After a storming debut last year, Formula E is back in Portland – home of stunning natural landscapes, a vibrant food and drink scene, and a quirky, environmentally conscious culture – this time for a double-header, and the next chapter in the battle for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
In 2023, Formula E ventured into uncharted territory with its first visit to Portland, following past USA E-Prix events in Miami and New York. Over 20,000 fans witnessed an exhilarating spectacle featuring more than 400 overtakes and numerous lead changes. The unpredictable weekend also saw some of the fastest speeds ever recorded in a Formula E session, captivating the crowd with non-stop action.
Rounds 13 and 14 of the 2024 Hankook Portland E-Prix start at 14:00 local time on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June.
Last time in Portland
Nick Cassidy triumphed in the 2023 Southwire Portland E-Prix for Envision Racing, making a decisive move on Lap 28 to secure his third win of the season. This victory propelled Cassidy to second place in the FIA World Championship standings, just one point behind Jake Dennis of Avalanche Andretti, who crossed the line second. Antonio Felix da Costa of TAG Heuer Porsche finished third in a race in which a mere seven seconds separating the top 17 cars at the finish.
READ MORE: Michael Andretti on Formula E and racing in the USA
In addition to Cassidy’s thrilling race to the finish after starting in 10th position, Portland’s debut was a milestone in particular for the US-based Andretti outfit, with Jake Dennis securing the Julius Baer Pole Position and a podium on home soil, before hurtling through the second half of the season to ultimately take home the Drivers’ Championship trophy.
Who can take the fight to Jaguar and Cassidy?
With one win and five podiums so far this year, they’ll be looking to build on a strong start to the season to replicate last year’s success. The question on everyone’s mind however: even with a strong hometown performance, do they have what it takes to challenge Jaguar TCS Racing and TAG Heuer Porsche?
As the end of Formula E’s 10th season approaches, Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans is on the brink of an historic achievement.
TICKETS: Secure tickets for the Hankook Portland E-Prix Rounds 13 & 14
Fresh off his victory in Shanghai, Evans now boasts 12 wins in Formula E. A win in Portland would see him equal the all-time win record, tying with Formula E legends Sebastien Buemi and Lucas di Grassi.
Meanwhile, Evans’ now-teammate and current championship leader Cassidy has climbed the podium eight times in just 12 races this season, and holds a commanding 25-point lead over second place TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein, setting the stage for an intense battle for the two top teams when the championship lands stateside.
Portland International Raceway, playground of racing legends and high-speed drama
Portland International Raceway, a staple in American motorsport, is renowned for hosting thrilling close battles, especially in series like IndyCar. A memorable highlight came in 1997 when the premier American single-seater series witnessed an electrifying three-way finish. Mark Blundell edged out Gil de Ferran and Raul Boesel by a mere half-a-tenth of a second, cementing the race's legacy as one of the closest on a road course.
The clockwise, 12-turn, 3.190km layout remains unchanged from last year, with the ATTACK MODE activation zone sitting on the outside of Turn 7. With the high-speed corners and long straights, fans can expect overtaking, ample slipstreaming, and critical energy management.
Season 10's race to the top
The second season of the GEN3 era nears its final showdown. The competition has been fierce, with eight different race winners across the first 12 rounds, representing six different teams. Some fourteen drivers have climbed the podium, and seven different teams are currently represented in the top 10 of the Drivers' standings.
As the 2023/24 campaign gears up for its 13th and 14 rounds, the current standings are as follows: Cassidy of Jaguar TCS Racing leads the pack, followed closest by two-time Season 10 race winner Pascal Wehrlein of TAG Heuer Porsche - 167 points to 142, with 58 on offer as a maximum score over a double-header race weekend.
Cassidy’s fellow countryman and teammate, Mitch Evans, sits in third on 132 points, with Nissan’s Oliver Rowland a further point back. Last year’s defending champion Jake Dennis of Andretti rounds out the top five in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Jean-Eric Vergne (DS PENSKE) and TAG Heuer Porsche’s da Costa currently sit sixth and seventh. Tokyo E-Prix winner Maximillian Guenther of Maserati MSG Racing sits in eighth, followed by the other DS PENSKE machine of Stoffel Vandoorne. After his first Formula E podium in Round 11, Jake Hughes completes the top 10 for NEOM McLaren.
Nine drivers, down to Vandoorne in the standings, are still in mathematical contention.
Jaguar TCS Racing is in the box seat in the Teams' running 299 points to TAG Heuer Porsche's 226. Porsche heads the way from Jaguar in the Manufacturers' standings, 337 points to 328.
1986: The battle of the Andretti family
One of American open-wheel racing's most iconic moments took place during CART's (now IndyCar's) 1986 Portland event. Racing legend Mario Andretti secured a victory over the competition by a mere 0.07 seconds — but in this case, the competition just so happened to be Mario's son, Michael - the current CEO and Chairman of Andretti Autosport, the team that reigning champion Jake Dennis steered to last year's Drivers' title.
Michael Andretti had secured a commanding lead of the event when his car began struggling to pick up fuel. On the final lap, his engine sputtered, and Mario was able to zip past his son at the line. His winning margin was only about two feet.
As you might imagine, it wasn't exactly a happy day for all the Andrettis; as Mario celebrated, a visibly hurt Michael declared that Mario's win should count as that year's Father's Day present. At the time, it was the closest finish in the sport.
Schedule: Where, when and how to watch or stream Formula E's 2024 Hankook Portland E-Prix
The 2024 Hankook Portland E-Prix gets underway on Friday 28 June with Free Practice 1 at 17:00 local time.
Then it's straight into the first race day of the double-header on Saturday 29 June as Free Practice 2 kicks off the day at 07:30 local, followed by qualifying at 09:40 local with lights out on Round 4 at 14:00 local/21:00 UTC.
For Round 14, the same schedule applies: Free Practice starts at 07:30 on Sunday 30 June, followed by qualifying at 09:40 local time and the race at 14:00 local/21:00 UTC.
All race sessions will be shown live on Roku in the USA. Highlights will be shown on CBS Sports Network.
View the full schedule in your time zone and check the broadcaster listings or tap the Ways to Watch button above to find out where to watch all the racing action where you live.
Follow the race LIVE and listen to full race commentary on web and in the Formula E app!
Follow all the action on-track as it happens in the Race Centre.
Keep across Live Timing – which includes a real-time interactive track map and the ability to follow your favourite driver during every session of every E-Prix – plus highlights, detailed session reports, exclusive interviews, all the standings and results as well as data, insight and reaction from trackside.
There's full race commentary, too, with build up and the E-Prix LIVE from Italy via the Formula E website and app as well as on TalkSPORT 2 in the UK.