Pre-season Test Set for Jarama
Formula E Notebook has learned that plans are in place to host the traditional pre-season test over the week of 16-20 November at Circuito del Jarama, the new home of the Madrid EPrix. The track hosted the 2024 pre-season test after devastating floods in Valencia triggered a last minute switch. Jarama has already seen some Gen4 testing after the development car in the hands of James Rossiter ran in June last year. It is possible that the track will run without a chicane as it did on that occasion.
The first Gen4 season will not clash with the Abu Dhabi F1 finale as it stands, although a degree of fluidity is still centred upon racing in the Middle East after the recent Iran/U.S/Isreal conflict. Formula E Operations is understood to be keen on a possible December 18/19 date for a race at Jeddah Corniche before heading to Mexico City and a possible first race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin before heading to Miami for a second edition of a race around the Hard Rock Stadium.
The first Gen4 season could end at Jarama in July according to sources close to the latest draft which has been circulating the paddock in recent weeks. Formula E will submit the provisional calendar to the FIA in early June.
Jaguar and Porsche’s Gen4 Test
Jaguar and Porsche shared the Ales-Cevennes circuit in the south of France this week as they continued private testing of their Gen4 development cars. Antonio Felix da Costa and Stoffel Vandoorne were on hand for the ‘Big Cat’, while Porsche utilised Ayhancan Guven and Nico Mueller with their challenger that was went direct from the Paul Ricard launch to the venue which is often used by Formula E for testing.
Speaking to FEN, Porsche FE boss Florian Modlinger wouldn’t confirm specifics of the test but did say that “we are following our programme and we had a good progress in the last days. We focus on ourselves. What the others are doing, we cannot judge. We will see when the season starts but at the moment, according to our plan, we are in very much on target.”
Ricard’s Intense FETAMA Meeting
A seven hour meeting between teams, manufacturers, FIA and Formula E operations key staff took place at Paul Riard last Wednesday in a get together that was described by one attendant as ‘intense’.
Several topics around the Gen4 project were discussed including specifics on operational, freight/logistics, calendar and sporting format. FETAMA chair Roger Griffiths told FEN that the get together left him “quite encouraged by a number of decisions that were taken and some clarity that we were getting, both from the FIA and also from Formula E.
“I actually felt that we’re now starting to close off some of the ambiguity or uncertainty that we’ve seen,” added the Andretti team boss. “That’s encouraging because that, for me, was becoming a distraction from all the positives around the new car. We were spending more time figuring that out than we were being able to get on and celebrate the new design of the car. I was really pleased with being able to get everybody in a room together, not just the team principals, but also Formula E, FIA, and talk through things openly.”
Shwartzman Circling
Sometime DS Penske tester Robert Shwartzman is understood to be talking to several teams about a possible seat for the first Gen4 season. The Israeli/Russian, who is currently on the sidelines after the cessation of the Prema Racing Indycar project, was talking closely to the CUPRA Kiro team last autumn about the seat that was then vacated by David Beckmann. That team is one of the squads interested in his services, while Lola Yamaha is also believed to be in touch with him about a possible drive next season. FEN understands that Shwartzman will be attending this weekend’s Berlin EPrix.
Lola is already advanced in its recruitment of a replacement for Lucas di Grassi in the Gen4 period. FEN understands that as well as Shwartzman, that its Jarama tester Richard Verschoor and Victor Martins, who has tested for Nissan on three occasions, are the immediate pool that are under serious consideration.
Lola Yamaha ABT deputy team principal Frederic Espinos told FEN in Berlin that a decision on the seat would be likely be in place by the end of May so that the driver can contribute to the Gen4 test and development programme.
Zane Maloney is believed to be close to a potential new deal at the team and is continuing to work on the Gen4 programme, which will include test days later this month.
Monaco’s Extra Dimension
This month’s Monaco EPrixs will have a subtle yet potentially important twist as the second of the races, to be held on Sunday May 17 will be one lap shorter at 28 laps, while the pit boost race on the Sunday will remain the same as last year on 29 laps. However, the usable energy will be much different to 2025, with the Pit Boost race on Saturday having 42.35kWh available compared to last year’s 38.5kWh. The Sunday race will continue to run to 38.5kWh with two attack mode periods as mandatory.
Di Grassi Tributes
There were several fond tributes to the news that 2016-17 champion Lucas di Grassi will call time on his racing career at the end of the present season, with former nemesis Sebastien Buemi leading the acknowledgements.
“We’ve not always been good friends, even if I would say today we’re all good,” Buemi told FEN. “He’s maybe the driver that has contributed the most to Formula E. We all need to acknowledge that he’s been there from the beginning and he came up with great ideas on how to build the championship initially. I think he was part of what made Formula E that good, especially in the first few years of the championship, so he deserves lots of credit for doing that.”
Lola deputy TP Frederic Espinos added that di Grassi was “a special character” and was “more than a driver,” adding that he thought that the Brazilian may “even have a more successful career after than as a driver. We will remember him as a driver was pushing to develop the series he was involved in.
“He had ta vision, 15 years ago, that electric cars will come on to the market and will be at the level they are today. It’s very easy to say now but then there was few electric cars on the market. So, you really have to believe in it, and this is where he’s really good. This is where the guy is clever and has a vision.”
You can view a short interview with Di Grassi on the FEN Instagram page HERE
Two Batteries Looked at for Gen4
The FIA briefly considered utilising two different batteries for the Gen4 era but did not pursue the possibility due mainly to cost implications. The FIA’s Vincent Gaillardot told FEN recently that “it (two batteries) was part of the possibility as everything is linked to battery technology. We knew that if we want to increase power, we will increase car weight, we will increase car size,” added Gaillardot. “This was well known and it was discussed. But the problem is it’s a performance of spec versus the cost.”
Gaillardot also confirmed that the current Dallara manufactured chassis will be in existence for at least six years, something that some manufacturers pushed for to manage costs beyond the notional Gen4 era.
“This chassis is due to last at least six years, but at least we have six year cost control again first,” confirmed Gaillardot. “So, I hope we can maybe just have an evolution of this battery, so maybe have not so much big energy. We will see what other cell development are, and if it’s the case, we can maybe consider, on the side, the development of a new battery. So again, it’s to be discussed with manufacturer and competitor, but due to the fact we agree already to keep the same chassis this means maybe we do not need to develop a completely new battery. But this is linked to cell technology.”
Porsche Celebrates Milestone Year
A special exhibition of historic Porsche race cars, including an example of the legendary Porsche 917 Le Mans car, will complete parade laps on both race days at Berlin Tempelhof. Well-known Porsche guests at the Berlin EPrix include former Formula 1 driver Mark Webber and actor Richy Müller.
“Motorsport has shaped our brand for 75 years – and we’re bringing that to life in Berlin,”said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “We are looking forward to a great support programme and hopefully two exciting races. Drivers, teams and manufacturers: Porsche leads all three world championship standings. That is something we aim to defend. We also want to continue pushing in a special classification: with our Racing for Charity initiative, we generate donations for good causes with every lap completed.”
Additional Donation: Racing for Charity
On the occasion of the Berlin EPrix, Formula E is joining the effort for a good cause: as part of its Better Futures Fund, the all-electric World Championship is making an additional donation of 25,000 euros. Through this funding programme, Formula E supports charitable organisations and projects in the host countries of its races.
Jaguar’s Jarama Drama Clarification
The FIA Sporting Delegate issued a clarification ahead of the Berlin EPrix after Jaguar TCS Racing were investigated for an initial suspected infraction of articles 23.12 and 37.5 of the sporting regulations. This alluded to the positioning of the stop and release person at the pit stops. The clarification detailed that ‘the person in charge to stop and release the car must stay, at all times, on the garage’s side of the Pit Boost markings’ with the final three words of that sentence in bold and underlined!
