New York ePrix: Presentation and Stakes

Will the champion be French or British?

The championship will be contested between Jean-Éric Vergne and Sam Bird this weekend, with only twenty-three points separating them in the standings before these last two races. However, a poor performance by the Frenchman in one of the two races would be necessary for the Briton to be in a position to claim the title from the Techeetah driver.

But the DS Virgin driver will have the advantage of confidence, having won both races held on American soil last year. In any case, the battle will be tough, as it will inevitably go all the way to the checkered flag of the last race of this fourth season. On the manufacturers’ side, Techeetah is almost already assured of finishing ahead of DS Virgin, which is more than 50 points behind the Chinese team in the championship, in third position behind Audi.

Who will have a Hollywood ending in New York City? 😉 #ABBFormulaE @JeanEricVergne @sambirdracing @DSVirginRacing @TecheetahFE pic.twitter.com/yYVf97EQrD

— ABB Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) 30 juin 2018

This final ePrix of the season will be tinged with a certain emotion, as it will witness the last laps of the pioneering single-seaters of the electric championship, which started in 2014 during the first races of the championship. These single-seaters have sparked a revolution in the automotive world and in the way we view racing. The electric technology at the heart of these machines has continuously progressed. They will be replaced next season by a second generation of more autonomous and faster cars.

The emotion will be doubled, like the number of races this weekend, as it will represent Renault’s swan song in the discipline. Indeed, the French manufacturer, which has been associated with the DAMS team since the beginning of the championship, will be replaced by Nissan within the structure next year. This will surely provide Sébastien Buemi with extra motivation to clinch a final Formula E victory for Renault. The team has won no fewer than 15 victories in the discipline, as well as three consecutive constructors’ titles.

To conclude, these last two races may be the final ones for a number of drivers. Nicolas Prost and Jérôme d’Ambrosio, who have not been renewed with their respective teams (Renault e-dams for one and Dragon for the other), might well compete in their last two races in the discipline this weekend. However, this is not a certainty, as both drivers are actively seeking a new seat for next year.

At Venturi, one of the two drivers, either Maro Engel or Edoardo Mortara, will no longer be present next season, as the Monegasque team has announced the recruitment of Felipe Massa for season five. What about Alex Lynn and José Maria Lopez? The former, who is struggling to perform, might be affected by the new partnership between Virgin and Audi. The German brand seemingly wishes to place one of its drivers within the British team. José Maria Lopez’s situation is more unclear, as he has not yet been extended with the Dragon team, although a contract renewal might be proposed in the coming months.

Red Hook with New York as a backdrop

The event will take place in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, specifically located in the city’s port. The single-seaters will follow the edges of the Hudson, offering us laps with a breathtaking view of Liberty Islands and the Manhattan skyline. The track, which has been extended compared to last year, features 14 turns over a distance of 2.3 kilometers. However, unlike many circuits on the calendar, this track has very few 90-degree turns but many fast curves. Drivers will also have more overtaking opportunities on this new layout compared to the previous one.

Hop aboard a Formula E for a quick virtual tour of the New York circuit:

The latest information to remember

The Chinese round in Hainan confirmed for Season 5:

Although there were recently doubts about the actual occurrence of this event next year, the new race on the Chinese island of Hainan will indeed take place. This has been confirmed by the discipline’s leaders. The race will take place specifically in the city of Sanya, located at the southern tip of the island, offering a stunning view of the South China Sea. The chosen date is March 23rd, two weeks after the Hong Kong race. However, the circuit has not yet been revealed.

Electric race series @FIAformulaE is heading to Sanya, China, in its fifth season — “an idyllic setting for a Formula E race” 🇨🇳https://t.co/n5RqyFGAk6

— CNN Sport (@cnnsport) 3 juillet 2018

Adjustments made to the regulations for the next season:

The first notable change concerns the format of the qualifications. Drivers will still be divided into four groups based on championship positions, but there will no longer be a draw to determine the order of the group’s run. The top six drivers in the championship will go first, followed by the next six drivers in the standings, and so on. Additionally, from now on, it will be the six fastest drivers, not five, who will compete in the super pole to accommodate a grid of 22 cars instead of today’s 20.

The second change concerns penalties for changing elements on the cars. Each single-seater will be allowed two recovery systems, two inverters, two gearboxes, and batteries per season. In the event of exceeding the quota, a penalty of 20 grid positions will be applied.

Similarly, under Full Course Yellow procedure (neutralization procedure that requires drivers to activate the speed limiter), the cars will be required to maintain a minimum distance from the leader’s car. The last two changes include the modification of the minimum weight of the cars from 880 kilograms to 900 kilograms, as well as the permission for teams to collect data on the cars during the Parc Fermé procedure.

Second-generation single-seater crash tests pose a problem:

Several manufacturers are reportedly encountering difficulties in passing all the mandatory crash test stages to approve their second-generation cars. The most critical part concerns the rear suspension system, which is designed to protect the survival cell in the event of an impact at the rear wheels. The FIA requirement is that this part of the car must withstand a load of 112 kilonewtons without sustaining any damage. These numerous issues have delayed the testing programs of several manufacturers, who have until July 31 to homologate their cars.

No driver change at Jaguar, James Rossiter joins Techeetah, and Sylvain Filippi becomes director of DS Virgin:

The Jaguar team has announced that it will retain its current driver duo of Nelson Piquet and Mitch Evans for season five. The team has made notable progress this season compared to last year. The brand-new single-seater designed by Jaguar could allow them to aim even higher in the rankings.

On the Techeetah side, James Rossiter has been hired as a development driver. The Briton had already held this role with several Formula 1 teams, including Force India, Super Aguri, and Honda. He is currently racing in Super Formula in Japan. Rossiter had also tested the team’s single-seater during the rookie tests held in Marrakech at the beginning of the season.

And finally, the DS Virgin team has confirmed Sylvain Filippi as team director with immediate effect. The Frenchman had been appointed to the position temporarily following the departure of Alex Tai, which has been effective for several races now. It is a great promotion for this team member from the beginning of the championship, after having served as operations director and deputy director of DS Virgin.

The TV schedule

For the last time this season, MotorsInside invites you to join them for the report on these two New York races and the name of the fourth Formula E champion.