Mula One adrenalin in a muffled package
The competition we experience here in Formula E, with the grid being so close, it’s amazing. You hear the crowd a lot since you don’t have an engine, but it (the car) behaves quite similarly to what you would anticipate from a typical single-seater. And o
Vandoorne, and Mahindra’s Nyck de Vries, who recently returned to Formula E following a brief stint in F1.
Bond with China
Formula E has a deep bond with China, with the first race of the inaugural season taking place in Beijing in 2014. The cities of Hong Kong and Sanya in Hainan Province have also held FE races.
Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds emphasized the significance of the new Shanghai E-Prix in discussing the longawaited return of Formula E to China.
“It’s important for us to race in
Shanghai because China is the leading country in electric-vehicle manufacturing and the adaptation of electric vehicles,” he said.
“FE technology can be applied to road cars. We will present you with the most environmentally friendly and competitive sports race in the world.”
Envision Racing, the defending champion team based at Silverstone Park, is majority-owned by Envision Energy, a Chinese wind turbine and energymanagement software company.
The rebranded ERT Formula E Team is the evolution of Team China Racing, which helped Nelson Piquet Jr win the inaugural drivers’ championship title in 2015. Shanghai driver Ma Qinghua joined the Chinese team in 2019, when it changed its name to the NIO 333 Formula E Team, but was unable to finish the season.
The Chinese team has a new name and style for the 2024 season, with British driver Dan Ticktum and Brazilian colleague Sergio Sette Camara driving under the ERT banner.
Formula E’s next visit is a doubleheader of night races in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, on January 27 and 28. The Round 11 and 12 double-header races at Shanghai International Circuit will take place on May 25 and 26.