FRESH LAYOUTS PEPPER THE OPENING ROUNDS

Given the difficulty in arranging a sporting calendar in the current circumstances, it’s remarkable that the first four circuits of the six listed so far will run configurations not previously seen in Formula E.

The teams have been thrown an immediate curveball by last-minute changes to the Diriyah layout. These consist of a handful of minor modifications to open up apexes to speed up sections of the track. It leaves minimal time to optimise simulator programmes as drivers fly to Saudi Arabia earlier this year to allow for two days of hotel quarantine.

Next up is a heavily revised iteration of the Rome layout, which becomes the second longest lap ever used in FE, to avoid main roads and minimise the impact on local traffic.

Then, so long as Vallelunga – on standby as a reserve destination for an Italian event – isn’t called into action, FE will make its debut on a bona fide permanent race track with a round at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo pre-season testing venue in Valencia.

Championship organisers assessed possible configurations over the winter, and teams won’t know the final layout until two weeks ahead of the 24 April slot. Although drivers reckon it will more closely mimic a typical FE street circuit rather than defy convention with lots of fast and open corners.

Competitors are also currently working to the expectation that the full Monaco Grand

Prix route will finally make its FE debut. With the F1, Historic GP and FE weekends taking place within a month of each other, sticking to one layout will minimise disruption for residents. That said, some tweak could yet be added to avoid direct lap time comparisons.