Berlin Formula E Notebook – Post Race

Jaguar recently conducted its first Gen3Evo test with its new-look manufacturer test car recently. Team Principal James Barclay told FEN that the team had done some “early work” and that “like others have also tried the new (Hankook) tyre.
“The thick of it starts to really come now in terms of the Gen3Evo testing and finishing this year off. So, we’re entering that really busy phase now,” he added.
Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds travelled to California between the Monaco and Berlin races, although despite rumours suggesting he was there to help scope out future possibilities of a race in the State, was in fact there on other significant business.
“I was there for planned meetings with a couple of the global streamers. Meetings went very well but I wasn’t there recceing for a racetrack,” Dodds told FEN.
Portland has the possibility to host a third iteration of an EPrix in 2025 although other venues are also being considered in the provisional 2024-25 schedule that will be submitted to the FIA for ratification in two week’s time.
FEN can reveal that the Homestead road course south of Miami has been considered an option for several months with discussions between the track and Formula E Operations having taken place recently. Plans for a race in Los Angeles in 2025 are now believed to be off the table.
Other cities that are of interest for Formula E, according to its CEO Jeff Dodds, include Atlanta and Denver.
“I think Los Angeles is an obvious place, I think Miami is an obvious place, I think Atlanta is an obvious place, Phoenix too,” said Dodds.
“There are some really obvious places where I think we’d find a really nice home. I also like the idea of places like Denver, where there’s this real juxtaposition between this history and heritage in automotive manufacturing and the future of automotive. I think there are some really interesting venues.”
Sam Bird will spend time on the McLaren simulator later this week to evaluate the strength of the healing process in his left hand which was broken in his Saint Devote accident last month. The NEOM McLaren driver recently underwent surgery on the injury but could make a return to racing at Shanghai next week.
Double Berlin points scorer Taylor Barnard will complete his usual DiL testing and remain in a state of readiness to replace Bird. The 19 year-old is scheduled to drive in F2 at Monaco for the PHM AIX Team, however FEN understands that should Bird, who is scheduled to travel to China as late as possible to aid his recovery, be unfit that Barnard would be able to again deputise.
Speaking to FEN about his career path Barnard said that he was “still building my career, so for me to know if I want to spend my career in one place for such a long time, it’s difficult to say. Obviously the couple of experiences I’ve had (in Formula E) have been great and I loved it, so it’s a potential opportunity, for sure.
The reduction in the Attack Mode allocation from eight to six and four minutes was a legacy of some lobbying by technical figures in the Formula E paddock in relation to the specific style of slow build up and bolting for the chequered flag seen this season.
FEN has learned that concerns have grown about the connectors, how they react to the less linear application of energy usage via the spec RESS’ and how this will affect the duty cycles of the components.
Practicing of the Attack Charge boosting equipment supplied by the Fortescue WAE company took place during the rookie test on Monday. It was the first time they had been used again since Sao Paulo in March.
Plans to introduce energy boosting pit stops have now been officially scrapped for this season, with a decision on whether they will be introduced for 2025 set to be made this autumn.
The Envision Jaguar that was crashed by Dries Vanthoor in the morning session of Monday’s rookie test has gone back to the Dallara factory for evaluation after a crack was discovered in the survival cell. The No.4 tub raced by Robin Frijns this season, and by Joel Eriksson as a replacement for the WEC clashing Dutchman at Berlin, will be replaced by another survival cell for the Shanghai races.
The only other incident of note at the test was Maserati MSG driver Felipe Drugovich stopping on track and causing a red flag with a tyre related issue in the afternoon session.
Jaguar TCS’s Mitch Evans vented his frustration after Sunday’s race saying that the strategy to take a late second attack mode was “100%” the wrong call on timing.
“I would have liked to do it all earlier but it just depends on positioning.” Evans said. “Every time you wanted to or thought about doing it the safety car came out. There was probably one or two occasions where I could have done it earlier in the race and I was asking the question but just couldn’t really get a clear answer then when the targets are up it’s a bit suicidal.”
Evans also made a few errors under braking and said that “this needs to be looked into because I was just super front limited all of a sudden and that cost me a few positions. But in terms of the race win, it was the second attack that ruined it for me.”
Jake Dennis and Pascal Wehrlein’s seemingly magnetic attraction to each other continued in Berlin on Sunday with the pair engaging in several contacts during the race in which they finish fourth and fifth respectively.
Dennis opined on his radio during the battle that:“Pascal just put me straight off. Did they show that on TV? That is f***** up!”
“The world’s worst loser. He has to give me that position back, he ran me straight into the wall,” added Dennis.
Andretti’s Norman Nato told FEN that his incident with Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz in Sunday’s Berlin race was a legacy of him being out of position due to contact prior to them battling for sixth position.
“I texted him; we didn’t talk about it – but we will do. In the end he’s a nice guy and it happened with Sacha today but it could happen with someone else, it’s every race I think we’re all complaining about each other,” said Nato.
“I don’t want to stay in this kind of situation, where he thinks it’s my fault, I think both of us could’ve done differently – at the end it’s just a shame for his race, for my race. I shouldn’t have been in the position. One or two laps before, when I took my Attack, I don’t know if it’s Rowland or someone else, just bumped me from the back and I lost four positions in one corner.”
Fenestraz, who gave Nato a sarcastic hand clap immediately after the collision, believed the move was “bit desperate”.
“It’s not like we’re fighting in the championship or anything, we’re just halfway through the season. I’m a little bit frustrated again because the luck is not on my side the last couple of races and I think we’ve deserved [more].
“On my side on the garage, yesterday with Dennis going to the pits in front of me and destroying my race, and today Norman also destroyed my race, the luck is not on my side.”
Maserati MSG driver Jehan Daruvala scored his best EPrix result with a fighting drive to seventh place on Sunday. He completed the drive with a bruised and cut hand after contact in the event.
“I think we secured a good weekend; we had a great one lap pace and we had good pace in both races,” Daruvala told FEN before going on to talk about his injury.
“It’s ok, just a bit of kickback form the steering wheel, but I can move it around so everything should be fine. It happened quite early on in the race actually, so I was still able to drive.
“Yesterday we deserved to score more points but it wasn’t meant to be,” added the Indian driver. “Today we stuck to our plans, took the right strategy, good attack mode and we got good points. I’m happy with my last lap overtake and manage to get a few extra points. Very happy.”
Jaguar TCS Racing’s 65pts haul from the Berlin double-header last weekend was the third largest points accrual in Formula E double header history. The top three stand at:
- Techeetah – Berlin (second double header) August 2020 – 79pts
- Audi – NYC 2018 – 78pts
- Jaguar TCS Racing – Berlin 2024 – 65pts
Jaguar TCS Racing sim and development driver Tom Dillmann made a rare visit to the Formula E paddock last weekend to cover for Envision substitute Joel Eriksson as a reserve for Jaguar and Envision. Dillmann is racing in the European Le Mans Series this season and recently won the Paul Ricard 4 Hours with the Inter Europol Competition squad.
New Formula E communications director Charlotte Sefton officially began her role earlier this month and attended her first EPrix in the role at Berlin. Sefton previously worked for McLaren F1, Extreme E and the W Series.
Several Formula E teams have been using AVL Racetech’s multi-functional test bed, known as the TB503. The rig allows either single components or the entire racecar to be run – no matter whether it has an internal combustion engine, hybrid drive, or electric drive. The high-tech facility is designed for extreme acceleration and deceleration values, meaning it covers all current and future motorsport requirements.
Read about the facility HERE.