Andretti’s Ocean Drive
Jake Dennis drove the Andretti Porsche Gen3Evo car down Miami’s famous Ocean Drive on Thursday evening. The publicity stunt was conducted in order to raise further awareness for the first Hard Rock event on Saturday. Andretti have different colours this weekend in deference to the TWG AI, the advanced intelligence division of team owner, TWG Global.
The collaboration includes primary partnerships in both the INDYCAR SERIES and Formula E, with TWG AI serving as the primary partner of the No. 26 Honda, piloted by Will Power in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and the primary partner of Andretti Global’s two-car Formula E program. TWG AI will also serve as an associate partner on the No. 27 and No. 28 INDYCAR SERIES entries, driven by Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson, in the 2026 season.
Travel Nightmares
Several teams were impacted by travel difficulties on the way over to Miami, which resulted in a garage access curfew extension for some on Wednesday evening. Nissan, Citroen and DS personnel were caught up in the disruption which affected a flight from Paris on Tuesday.
Additionally, Edoardo Mortara and Max Guenther were also delayed in getting to Miami, with the latter not expected to land in the U.S until Thursday evening.
Dan’s Devil Decoded
CUPRA Kiro team principal Russell O’Hagan told FEN on Thursday in Miami that Dan Ticktum’s comments after the Mexico City EPrix earlier this month need proper contextualising in light of him being taken out of both races via rivals.
“We tried to sit down with him and justify whether some of the actions that would or wouldn’t deserve penalties had been carried out and some of them hadn’t, so we need to help as a championship resolve that,” said O’Hagan.
“My only caveat to that is it’s not the job for one person. I think Dan’s frustrations get quite pointed. But to make those improvements takes time and effort from the drivers, the teams, FIA, stewards.
“So, it’s a complex thing to get better, but there’s some areas for improvement.”
Formula E’s U.S Future
This weekend’s Miami EPrix sees Formula E racing on a fourth different circuit in less than four years. Gaining a consistent home for the all-electric world championship is a priority and the Hard Rock Stadium is a venue that seen as having scope to achieve a permanent home.
“I’m excited for it. I think it could be a long term, maybe one of many, but a long term location for us in the US,” Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds tole FEN this month.
“We’ve been quite open about one race probably not being enough in the US, and we’ll have a couple of races in the US,” added Dodds. “I think Miami could be one of those core locations for us, and then finding another one where we cango and find something we think we can build on and keep as a permanent fixture in the calendar.”
Andretti’s Roger Griffiths said that he anticipated “a lot of excitement build around the event.
“I think there’s a lot of opportunity to make this a huge event,” added the Andretti Team Principal. “ We keep talking about Formula E needs to find its Indy 500 or its Monaco or whatever. And I think Miami has an opportunity to be that event.”
FEN also understands that Toronto is also in the frame for a possible future race. A new trade deal signed by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping allowing for up to 49,000 Chinese EV’s to enter Canada at a significantly reduced tariff rate of 6.1 per cent in exchange for China lifting tariffs on Canadian agricultural goods, is being seen as a major boost for electric vehicles in the country. Formula E has made no secret of its ambition to welcome a major Chinese EV in to the World Championship and could see a race in a city such as Toronto, with such a long history of motorsport, via its CART and Indycar races, as a strong vehicle for an additional event in North America.
No Phoenix from the Flames
The possibility of a race being held in Phoenix, Arizona came reasonably close to happening last year but a dispute between jurisdictions in the city scuppered the plans. Now, FEN understands that any possible alternative has faded and that Formula E is concentrating on talks with alternative cities regarding a possible second U.S race in 2027. These are known to include Los Angeles, Atlanta, Austin and Detroit.
Di Grassi’s Farewell Tour? Maybe not!
The split between Lola and ABT earlier this week, as exclusively revealed by The Race has brought in to question the future of Lucas di Grassi, the driver with the most starts in Formula E. Di Grassi though, who has recently tested the Gen4 car told FEN that he is weighing up whether he continues as a driver over the next few months.
“I’m scheduled to do the development of Gen4, and I think in a few months we’re going to sit down and discuss if I’m going to continue here or if I’m going to go somewhere else, or if I’m going to stop, so it’s not clear at the moment,” he said.
“For me, I would like to continue if I have a competitive car, if I see the project getting more serious. And at the moment, that’s the way I see it. This split, bringing the team in-house, I think for the future of Lola is positive. For the short term, maybe not. But for the medium and long term, it’s definitely something positive as you bring the capabilities in-house.”
MSG Takeover Close
FEN understands that a deal to buy the Monaco Sports Group is nearing completion after months of talks with a variety of different potential buyers. The operational and once licence holding entity has been in financial difficulty for several years and survived a botched takeover last March. The Citroen Racing teams’ licence is currently held by Formula E Operations.
More Combined Gen4 tests?
FEN understands that manufacturers are exploring the possibility of at least one further combined Gen4 test in the coming months. A more cost-effective group test, albeit under private conditions as per the regulations governing development testing, is known to be an attractive proposition with one potentially taking place between the Jeddah and Madrid EPrixs in early March.
F3 race winner Tim Tramnitz got seat time in the Stellantis Gen4 test car at Almería earlier this month. The former Red Bull backed German previously tried an ABT Mahindra in Berlin two years ago and is looking to re-invigorate his career after being dropped by Red Bull late last year. He is expected to test the Gen4 again shortly.
Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein told FEN that his first drive in the Gen4 car at Almería two weeks ago was “definitely the fastest accelerating car I drove in my life.”
“It’s very different machinery and I really enjoyed it, and I think the coolest thing is definitely the acceleration,” said Wehrlein.
“The first couple of straights in 600 kilowatts is really impressive. Definitely the fastest accelerating car I drove in my life. Especially from 0 to 180 kph, that was very impressive. It requires a different way of driving.
“First impressions were really good. I think there’s a lot to learn and a lot to understand. Especially with the diffs and everything that comes with that car. The two aero packages, how the car behaves, what it needs for the different packages. It’s early days, it was good to get a first impression, a first taste of it. Generally, I really enjoyed it. It really feels like a different beast, a different animal. I’m looking forward to race it.”
Evans’ São Paulo Issues Revealed
Mitch Evans’ relatively benign pace at Sao Paulo in December can be revealed for the first time after the team identified an error with his Jaguar I-Type7 after the event. Team Principal, Ian James, told FEN that “going forward, we’re always looking to build efficiency into the way we set the cars up. You develop tools in order to unlock that efficiency, and to be very open, we made an error on that particular side of the garage, which meant that we didn’t give Mitch the car that we thought we were giving him, and that affected his ability to unlock the performance on that particular event.
“As always, often with these things, it’s a super simple thing to fix. Massively frustrating that it happened in the first place, but I’ve got no concerns going forward that we’ll run into that issue again.”
Jeddah Tweaks
Next month’s Jeddah EPrix will run to a 31 and 30 lap structure over the 13-14 Saudi weekend. This is a slight change from last season when it ran to 31 lap races for each EPrix. One of the encounters will be the first Pit Boost race of the 2025-26 season and will see just one Attack Mode opportunity as per the regulation changes.
The future of the Saudi Arabian EPrix will include a move to the new Qiddiya facility in the north of the Kingdom according to race promoter Carlo Boutagy from the CBX company. In an interview with the new Gulf Motorsport Business publication, conducted by FEN’s Sam Smith, Boutagy said that the ‘plan’ was to move to the new facility.
“Qiddiya is spectacular and breathtaking, and it’s the world’s largest and most esteemed motorsport park, so the plan is to eventually end up there when they’re ready, which might be in two or three years’ time. At the moment we’re in Jeddah and we’re very happy currently where we are,” said Boutagy.
To read the full interview on Gulf Motorsport Business click HERE.
New ESV Regs Announced
New technical regulations for Electric Sport Vehicles (ESV) have recently been issued by the FIA. The ESV technical regulations govern the modifications that can be made to series-produced all-electric GT cars. The regulations include for two variants.
ESV-N, in which the car must be directly derived from a road model, ESV-C, which may be derived from a model that is not yet on the market but is in the pre-production phase and has not yet received road homologation.
The regulations could be significant for Formula E in the near future as it is known to be considering a support series for potentially a pilot campaign in 2027 or 2028.
AB(olt)B Lights up Miami
Formula E title partner ABB held a special Miami EPrix preview event at the Miami Tower on Thursday night. The initiative included a guest appearance by Olympic sprinting legend Usain Bolt, who in a ‘one-of-a-kind light show in the heart of the city’s skyline showcased the power of electrification and automation off the racetrack.‘
ABB’s electrification and automation technologies ‘help industries outrun, for a leaner and cleaner tomorrow. Engineered for mission-critical industries – buildings, manufacturing, transportation, utilities and more – and fast-growing industries like data centres, ABB products help improve productivity, efficiency and reliability.’
Formula E Community Tour
An enhanced Community Tour focused on STEM engagement will welcome up to 275 participants from local organisations and schools focused on engaging young people with STEM. Participants will experience a half day at the track including a pit lane walk, gaming arena access and viewing of Free Practice 1, alongside further sessions connecting motorsport excitement with real-world career inspiration.
New AVL UK Chiefs
Dr Bernadette Longridge and Tom Stone are the new joint Managing Directors of AVL Powertrain UK Ltd. Longridge, who is AVL’s longest serving employee is promoted into this role from her position as Engineering Centre Manager for Basildon, becoming the first female Managing Director at AVL globally. Stone’s career at AVL began over eighteen years ago and has seen him take on a variety of roles, most recently as Engineering Centre Manager for Coventry, from which he is promoted into his new role.
…and Hydrogen Commitment
AVL RACETECH has joined MissionH24. The program, initiated by H24Project together with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), is dedicated to the development of hydrogen-based, zero-emission powertrain concepts for endurance racing. As the motorsport division of the Austrian technology company AVL, AVL RACETECH contributes its technical expertise in advanced vehicle simulation to the collaboration. The new partnership was officially announced at Hyvolution Paris, the international hydrogen trade fair.
Speaking about the partnership, AVL List GmbH Director Motorsport, Ellen Lohr said that “AVL RACETECH is an established engineering partner in 17 top-tier racing series worldwide. We are connected with the MissionH24 by our shared vision of enabling sustainable motorsports and demonstrating that innovative technologies are tangible, feasible, and competitive on the racetrack.”
For more on AVL RACETECH click HERE.
RaceOn in the Miami Paddock
Founder and leader of the RaceOn GmbH engineering trackside specialists. Franco Chiocchetti is visiting the Miami EPrix this week. A title winning engineer with Audi ABT in 2017, Chiocchetti’s company supplies several teams with elite engineers and has recently branched out to the U.S working with several series. For more on RaceOn click HERE.
