Racing around the full length iconic street circuit, it’s the perfect home for the World Championship as it delivers big thrills, incredible overtakes and is the perfect example of why Formula E is one of the best motorsports out there.
FACTS AND STATS: Monaco in numbers
Having raced there since Season 1 – albeit on a smaller version of the current layout – Monaco and Albert II, Prince of Monaco have always been big supporters of Formula E. Now on the full circuit layout often associated with the likes of Formula 1 or the Monaco Historique, Formula E thrives off the challenges that the street circuit throws up at even the best of drivers.
Here are some of the key storylines as we reach our halfway point in Season 10.
A tie at the top of the standings
It’s no secret that the competition in Formula E is on another level. We’ve seen six different winners from six different teams over the first seven rounds, with only TAG Heuer Porsche and Pascal Wehrlein being the first double winners in Season 10 — more on that later.
As a result of the tough fight at the top, we head into Monaco with two drivers tied at the top of the World Championship standings. Both Wehrlein and Andretti’s Jake Dennis have 89 points after the first seven rounds.
For Porsche’s Pascal, he has won two races this year in Mexico City and Misano compared to the one for Dennis in Diriyah. However, reigning champion Dennis has been consistent with his results; especially podiums. Apart from a ninth place in Mexico, 12th at Round 3 in Diriyah and fifth in São Paulo, every other race day he’s earned himself and the team some silverware.
It’s this level of competition and consistency that helped Dennis see himself crowned World Champion last season. With Round 8 marking the halfway point in the season, it is certainly a positive start to his year and could see him on-track to be the only driver aside from DS PENSKE’s Jean-Eric Vergne to win back-to-back titles in Formula E.
Six different winners in seven races
Last time out in Misano, Pascal Wehrlein became the first double winner in Season 10 when he went from third to first to claim victory. His teammate Antonio Felix da Costa looked set for the win the day before for Round 6, however a post-race penalty saw him disqualified from the results.
Instead, Nissan’s Oliver Rowland won his second-ever Formula E race in an untraditional way, inheriting the win as a result of Da Costa’s disqualification. Both Rowland and Nissan added to the tally of different winners, as both a driver and for the Nissan team.
ANALYSIS: Karun explain's the Misano Da Costa disqualification
Before that was Tokyo, where Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther made it five from five as he was crowned winner in the Japanese capital. NEOM McLaren’s Sam Bird had an emotional win in São Paulo for Round 4, with Jaguar TCS Racing's Nick Cassidy taking his turn in Diriyah for Round 3. Dennis locked in a victory in Round 2 in Diriyah over the double-header, with TAG Heuer Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein victorious at the first race of the season in Mexico City.
From this winner’s list there have been four different powertrains, too. Porsche are top with three victories thanks to Wehrlein and Dennis, with Nissan next on two. Jaguar and STELLANTIS have one each, respectively.
Reveal of the GEN3 Evo
One of the biggest pieces of news from the upcoming weekend is the reveal of the GEN3 Evo. The next generation of Formula E cars, which will be used from next season, is set to be unveiled to the world ahead of the race weekend.
The highly-anticipated GEN3 Evo race car will be shared on Thursday 25 April, during an exclusive evening launch in the build-up to the 2024 Monaco E-Prix. As an evolution of the current GEN3 race car – the world’s fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever made – the all-electric championship is set to raise the bar even higher with a race car that will be pushed to the limit by the series’ world-class drivers across Seasons 11 and 12.
The GEN3 Evo is set to deliver even more dramatic wheel to wheel racing. With improved performance characteristics that will highlight Formula E and the FIA’s role in pioneering technology and sustainable motorsport, the GEN3 Evo is set to deliver a step-change in on-track action.
Nissan powertrains look strong
One powertrain manufacturer who has been constantly making big steps over the last season is Nissan. The Japanese squad supplied both their own team as well as the NEOM McLaren gang, and have two wins under their belts so far in Season 10.
Their pace and performance has been mighty impressive, with Oliver Rowland locking in four consecutive podiums and was on track for five until his last-lap retirement in Misano. Their efficiency looks very strong, and with the talented foursome of Rolwland, Sacha Fenestraz, Bird and Jake Hughes all representing them, the expectation is only getting higher.
Here in Monaco last year, the Nissan powertrains locked out the top three spots in qualifying. Fenestraz looked set for the Julius Baer Pole Position but had his lap time cancelled for power usage over the regulatory limit of 350kW during the Qualifying Duel Final and moved to second. Jake Hughes and NEOM McLaren inherited the pole position, with Sacha’s then-Nissan teammate Norman Nato starting third on the grid. Rowland has also earned pole here in 2019, but had a three-place grid penalty from a previous race that he had to serve.
It’s fair to say that they’re definitely in a good place for a great result this weekend. Don’t forget you can have your say on how you think the grid will look over the Monaco E-Prix by using the Formula E predictor in the official Formula E app.
PLAY: Join the official Formula E predictor app for the Monaco E-Prix
Overtakes, overtakes and more overtakes!
There were a staggering 116 overtakes in the 2023 Monaco E-Prix – not bad for a venue that is notoriously difficult to make passes in other championships!
It’s a circuit that shows the very best of Formula E, with some incredible battles here over the years. The average winning margin in Monaco is just 1.205s, with three of the six races having been won by less than 0.5s!
Every Formula E race in Monaco has also seen the appearance of either the Full Course Yellow or the Safety Car. However, last season’s race was the first race in Monaco to have two Safety Car appearances.
The Principality first hosted a motor race back in 1929, and has been an iconic staple on motorsport calendars since. With the all-electric series taking to the picturesque streets filled with so much history for its first race in 2015, we knew this race was going to be special.
There have been some amazing battles in Monaco since we made our debut here in Season 1, with the likes of Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi becoming the first double winner in Formula E, racing with Renault at the time. Buemi also had a fantastic fight with ABT CUPRA’s Lucas di Grassi in Season 3 and went on to win again, still the only driver to have won in the Principality in Formula E more than once.
Jean-Eric Vergne became the next winner in Monaco, keeping plenty of close competition at bay to lead every lap on his way to victory. However, it was 2021 that really made Formula E and Monaco a match made in motorsport heaven. Now racing around the full circuit, the grid delivered almost 150 position changes - including 28 overtakes between the top six runners alone.
With so many new challenges facing the electric machines, including the steep elevation changes of Sainte-Dévote up to the Casino Square, as well as the Grand Hotel Hairpin and awesome tunnel, Formula E continued to silence doubters and put on an unforgettable show.
Stoffel Vandoorne was the next victor around the 3.337km circuit in 2022, with Nick Cassidy going from ninth to first over a dramatic Monaco E-Prix last year. Although the Kiwi has been a little concerned about the Jaguar’s season going forward, don’t write him or teammate Mitch Evans off when it comes to standing on the top step of the podium come Saturday.
SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2024 Monaco E-Prix Round 8
Free Practice 1 is go on Saturday from 07:25 local time, with Free Practice 2 from 09:05. Qualifying follows at 10:40 and Round 8 itself starts at 15:00 local.
WATCH: How to watch or stream Formula E's Monaco E-Prix weekend where you are
View the full schedule in your time zone and check the broadcaster listings to find out where to watch all the racing action where you live.