Conducted and written by Vyas Ponnuri
Season ten of Formula E delivered thrilling races, exciting twists, and yet another new champion. Several drivers delivered strong seasons, and on this list was Andretti-bound Nico Mueller. DIVEBOMB’s Vyas Ponnuri speaks to the Swiss racer about his season ten exploits, and his move to Andretti for season eleven.
The Andretti move: High up on Mueller’s wishlist
Mueller tunes in amidst a bike ride in Switzerland, his home nation. Signing for a top team means he will have to be in top form right from the outset, and this comes about through stronger training regimes.
“The basis for all the discussions starting was, you know, performing on track. So that's what I focused on,” Mueller expressed, speaking of maximising the package at his disposal.
As such, Mueller’s stellar fourth at Misano was followed by a private test session for the works Porsche outfit. It appeared as though the Swiss man could make his way over to the team for a race seat in 2025.
However, the spotlight soon shifted to the German team’s customer Andretti, who were seeking the Swiss racer’s services. Sure enough, the American marque was up on Mueller’s wishlist, being a top team in the series. After all, Jake Dennis took the drivers’ crown in season nine after a tense four-way battle.
“The big goal is to race for one of the top teams,” the newest Andretti man expressed. “They (Andretti) won the championship last year with Jake (Dennis). So they've proven to adapt extremely well to the Gen3 era.
“They've been a race-winning team before that and been part of Formula E for so long. So it was one of the teams very high up on my wish list if you can call it that.”
Porsche have been extensively involved in decisions for the second Andretti seat, and Mueller views this situation as a repeat of season nine when Andre Lotterer juggled his Formula E and endurance racing commitments:
“It's a familiar structure. They've had it going similarly with Andre (Lotterer) when he was there in Season nine, so I think it's kind of a known basis,” he says. “But I hope that all of us can profit from this collaboration, and I'm very happy that we managed to put it together that way.”
Mueller will be Dennis’s fourth teammate at Andretti in four seasons, following in the footsteps of Oliver Askew in season eight, Lotterer in season nine, and Nissan-bound Norman Nato in season ten.
Asked if this would bring any pressure of expectations on Mueller’s upcoming season, the Swissman brushed it off, complimenting new teammate Dennis.
“It clearly shows that Jake (Dennis) has put the bar very high up. Again, he's the Season Nine world champion. He's been extremely competitive wherever he raced. You know, also not only in Gen3 and Gen2 and Formula E.
“I've raced him (Dennis) in DTM. He has been super strong in GT cars. You know, he tested in Formula One (for Red Bull) and was impressive there. So I think he's one of the world's top drivers at the moment,” Mueller spoke highly of his new teammate.
“I'm just going to go out there and do my best. And hopefully, again, survive a bit longer than the three guys that have been in that car before me,” the Swiss driver responded, looking to fare better than the trio of teammates to Dennis earlier.
Mueller is aiming at a maiden Formula E victory, as he prepares to race for Andretti. The 32-year-old has a best finish of second at Valencia in 2021, his only podium so far. “I want to score my first victory in Formula E. I think this is pretty clear,” the 32-year-old says.
“I trust the team. They're a top team, (I am) very confident that Porsche will deliver a good package for us to be able to fight at the sharp end. And that's my goal. If we can consistently be up there and score points, I'm sure we're going to have a good season.
“So I'll just try to go out there and maximise,” Mueller responded, delving deeper into the Porsche package being capable of fighting for victories.
All ‘ABT’ maximising the package for Mueller in 2024
Maximising the package has been Mueller’s key to success. His mastery of the improving Mahindra-powered ABT Cupra helped the team secure ninth in the standings. The German team outscored their Indian counterparts, marking the only instance of a customer team finishing ahead of their powertrain suppliers in 2024.
Mueller’s season was built on consistency, as he accumulated 52 points all year. He comfortably outpaced veteran teammate Lucas Di Grassi. The Swiss racer scored a best result of fourth at Misano, losing out on a podium to the chasing Jaguar of Nick Cassidy.
“We've not had the easiest of campaigns with ABT Cupra, with the package we had. But I still think we really managed to extract the maximum that was in there,” he responded.
Mueller’s consistency also reflected the team’s improved understanding of the Gen3 car in their second year of returning to the series. “I think, as a team, we managed to understand the package better and understand the way the racing has evolved better,” the 32-year-old said.
He also believes the driver can have even more impact behind the wheel, given the minimal performance variations between the cars, something he enjoys about the sport.
“I see a good part of the responsibility for a team improving lying with the driver as well, so yeah, all together we are focused on our job. I'm a big believer that this is a formula that can work in any team in any championship.
“But in Formula E, I think you can have an even bigger impact because the racing is so complicated, and there are so many tools you can use for your benefit, but you can also mess it up. So, being on top of your own game truly makes a difference in Formula E, and that's why I love being a part of it”
Mueller secured a best result of fourth for ABT Cupra at the end of a chaotic Misano weekend. Having sat in third, hoping to finish on the podium, he lost out right at the chequered flag to Jaguar’s Nick Cassidy. However, fourth was as high as the team had run all year long, having been confined to the rear of the grid for most of their season.
Mueller cheekily joked about getting a good view of his future ride and expressed pleasure to fight at the sharp end, despite initial disappointment over missing out on an elusive maiden podium finish for the ABT Cupra team.
“It was gutting for about two hours, and I got a good view of an Andretti rear end, being in Jake's gearbox for most of the race. So, it had lots of positives.
“But yes, for sure, a couple of hours after the race, I was disappointed because we were extremely close. It couldn't be any closer than that. And we didn't quite manage just because the last little bit of luck was missing. I think you can put it that way,” the now Andretti-bound Mueller described.
He also described how an ABT Cupra podium was ‘A big surprise he wished for’. “The one big surprise of the season I wished for was an ABT Cupra podium, and we didn't quite manage to do it.
“To be honest, racing on our merit, on our pure performance at the front end, not only once but twice, three, even four times had been enough of a positive achievement to overcome this slight disappointment of not scoring that podium,” Mueller expressed, speaking volumes of the strides the team made in 2024.”
Mueller spent two years at the newly formed ABT Cupra outfit. The Swissman partnered Di Grassi and Robin Frijns, having returned to the series after a year on the sidelines.
Di Grassi is popularly known as ‘Mr Formula E’ for his vast Formula E experience, and his name is largely synonymous with Formula E’s evolution and growth. Frijns, on the other hand, is a serial podium finisher and two-time race winner. Mueller combs into the finer details of working with the duo.
“I learned a lot from both of them (Frijns and Di Grassi),” Mueller expresses. For Robin (Frijns), you know, I think he's probably one of the most talented drivers I've ever worked with.”
Additionally, both drivers share a close friendship, another important facet aiding ABT Cupra’s debut season.
“Robin's very open-minded and relaxed in his approach to go out there in extremely difficult circumstances, and purely trust his instincts and feelings,” Mueller described.
“(On the other hand) Lucas (Di Grassi) is extremely analytical and sophisticated. He has a lot of smart ideas, and he's very good at thinking outside of the box. I think that's also one thing I could take on from working with him,” the Swiss racer described his Brazilian teammate.
The tale of ‘peloton’ racing in Formula E
A major talking point in Formula E today is whether the series should race on permanent road courses. However, a new phenomenon dubbed ‘peloton’ racing has taken precedence in such racetracks.
Drivers often race in a pack to conserve energy and avoid leading for too long. As the lead car often consumes more energy to maintain the pace, the leader tends to drop back into the chasing pack to save energy. This constant shuffling translates into slower lap times.
The cycle repeats every lap until the drivers have enough energy left to drive at their normal pace until the end of the race.
This phenomenon was exaggerated at Misano, the Italian track featuring a record 544 overtakes in round six, with 18 being for the race lead alone. All in a 45-minute race.
Several drivers questioned the racing and the potential side effects. Mueller believes the key is to avoid taking damage or contact on track and staying adaptive and alert.
“I mean, the number one target, especially in the first phase of the race, is keeping your nose clean, and the wing stuck to your car as it should and, you know, avoid contact.”
“For me, there is no common rule or recipe, let's say, to be successful in these races. You just need to stay adaptive, flexible and extremely sharp with your driving, but also with the communication with your team and strategy decisions,” Mueller describes, speaking of the coordination and skill sets required during intense peloton races.
Peloton racing spilled onto street courses in 2024, with São Paulo and Berlin witnessing similarly chaotic races.
“You can’t just put two wheels on the grass in some places because there are walls, so that is the one main difference,” Mueller says, expressing the consequences of racing on street courses.
“It's much more tricky to run side-by-side for longer, as it’s just too slippery off the racing line. So, these races are even more extreme, racing side-by-side on straights.
“But then, the field jams up as it goes around corners, so this accordion effect can be even worse on street tracks,” the 32-year-old expressed just how tricky these races are from a driver’s perspective.
Juggling Formula E and Endurance commitments
Mueller is one of eight drivers racing in both Formula E as well as the World Endurance Championship (WEC). Such a dual campaign brings plenty of challenges, with drivers this year even missing the Berlin E Prix weekend to partake in the 6 Hours of Spa at Spa-Francorchamps.
Mueller was also one of four who missed the German round on the calendar. The Swiss racer pilots the No. 93 Peugeot hypercar, alongside DS Penske’s Jean-Eric Vergne, while Mikkel Jensen rounds out the trio racing for the French marque.
An experienced sports car racer himself, Mueller believes it all boils down to time management to make such an arrangement work. “Time management is the key word. I think as long as
you're well organised and properly structured, you know it's feasible,” he describes, referring to being able to give his best across both series.
Formula E and endurance racing are on opposite ends of the racing spectrum, with the former’s 45-minute race a mere sprint compared to a marathon six or eight-hour endurance race. Adaptability can be an issue, but Mueller compares it to ‘plugging into a hard drive and going off.’
“Some people ask about the risk of mixing up your driving styles and having to re-adapt to the specific car characteristics. I don't know if it's (a problem) because I've been doing the same championships or different championships at the same time for quite some years,”
“But I think it’s also because Formula E is so different to any other championship, including WEC. For me, I plug in a different hard drive, and off I go. The adaption time is ultra-short,” the Swiss racer expresses.
While it can be exhausting, Mueller believes such opportunities help him evolve and learn as a driver, even at the age of 32. Such dual campaigns open up opportunities to take part in special race weekends, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
A once-in-a-year opportunity, Mueller seeks to enjoy the weekend and the endurance aspect of the race, including the transition from day to night and vice-versa.
“Even though I've done it (24-hour races) a few times, it's still something special because you only get to do it a few times a year,” the 32-year-old expresses. “You also need a bit of adaption time, and build up the momentum, otherwise your race can be over very quickly,” Mueller continues, expressing the risk drivers face.
The added adrenaline of racing along the track’s high-speed corners is another sensation the Swiss racer awaits the annual event eagerly.
“The boost of adrenaline that you get in the night, pushing through the Porsche corners and stuff, it's absolutely amazing,” Mueller describes.
“The other thing I always tell myself when I do these races is to try and enjoy it, because it's something super special. And when you're having fun at what you do normally you do quite well so that's the approach I take,” the Swiss racer expresses, grateful to have such experiences as a racing driver.
A heartfelt thanks to Nico Mueller and Andretti for their valuable insights and for taking time out for the interview, and would like to wish them the best of luck for their upcoming race weekends.
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