Written by Vyas Ponnuri
It has been over 180 days since 22 Formula E drivers and 11 teams lined up on the grid at Mexico City, for the first race of an iconic season. Yes, the tenth season of Formula E was finally underway, with plenty of excitement and fervour coming into the season.
As they say, time flies. It's almost as though the inaugural Formula E season got underway only recently, when in fact it was a decade ago, in 2014, when teams and drivers lined up on the streets of Beijing to kick start a brand new series.
The series has evolved and grown ever since, racing on five different continents, and in some of the biggest countries.
From as many as four different stateside venues, to Latin American venues in Chile, Brazil, and Argentina, to the historic locales of Marrakesh in Morocco, and a debut appearance in the subcontinent in season nine, as well as a much-awaited appearance in the Land of the Rising Sun, there's no doubt Formula E has traversed diverse locales in the past decade.
The cars have evolved by leaps and bounds, from drivers swapping cars in the Gen1 era when a single car couldn't do a full race distance alone, to the mouth-watering prospect of fast charging potentially making its way into the series, and adding a greater element of strategy into the game.
The championship has evolved from a driver's perspective too. From a series of ex-Formula One drivers and retiring veterans racing, many youngsters across junior series worldwide now look at Formula E as a potential opportunity to show their talents, with drivers even choosing to make their way into the series directly from Formula 2.
The series has made its way into the fourth on the most-watched racing series over the past 10 years, due to a series of measures making the championship accessible to those watching on their televisions at home, and those who head out to watch the race live from the venue.
As such, there's no doubt Formula E has grown by leaps and bounds, even before taking into account economic and sustainable goals the series has achieved, and aims to achieve going into the future. Under new ownership too, it will be entering a new era, perhaps set to be one of continued growth, and a role model for other electric racing series to follow.
Unpredictability is a factor right at the core of Formula E, and the tenth instalment of the series has been no different: Eight different race winners, six different teams on the top step of the podium, and as many as 13 of the 22 full-time names finding themselves on the podium atleast once in 2024.
Yet, despite the sheer number of winners, it looks as though the season has been largely about one driver — Antonio Felix Da Costa, whose Formula E season encapsulates the yo-yoing nature of the series.
Despite sitting a vast yawning 33 points off championship leader Nick Cassidy, he is still in with a firm shout to win a second Formula E title this weekend. Of course, his form guide is nothing to scoff at: Four wins in the last five races is euphoric for any Formula E racer, let alone someone who has experienced the sheer emotional rollercoaster as Da Costa has in 2024.
The Portuguese driver's season is one of the many memorable moments season ten has witnessed. A first race in Tokyo has arguably been the biggest highlight for the series this year, with Formula E finally earmarking a round for a highly anticipated race weekend.
Racing on road courses such as Misano and Shanghai are just glimpses of evidence displaying just how far Formula E has come since the early days, from being a series racing on street circuits, to finally making the step up to permanent racing facilities.
Drivers themselves have experienced highs this season: Sam Bird gave NEOM McLaren a feel-good maiden victory at Sao Paulo, while Max Gunther displayed another of his special drives to win at Tokyo.
A podium-sitter in both races, Oliver Rowland and Nissan have been nothing short of extraordinary this year, a memorable run for both driver and team seeing them rise to the lofty heights of being in championship contention too.
NEOM McLaren reserve Taylor Barnard showed quick skills on the go to bring home handy points for the papaya team during his three-race stint as stand-in for the injured Sam Bird, while Jehan Daruvala has settled in at Maserati alongside Max Gunther.
Nico Muller has been another stellar performer this year, almost bringing home a podium for ABT Cupra at Misano, and often been a points-scorer this year, a testament to his improved skills in his second and final season for the team.
All these gladiators are set to converge in the land of the Big Ben and the Tower Bridge for one last time in 2024, eager to round off their seasons on a high, and for some, become the champion of Formula E's milestone season. With the energy levels bubbling and the anticipation building, this is a weekend you don't want to miss.
The layout for the weekend
After a series of high-speed, road course circuits, the series returns to a narrower street track, this time around the peculiar layout rounding the ExCel Arena in London.
A lap of this 20-turn, 2.09 km (1.2 mi) circuit begins indoor, taking the drivers into the left-right section of turns one and two. This is an overtaking spot for drivers, with the wide exit off turn one and into turn two expected to see drivers scrapping hard into the ensuing right hander.
They are then greeted by a similar series of corners in turns three and four, which are expected to see battles carrying on from the previous two turns on the circuit, as the squeal of the tyres rebounds off the surroundings.
The right-hander of turn five takes the drivers out into the open briefly, a steep decline greeting them into another indoor section of turns six and seven, a tricky section as the drivers deal with the transition of going from outdoors to back indoors again.
A kink of turn eight later, the drivers arrive at the right-hander of turn nine, now outdoor, and heading onto the first of two straights on the race track.
Turn ten presents the best overtaking opportunity on the circuit, a quick right-to-left chicane allowing drivers to emerge alongside their rival, and slingshot ahead at the chicane. Another quick section of turns 12 and 13 takes the drivers onto a speedy section all the way down to the right-hander of turn 16.
With attack mode on the outside of the corner, there exists a potential battle lying in wait if drivers veer off the racing line to attack mode, and then re-emerge into the path of another driver.
The left and right handers of turns 17 and 18 take drivers towards a steep incline, on the run back indoors to turn 19, before a swift direction change for turn 20 sees drivers back on the main straight, and across the line for a lap of the racetrack.
All in all, London's ExCel Arena has generally played host to chaotic races in the past, including when most of the grid found themselves in a traffic jam at the right-hander of turn 19 in race one, causing a brief stoppage in proceedings. Expect more chaos to ensue this weekend on the streets of London, with drivers pushing the extra mile to end on a strong note.
The championship picture
The last time we wrote out this section, Nick Cassidy sat in a rather strong cushion of 25 points to his closest rival. However, the championship battle swung wildly in Portland, and the leading Kiwi comes into the race with two rivals hot on his tail, as Pascal Wehrlein and teammate Mitch Evans narrowed the gap ahead to only 12 points.
A 30-point cushion should be enough for Cassidy to be crowned champion after the first race of the weekend. Else, he will face a tense 34 laps ahead on Sunday, with plenty of permutations and combinations to ponder over.
That is before he takes into account another driver in a purple patch, as Da Costa sits 33 points off the Jaguar driver in the championship lead. It's a tall ask to surmount such a margin in one weekend, but the Porsche driver will take confidence from making up as many as 50 points on Cassidy last time out in Portland.
Knowing the form guide leaning heavily in Da Costa's favour, another such swing in race one would be disastrous for Cassidy's championship aspirations, and there's no doubt eyes will be on Da Costa and whether he can continue his winning run on Saturday.
Three further names remain in mathematical contention heading into the race weekend: Nissan's Oliver Rowland, who returns to the car after illness ruled him out of the Portland E Prix weekend; DS Penske's Jean-Eric Vergne; and reigning champion Jake Dennis from Andretti.
However, the trio will remain outside contenders, given the sheer points margins to overhaul, and the form guide not pointing in their favour lately. Yet, as the old adage goes, never say never. As last weekend's events proved, anything can happen on the race track.
Drivers' championship heading into London:
Nick Cassidy (Jaguar TCS Racing) - 167 points
Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) - 155 points
Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche) - 155 points
Antonio Felix Da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche) - 134 points
Oliver Rowland (Nissan Formula E Team) - 131 points
Constructors' standings heading into London:
Jaguar TCS Racing - 322 points
TAG Heuer Porsche - 289 points
DS Penske - 184 points
Andretti Formula E Team - 168 points
Nissan Formula E Team - 157 points
Other names to watch out for
Apart from the seven names in contention for the championship, three of them mathematically, the Envision duo of Robin Frijns and Sebastian Buemi have been in the spotlight recently, as Envision Racing have plummeted down the order in 2024.
After a double podium at Portland, Frijns will be raring to go at London, as rumours continue to swirl around the market of both Envision drivers being replaced next season, if not one of them. A good performance for driver and team would mean the world to help the team finish on a high.
Sacha Fenestraz is another name who has flown under the radar this season. The Nissan racer hasn't quite hit the same high notes as his illustrious teammate this year. With his seat not guaranteed for next year, the French-Argentine driver will be looking to end his year on a high, and firm a race seat for next year.
What of Nico Muller for next season, then? The Swiss racer has driven a stellar season to keep ABT Cupra in the race for ninth in the standings, scoring points on regular occasions. He would be looking to end his final race weekend with the team on a high.
Schedule for the weekend (times in BST)
Friday, 19th July, 2024
Free practice one - 16:55 - 17:45
Saturday, 20th July, 2024
Free practice two - 09:55 - 10:45
Qualifying - 12:20 - 13:43
Main race (37 laps) - 17:03 - 18:30
Sunday, 21st July, 2024
Free practice three - 09:55 - 10:45
Qualifying - 12:20 - 13:43
Main race (34 laps) - 17:03 - 18:30
How to watch
Here's how you can watch the London E Prix weekend from around the world, including the race start times all around the world.
Do make sure to tune in to the live action on Friday, as a defining weekend in the fate of the championship gets underway!
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