Gen4 Test
Formula E Notebook has learned that the prototype of the Gen4 car turned a wheel for the first time in late April with James Rossiter putting miles on the car at the La Ferte Gauche facility in France. The test was run by Spark Racing Technologies in conjunction with the FIA but few details are available about the test although it is believed the car did run with its full bodywork on.
Nissan and Andretti are believed to be close to a deal for the two to work together in Gen4 as manufacturer and customer. Nissan team principal Tommaso Volpe told Formula E Notebook in Monaco that “we are all talking to everyone on both sides.
“But definitely there are clearer and clearer ideas. I’m sure that there are some conversations which are more progressed, others. Like the commercial agreement, we would like to finalise deals well ahead towards the natural deadline because it will give the opportunity to plan ahead a very constructive partnership with whoever will be our customer.”
Barnard’s Nissan Test
Taylor Barnard tested for Nissan late last month in a run that was said to be useful for Nissan’s further development of the Gen3Evo package that it has started the present season with so well. Barnard was the only driver to take part in the run which was conducted at a little known proving ground in the South of France.
Barnard’s contract situation with the present NEOM McLaren Formula E team was described by his boss Ian James yesterday as “a multi-year contract. As long as the entity remains intact, then nothing changes.”
Barnard himself told FEN that he “likes to try and stay loyal to one team as long as I possibly can. Of course, there will be a point where it doesn’t work for me anymore and it will be time to go but, honestly, I don’t see that being sometime soon.
“I’m very happy with what I’m doing right now and what the team are giving me. The engineers, all of the guys here, I’ve said it many times before, that I love the environment which we have right now. We’re just going to take it race by race and, honestly, I don’t know what the future holds,” concluded the British driver.
Stellantis’ Brand Guidelines
Stellantis is closing in on announcing its new CEO to replace the recently departed Carlos Tavares. One of the names that FEN has discovered is of interest to the world’s fifth largest OEM is Wayne Griffiths, who left the VW owned CUPRA brand last month.
Meanwhile, the choice of brands to represent Stellantis in Formula E during Gen4 is gaining momentum with Opel and Citroën believed to be the two favourites for the roles. Speaking to FEN last month in Miami, Stellantis boss Jean-Marc Finot said that “in our history, I think we should be the group with the biggest palmarès (CV) in racing.
“I think if we add the wins in rally with Lancia, Citroën, Opel and Peugeot, we have a great palmarès. So, the legitimacy of our brands in motorsport is very easy. After, it’s the choice of a brand CEO to decide which marketing tool he will use.
“Formula E is quite a competitive marketing tool. So far, we had rather good results. Not always as expected, but rather good results at the beginning of the season. It’s quite better than it used to be last year, so we are keeping the interest of Stellantis brands for the championship.”
FEN understands that Opel executives will be on site in Monaco this weekend, including Opel Automobile GmbH CEO Florian Huettl. The German’s present role at the company was extended by another three years last month. He and Opel Motorsport director Joerg Schrott are set to meet with Formula E executives this weekend to outline expected plans to be one of two brands under the Stellantis banner for Gen4 starting at the end of 2026.
Tokyo Gift?
The Tokyo EPrix later this month will feature another double header event, except this one will see two vastly different races. That is because the two races will run to very different distances. FEN can reveal that the first race on Saturday May 17 will be three laps and almost 8kms longer than the Sunday race, with the first event run at 32kWh of useable energy with the added 3.85kWh added via Pit Boost, while the race on Sunday May 18 will run to just 32 laps at 32kWh.
Several alterations to the Tokyo EPrix track were made in recent months for the second and third running of the races in two weeks’ time. A widening of the track width at T1, an adjusted Pit Exit, a re-pavement of T2/T3, widening at T4 and T6 with the latter having an apex adjustment, and added escape route through runoff at T10, changes in surface profile and re-paved of T16/T17/T18 (with removal of chicane) and adjusted concrete wall and vehicle opening at pit entry are among the changes.
‘Team James’ Rodeo Pivot
The NEOM and McLaren exits from Formula E next season has brought forth a huge task for Ian James to re-configure the team of which he has been a part since it was HWA Racelab in the 2018-19 season.
Talking to FEN at Monaco yesterday James stated that the upcoming pivot from NEOM McLaren to a new entity is not phasing him as “it’s not our first rodeo.”
“We’ve been through this before and I think that we learned a lot through that time. And it was the previous transition that was something we learned a lot from as well. I think actually, the structure that we had at the time helped us immensely in making sure that we could hit the ground running.”
Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds told FEN that Liberty’s recent majority stake-holding acquisition of Formula E Holdings
“It’s (Liberty) a business with a lot of connections, a lot of influence, a lot of financial firepower and stability,” said Dodds.
“So of course, they can help. It’s Ian’s/McLaren’s team, and they will look for their own solution. What they can absolutely rely on us for, is to try and support them in any way to get to the right outcome.
“So, the nice thing about Liberty’s involvement is it provides a level of stability for the championship, which allows it to kind of ride out these peaks and troughs that we’re seeing.
“We’re seeing economic and industry peaks and troughs, and we’re going through a period of instability at the moment, the beauty of a partner like Liberty is it allows us to ride those out,” concluded Dodds.
Seb’s Swansong?
Envision’s Sebastien Buemi says that rumours of him stopping racing in Formula E at the end of his third and final season of his present deal with Envision were premature and that his future will largely be dictated by any future calendar clashes between Formula E and the FIA World Endurance Championship next year.
“I take it year by year,” Buemi told The Race.
“Because in the past we used to have a very clear path on WEC and Formula E, avoiding clashes. And I think the next year’s calendar will be… I wouldn’t say make or break. But I think what the Formula E and WEC and what they will come up with the next calendar will be a defining moment on people doing both programmes.
“If, for example, the calendar were to come out with three or four clashes, I think then you’re most likely not going to see people doing both. If they come up with the possibility to avoid clashes, we’ll go back into thinking it’s actually possible if everyone tries hard. I think next year’s calendar will be a very important thing,” concluded Buemi.
FEN understands that Buemi is likely to take part in the Berlin double header in July and not travel to Interlagos for the fifth round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance World Championship which clashes with the penultimate Formula E event at Berlin Tempelhof.
CUPRA KIRO – Ready to Score Big?
CUPRA KIRO deputy TP, Russell O’Hagan likened the first phase of the 2024-25 season for the new-look team as ‘flying our plane while building it’ as the U.S entered team has re-calibrated after being taken over by the Forest Road Company last autumn.
“It was a challenging process, but well managed by the team – we were essentially flying our plane while building it at the start of the season,” said O’Hagan.
“Thankfully, the cadence of the first phase of the calendar has really played into our hands. Until now, our metric for performance has simply been ‘progress’, and while top 10 finishes have been great, our key focus has been on how quickly we can learn and improve step-by-step. We’re now entering a period where we still have a lot to learn, but it’s now a case of putting in the smaller pieces of the puzzle.
“We’ve found our technical and operational rhythm, and we’re now in a position from where we can fight,” he concluded.
Drugo for Mahindra?
Mahindra recently ran at the Guadix circuit in Spain last month giving Aston Martin F1 reserve Felipe Drugovich a run as they evaluate him for a potential cameo appearance to replace Nyck de Vries at Berlin in July. The 2022 F2 champion is in the running for the seat alongside the teams’ reserve drivers Jordan King and Kush Maini.
Speaking to FEN about the test, Mahindra’s team principal Frederic Bertrand said that running the Brazilian was because Mahindra “wanted also to have an option of an external driver. So, there were different options. And Drugovich looks like an interesting one because he has that experience. He tested other cars. So, he has an understanding of Formula E, which is not only my car. So, for us that was also part. And that’s where we are right now.”
“He knows Berlin. He knows a lot of things which are very close to what we are running.”
Partnerships, Industry etc
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Autoliv, a global leader in automotive safety, is entering a multi-year partnership with Formula E to become its Official Mobility Safety Partner.
The collaboration aims to promote the use of safety equipment and highlight technological advancements for racers and everyday drivers, showcasing Autoliv’s market leading products and technologies.
“We are proud to partner with Formula E and showcase our expertise in automotive and electrical safety,” said Gabriella Etemad, Senior Vice President Communications of Autoliv. “This partnership represents a significant milestone in our journey to show how we empower safety within the automotive industry.”
‘Yes Theory’s Ammar Kandil unleashed a fascinating film centred upon his runs with Andretti in March’s Evo Session in Miami. The ‘Yes Theory’ group will be represented this weekend by Thomas Brag.
New Prince Albert Gong
A new trophy named after Prince Albert of Monaco will be awarded to the driver who achieves the highest total points over the course of the weekend. In the event of tie, the trophy will be awarded to the driver who sets the fastest lap time during qualifying. The trophy is set to be presented at the Gala Dinner on Sunday evening.
Celeb Spotting
Idris Elba is set to make a visit to Monaco on Saturday in what will be the first appearance of the award winning actor and musician as a part of the investment set-up of the CUPRA KIRO Formula E Team.
Other celebrities that are expected to be in the Principality include four-times Tour de France winner Chris Froome, Grammy Award winning musician Charlie XX, Peaky Blinders director Anthony Byrne and Draco Malfoy himself Tom Felton.
Media News
The long-awaited Formula E documentary series ‘Driver’ will be released on Amazon Prime next Monaco, May 5. The four part series features 2024 season insights with Dan Ticktum, Jake Dennis, Antonio Felix da Costa and Mitch Evans. The series has been delivered by Astronaut Films in conjunction with Formula E and features input from FEN founder Sam Smith and The Race’s Andrew van de Burgt. To see a trailer click HERE
The latest episode of The Race Formula E podcast features Lola and Andretti bosses Till Bechtolsheimer and Roger Griffiths and can be listened to HERE
