Tokyo Formula E Notebook – Preview

• Formula E Notebook understands that plans for the Attack Charge being used in the Misano races next month are over after the FIA notified teams last week it would not be trialled again in Tokyo or appear for races in Italy.
• After several difficulties were run in to by teams practicing with the chargers at the Sao Paulo EPrix, it has been decided to again delay the implementation of pit stops with Berlin now being the very earliest that the boosting units will be used in a race.
• Among those affected in Sao Paulo was the ERT team. FEN understands that they completed lower rate transfer charges but suffered an issue with the higher rate Attack Charge practice.
• WAE staff appeared to ascertain the issue and rolled out countermeasures to conduct a battery change on Dan Ticktum’s car after the free practice two session on Saturday morning.
• FEN understands that at least two new venues will appear on the provisional draft 2024/25 Formula E calendar at the FIA World Motorsport Council in June. Los Angeles, Atlanta, a new Chinese venue and a possible race in Thailand or Malaysia have all been worked on in recent months.
• The long-mooted Lola-Yamaha entry as a registered powertrain manufacturer was confirmed on Thursday morning at Big Site with Heiji Maruyama, Managing Executive Officer and Director of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. describing the deal as “accelerating the research and development of various technologies that contribute to sustainability. As the technical partner, we hope to acquire more advanced energy management technologies through the highest level of electric racing in Formula E.
• “We also share Lola’s new philosophy of sustainable motorsport and we are very pleased and honored to form this partnership with them.”
• The official announcement of the Lola-Yamaha manufacturer registration and entry into Formula E next season will see the legendary British constructor launch an international single-seater programme for the first time since it provided the original A1 GP series cars in 2005.
• Lola owner Till Bechtolsheimer was unable to be present in Tokyo this week due to the birth of he and his wife’s second child last week.
• Lola recently moved in to new headquarters at Silverstone and are expected to shakedown their manufacturers test and development car at the beginning of June. They will receive the chassis from Spark Racing Technologies next week.
• Lola actually tendered for the original Formula E promoters deal back in 2012 and were technically involved in the all-electric Drayson Racing Lola LMP1 car. Drayson, led by former British government minister and racer Lord Paul Drayson, were set to be one of the 12 original Formula E teams but withdrew its interest in early 2014 before the series started.
• Nick Cassidy’s car will not take any penalties for changes to its powertrain after the Sao Paulo EPrix accident. There had been some concern that his Jaguar I-Type6 may need a gearbox change after the right rear wheel was wrenched off in the incident which was caused by a collapsing front-wing after early contacts.
• The first outcome of the reporting period for the Formula E financial regulations ‘cost cap’ for teams is about to be completed with teams likely to hear of any overspends on the €13m cap next month.
• The period of October 2022 to October 2023 was filed and audited earlier this year and has been submitted for some weeks. The cost cap adjudication panel comprises of elected ‘judges’ by the FIA General Assembly in accordance with the FIA Statutes.
• Abt Cupra are among teams talking to Lola-Yamaha about a possible deal to run its powertrain for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.
• The teams’ CEO Thomas Biermeier told FEN that it will continue to try and score points this season despite the premature end to its relationship with Mahindra amid disappointing results.
• “For us the current situation is not easy to lead the team, in the current situation it’s not the easiest,” said Biermeier. “But like in life you have up and downs, you have to see positive. The time will come where everything will change again and then to get the first podium will be, again, a different scenario to five years ago when a podium was normal for us. For that day we’re working hard and 24 hours each day.”
• The breakdown of Abt and Porsche’s talks on a second supply of Porsche powertrains for Abt was confirmed by both Biermeier and Porsche’s Florian Modlinger to FEN earlier this month.
• Ironically, a piece of what was believed to be Norman Nato’s Andretti, which featured the Porsche logo, was found wedged in to Lucas di Grassi’s car after the Sao Paulo EPrix!
• One of McLarens’ engineering leads, Franco Chiocchetti, will not be on-site at the remaining races this season with the team.
• NEOM McLaren stated that “Franco is still very much part of NEOM McLaren Electric Racing. As many will be aware, Franco has been instrumental in setting up the team that is known as the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team today.
• The statement continued to say that “he was instrumental in developing the structure which led to a great deal of success” and that “part of his remit was to ensure we put in place a strong (engineering) team. We feel like we have achieved that goal and have entered a next phase in our transition on the engineering team.”
• “Franco’s role with NEOM McLaren Electric Racing has transitioned away from the Formula E project to other programmes within NEOM McLaren Electric Racing – utilising his expertise to help us achieve success in these areas as well.”
• Chiocchetti, who is the founder of the engineering trackside consulting company RACEON, is at the Tokyo EPrix on a family holiday. Click HERE to find out more about RACEON.
• Jaguar’s James Barclay told his driver Nick Cassidy, in a special Instagram-cast last week, that he was moved to tears by Mitch Evans’ dramatic exit from the 2021 title fight at Berlin Tempelhof. Evans had an inverter failure on the grid and was hit by Edoardo Mortara ending his title charge.
• “This is not a job it’s a way of life,” said Barclay. “We live every moment and I’m not ashamed to say I shed tears after seeing the affect it had on Mitch that day.”
• The Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has partnered with Formula E Operations Ltd. as the Official Race Partner of the first ever Tokyo E-Prix.
• Speaking of the event, Nissan team principal and managing director Tommaso Volpe said that “this collaboration is more than a race, it’s a celebration of innovation and sustainability that resonates with our vision for a cleaner, more exciting future.
• “We’re proud to bring this experience to Tokyo and to contribute Nissan’s pioneering spirit to the world of electric motorsport,” added Volpe.
• Nissan also gave specially designed kimonos to all of its competitors ahead of its home EPrix. It partnered with well-known Japanese fashion designer Jun Nakamura to create the bespoke kimonos.
• Formula E spent a large part of Wednesday close to the track filming a homage to the Tokyo Drift element of the ‘Fast & The Furious’ movie. The initiative included drivers, race cars and manufacturer road cars.
• The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team will race in a new one-off pink livery at the inaugural Tokyo EPrix this Saturday.
• “The Tokyo EPrix is ​​another milestone in the success story of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship,” said Carlo Wiggers, Director of Team Management & Business Relations.
• “With the exclusive design of our Porsche 99X Electric, we’re celebrating the premiere of Formula E in this unique metropolis and the successful partnership between Porsche and TAG Heuer. At the same time, it is our visual reference to one of the most fascinating cities in the world and the avid motor racing fans in Japan.”
• Jaguar will compete in its 100^th Formula E race at Tokyo this Saturday. The ‘Big Cat’ made its debut at the 2016 Hong Kong EPrix with Adam Carroll and Mitch Evans and has gone on to score 12 EPrix wins with Mitch Evans taking nine victories, Sam Bird two and Nick Cassidy one. The team has finished 10^th, 6^th, 7^th, 7^th, 2^nd, 4^th, 2^nd in its seven full seasons and currently heads the 2023/24 season teams’ table.

Header image: Spacesuit Media.