However, in a week that felt more like Transfer Deadline Day, there have been a lot of big changes announced in a short space of time. Here are all the big swaps and signings ahead of the new season.
De Vries is back
One of the biggest announcements of Formula E’s silly season was the return of Season 7 champion, Nyck de Vries. After finding himself with a seat in Formula 1, thanks to a brilliant substitute drive with Williams Racing at Monza in 2022, de Vries completed a short spell with AlphaTauri before taking some time away from racing.
However, the inaugural ‘World Champion’ is back and ready to race for Mahindra Racing in Season 10 on a multi-year contract. Although the team had a ‘rough start to GEN3’, to quote de Vries, he has been impressed by their future plans and is looking forward to making bigger steps in performance together.
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“Coming back to Formula E will feel like coming home,” the Dutchman added. “I’ve been part of the Formula E family for three seasons, I know everybody very well. I’m looking forward to being back in a familiar environment, and to be back somewhere where, ultimately, I’ve always enjoyed my racing.”
Mortara makes Mahindra move
Joining de Vries at the Indian Mahindra team is Edoardo Mortara. With 79 race entries to his name, this move is a big deal for Mortara who has spent his entire Formula E career - up until this point - with the same team. Joining the championship in Season 4, Mortara raced for Venturi before it became Maserati MSG Racing ahead of GEN3.
In that time, he won six Formula E races but change is on the way. “Mahindra is a team that I’ve been looking at for several years now,” Mortara said about his multi-year contract signing. “They have been in Formula E since the beginning of the Championship, so there’s a lot of experience there.”
Di Grassi returns 'home'
Season 3 champion Lucas di Grassi has made the jump back to ABT CUPRA for Season 10, the same team he won his Drivers’ and Teams’ titles with. Some Formula E fans were left worried when di Grassi and Mahindra confirmed they had parted ways ahead of the new season, however, the Brazilian has returned back to the team it all began with.
“It just feels great to be back with ABT,” Lucas di Grassi stated. “Not only did I win two titles with this team, but I also have endless memories with all the people who work there with so much passion. Together, we will give our all to get back, step by step, the results that the whole team deserves.”
Di Grassi will be racing alongside Nico Mueller at ABT CUPRA for the new season, after the Swiss driver put in several impressive performances in Season 9.
Lotterer out and Nato in at Andretti
Norman Nato has made the swap from Nissan to Andretti for the new season, accompanying the reigning World Champion Jake Dennis. This move was made after the announcement last month that Andre Lotterer would be bringing his time in single seaters to an end. Lotterer had been a part of the Formula E family for six seasons, racing for the likes of Techeetah, TAG Heuer Porsche and Andretti during that time and will be a missed presence in the paddock.
Filling that spot is Nato, who completed a full season for Nissan in Season 9. During that time, he achieved a spectacular second place finish in Rome and finished tenth in the Drivers’ Standings. Nato is also a former Formula E race winner, standing on the top step of the podium in Season 7 when he won the final race in Berlin with Venturi. This Andretti move will be a big opportunity for Nato, as he lines up alongside Dennis.
Formula E welcomes a new rookie
As well as lots of existing talent swapping seats, there’s also the addition of a fresh face at Maserati MSG Racing. Jehan Daruvala has made the step up to a full-time race seat after operating as Mahindra’s reserve driver last season.
Racing alongside Maximilian Guenther, Daruvala will be hoping for a debut season as successful as those that have come before him. Last season’s rookies, NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes and Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz, both managed to pick up Julius Baer Pole Positions, so perhaps Daruvala will continue this trend!
“It’s a great honour to represent a brand as iconic and legendary as Maserati,” the 25-year-old Daruvala said. “I’ve been competing in junior single-seater categories for the past few years, so stepping up to World Championship motorsport is a big moment for me – I’m viewing it as my first season as a professional racing driver.”
Rowland returns to Nissan
Yorkshireman Oliver Rowland is making his Formula E comeback with the Nissan team for the 2023/24 Formula E season. Partnering Sacha Fenestraz, who impressed in his maiden season, Rowland is very familiar with the Japanese team in the electric championship. He raced for the Nissan team between Season 5 and 7, where he achieved five podiums, five pole positions and a win at the 2020 Berlin E-Prix.
Rowland made the switch to Mahindra Racing from Season 8. However, both Rowland and Mahindra mutually agreed to part ways after the 2023 Monaco E-Prix, meaning he failed to complete the remainder of the inaugural GEN3 season.
Nevertheless, the Brit is excited to be a part of Nissan once again for Season 10: “It’s a bit of a homecoming for me, back to the place I started my Formula E journey and somewhere I had a lot of success. The team has been on a great trajectory over the last year, with performances improving. I’m looking forward to getting back to work, ready to go and can’t wait to see what we can do as a team.”
No change at NIO 333 and DS PENSKE
Eight of the ten teams that have confirmed their line-ups for Season 10 have had at least one driver swap. Yet NIO 333 and DS PENSKE have decided that consistency is key, and have retained not one but both of their drivers for another year.
NIO 333 will continue with the young and talented duo of Dan Ticktum and Sergio Sette Camara. Ticktum, who is set to take part in his third season of Formula E, had a run of good results finishing in the top ten for the last three races of last season. His teammate Sette Camara also got a best finish of fifth in Hyderabad, helping them achieve ninth in the Teams’ standings - their best result in five seasons.
DS PENSKE have gone for a more experienced duo, with two former champions. Jean-Eric Vergne, who is still the only double-champ in Formula E, will continue his very impressive career in the all-electric series, and will once again line up alongside Season 8 champion, Stoffel Vandoorne. It’s one of the strongest pairings on the grid.
"With Stoffel, we form a solid duo,” Vergne said about re-signing. “We had a couple of good races and we are working extremely hard to come back to the top. We just have to try and do better, we will not stop until we do. My absolute focus and determination are at the highest, my motivation totally intact, even greater than the years before to bring some new titles with the team.”
Frijns back to Envision Racing
There seems to be a theme here, of returning back to a place you once called home. Robin Frijns was one of the first to announce his Season 10 move back in August, re-joining the Envision Racing team. The two-time E-Prix winner once raced with the Envision team, the reigning Teams’ World Champions, between Season 5 and 8 of Formula E.
Frijns departed ABT CUPRA after a challenging year, including sitting out the first part of the season with a hand injury. He will partner Season 2 champion, Sebastien Buemi, who is locked in for his second season with the team for the 2023/24 season.
Cassidy joins Jaguar TCS Racing
One of the biggest stories of the summer break was the news that Season 9 championship contender, Nick Cassidy, was making the jump to join Jaguar alongside Mitch Evans. Having previously represented Envision Racing, who he helped clinch the Teams’ Championship, Cassidy has moved across to the Jaguar squad for Season 10.
Jaguar, who provide powertrains to the Envision team, will have a very strong line-up of both Cassidy and Evans in an all-Kiwi driver pairing. Speaking about the news that was announced shortly after the London E-Prix finale earlier this year, Cassidy said: “I’m looking forward to racing for a team like Jaguar that has such a successful motorsport history. Season 9 has been my most successful to date, so I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 and fight for points, podiums and wins”.
All British line-up at NEOM McLaren
Another team that has a driver duo with the same nationality is NEOM McLaren, with two Brits completing their teammate pairing. Jake Hughes will continue his role in papaya after a strong rookie season for McLaren, however his new teammate will be Sam Bird, which means we say goodbye to Rene Rast..
The Formula E veteran, with 11 wins, 26 podiums and 112 races under his belt is a promising signing for the team. Bird has raced in every season of Formula E, and will want to have a better run of results than he experienced with Jaguar in Season 8 where his run of winning in every season of the championship came to a disappointing end.
Patiently waiting on TAG Heuer Porsche
Last but certainly not least is the TAG Heuer Porsche, who are the only ones not to confirm their line-up for Season 10. The promising pairing of Antonio Felix da Costa and Pascal Wehrlein delivered the team some brilliant results in the first year of GEN3, but will the two of them continue into the next season. Time will tell!