A decade of Formula E has passed, and a few things have changed heading into the 10th Season of the series.
New Driver Line-ups
The off-season driver moves have ushered in a significant shake-up of teams, with two-thirds of the field featuring a new driver lineup for Season 10. While these drivers have had the time since the conclusion of Season 9 to integrate into their new teams, the upcoming race in Mexico marks their first competitive outing together. The anticipation is high to witness how these fresh pairings will perform against each other.
Notably, Mahindra is the only team boasting a completely revamped lineup for Season 10. The return of Season 8 champion Nyck De Vries adds a seasoned and championship-winning driver to their roster. De Vries, having had a stint in Formula 1 with Alpha Tauri, is poised to make a significant impact on his comeback to the series. However, the intricacies of the Gen3 cars present a unique challenge, and there may be an adjustment period required to familiarise himself with the new machinery.
De Vries is not the sole focus of attention, as the rookie Jehan Daruvula joins the series with Maserati MSG, making the leap from Formula 2. The transition from the Formula 2 machinery to the cutting-edge Gen3 cars introduces a new set of challenges for Daruvula. The spotlight will be on him as he embarks on this exciting chapter in his racing career.
ERT replacing NIO 333
Season 10 not only brings about changes in driver line-ups but also marks a significant transformation for one of the teams. We bid farewell to NIO 333 and extend a warm welcome to Electric Racing Technologies (ERT), signifying the end of their collaboration with Chinese manufacturers NIO. This move represents a decisive step as the team, rooted in Silverstone, seeks to forge its own path in the dynamic landscape of electric racing.
NIO has been an integral part of the project since the inaugural season, but now, with ERT, the team stands as the lone entity not currently tied to an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). This marks the sixth rebrand for the Silverstone-based team, which has previously been known as China Racing, NEXTEV TCR, NEXTEV Nio, Nio Formula E Team, and NIO 333.
It will be a new start for the team, and they will be ones to watch for the season as they look to continue the progress they made in Season 9, finishing with their best result since 2017-18 with 9th place in the Teams Championship.
Fast-Charging Pit Stops
A ground-breaking innovation is set to debut in Season 10, where cars will undergo an "Attack charge" pitstop during races. However, this introduction has been postponed until Round 6 in Misano. The pit stops involve charging the cars with a powerful 600kW charger, adding 4kWh to the car's battery in a swift 30-second stop. This pit stop will compensate for the battery capacity lost between Gen 2 and Gen 3.
To grasp the potency of these new chargers, the fastest commercial EV chargers currently available can deliver up to 360 kWh. For enthusiasts of Attack mode, do not fret as the season will feature a combination of both attack mode and attack charge in the championship.
“We are trying to see different scenarios on simulation to see what would be the most relevant way to implement it in the sporting format knowing that will bring additional interesting stories for the championship. But we would also like to protect the true value of the current format we see.” FIA’s director of sport, Marek Nawarecki.
Despite the excitement surrounding this addition, there has been some pushback, with concerns raised about its potential impact on the strategic dynamics of the famously close racing series.