Testing, Transfers and Rumors: The Latest Formula E News
As the Formula E off-season is in full swing, let's take a look back at the latest information in the world of electric single-seaters.
Three days of testing sessions in Valencia:
The Formula E cars of season four returned to the track at the Valencia circuit in Spain for three days of preseason testing on October 2, 3, and 5. The best time of the first day was set by Oliver Turvey (NIO Formula E Team) with 1:18.565, ahead of the irrepressible Sébastien Buemi (Renault e.Dams) and Lucas Di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler). On the second day, it was Sébastien Buemi (Renault e.Dams) who recorded the best time of 1:21.890, in front of Felix Rosenqvist (Mahindra Racing) and Sam Bird (DS Virgin Racing). Finally, during the last testing session, it was again Oliver Turvey (NIO Formula E Team) who was the fastest with 1:21.822, quite far from his best time of the first day, ahead of Daniel Abt (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler) and Jean-Eric Vergne (Techeetah).
It is difficult to establish a hierarchy due to the disparity in the different teams’ programs. The most alarming observation concerns the Venturi team, which was unable to complete many of the necessary laps to gather data, due to an unreliable gearbox. The Monegasque team also faces challenges in choosing the drivers who will compete in the season. These three days were also marked by incidents caused by a chicane installed in the straight line to slow down the cars, consisting of a concrete wall. A second chicane was added on the second day to improve the situation, which did not prevent other incidents from occurring.
The Latest on Transfers:
As Nelson Piquet has left the Chinese team NIO (formerly known as NEXTev), his replacement has quickly been unveiled as Italian Luca Filippi, a newcomer to the discipline. The 32-year-old driver participated in three races in the Blancpain GT Series this season. The Italian has also raced in IndyCar, with a podium to his name, but is especially notable for his performance in GP2, where he was vice-champion in 2011, behind a certain Romain Grosjean. Replacing the champion of the first season of Formula E will not be an easy task, especially as a rookie in the discipline, alongside Oliver Turvey, who will aim to assert himself as the team’s leader. On the Andretti team side, Portuguese driver Antonio Felix Da Costa has been extended to compete in the upcoming season in the discipline for the third consecutive season with the American team. The extension of the Portuguese driver is not a real surprise since BMW, a major supporter of the team, employs him in the Blancpain GT Series. The second seat has not been officially awarded, but the spot will likely be contested between Tom Blomqvist and Alexander Sims, who are also BMW drivers.
Nissan could replace Renault in Formula E:
The news could make a big splash in the Formula E world as it seems the Renault Nissan alliance is considering revising its strategy. Indeed, it appears the idea is to have Nissan replace Renault in the discipline. Let us remember that the Renault e.Dams team has won all the constructors’ titles since the championship’s inception. Mike Carcamo, who heads Nissan’s sporting branch (NISMO), visited the team during the Valencia tests. The idea would clearly be to bring Nissan back into the spotlight after the failure of the LMP1 program in the World Endurance Championship. This license change could take place for the 2018-2019 season and would be welcomed by Alejandro Agag, the CEO of the series, who strongly wishes for a Japanese manufacturer to join the championship. Although Sébastien Buemi races for Toyota in endurance, this does not seem to threaten his position in the team. Since the team’s license is held by Jean-Paul Driot and Alain Prost, the team’s management will not be affected by this change.
The Santiago Circuit Revealed:
The track of the Chilean capital, which will host Formula E for the first time on February 2, 2018, was revealed during a demonstration of the SPARK STR_01E (the series’ demonstration car) driven by local driver Eliseo Salazar in the streets of Santiago. The circuit that will be used by the Formula E cars is 2.46 km long and will pass through downtown Santiago, with the start/finish line located on Santa Maria Avenue, which runs over the Mapacho River. The rest of the track will take them around Baquedano Square, through the Forestal Park, bringing the cars back to the starting straight. In total, the circuit will have 12 turns. The race, which will host the fourth round of the 2017-2018 championship, will be the first organized in the country since the 1950 Grand Prix won by Juan Manuel Fangio, which was not part of an international championship.
Breaking: #FormulaE set for Santiago’s streets with 2018 Antofagasta Minerals #SantiagoEPrix https://t.co/S1TJHPEKrN pic.twitter.com/9D59ZFD6c3
— FIA Formula E (@FIAformulaE) 12 octobre 2017
