saturday 21 May 2016 | Germany | Berlin |
9 | Saturday 4 June 2016 | Russia | Moscow |
10 | Saturday 2 July 2016 | United Kingdom | London |
11 | Sunday 3 July 2016 | United Kingdom | London |