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featureSeason 1: 2015 Miami E-Prix, 14 March 2015
Formula E’s first race in North America produced a classic. Miami, soon to be returning in Season 11, gave US racer Scott Speed a potential Hollywood-inspired ending after narrowly missing out on victory on his debut!
SEASON 11 CALENDAR: Formula E returning to Miami and two races in Monaco
Jean-Eric Vergne started first after claiming his second Julius Baer Pole Position in just his third Formula E race, but was forced to drop to the back after a power issue. This left Daniel Abt on course for victory until Nico Prost and Scott Speed overtook the German driver with just two laps to go!
Prost was on course for a race win at the very first Formula E race in Beijing, until a final-corner collision with Nick Heidfeld created headlines all across the world. This time, however, the Frenchman was destined for first place, despite an almighty tussle with Scott Speed who tried his best to attack through every corner. Despite the home-crowd cheering Speed on, Prost remained composed to secure his first Formula E win.
Season 1: 2015 Long Beach E-Prix, 4 April 2015
Just three weeks after the Miami madness, Formula E returned to America but this time stopped by the bright lights of California. The all-electric championship raced on a modified version of the Long Beach Grand Prix track.
Daniel Abt achieved a maiden pole position and led the pack away in first, but it didn’t last long as Nelson Piquet Jr would overtake him on the first corner of the race. Despite the Safety Car being forced into action twice, Piquet Jr. kept his cool up front to win, almost 35 years to the day his father won a Formula 1 race on the same circuit. The Brazilian would eventually go on to claim the Season 1 title.
Season 2: 2016 Long Beach E-Prix, 2 April 2016
One year later, Formula E returned to Long Beach for another blockbuster race weekend.
Antonio Felix da Costa delivered a sensational lap to secure pole position, but had his time excluded due to tyre pressure issues. This resulted in Sam Bird inheriting pole, ahead of Lucas di Grassi. The Brazilian would eventually pass Bird for the lead on lap 12, and with Leonardo di Caprio watching in the grandstands, di Grassi took victory ahead of Stephane Sarrazin and Daniel Abt. The event also saw Simona de Silvestro become the first woman to claim points in Formula E after her ninth place finish.
Season 3: New York City E-Prix, 15 & 16 July 2017
Sam Bird had his very own fairytale of New York just over a year later. Tens of thousands headed to the Big Apple to watch New York City’s very first motor race in Red Hook, which saw Bird win both races over the double-header in a total masterclass.
The weekend was an unusual one, with several drivers missing out on the historic race due to a calendar clash in the World Endurance Championship, with the 6 Hours of Nurburgring taking place across the same weekend. Some drivers, including the championship leader at the time Sebastien Buemi, raced in Germany instead of America!
Buemi was replaced by Pierre Gasly for the Brooklyn races, while Bird’s teammate was Development Driver Alex Lynn, who stepped in for Jose Maria Lopez. It proved to be a dream debut for Lynn, who became the first driver since Jean-Eric Vergne in Season 1 to claim pole in their debut qualifying session.
FEATURE: Six Formula 1 drivers that also raced in Formula E
Season 4: New York City E-Prix, 14 & 15 July 2018
It was Jean-Eric Vergne’s turn to make magic memories in New York City a year later as he - and Formula E - said goodbye to the GEN1 era in style.
Vergne entered the final two races of the season as championship leader and 23 points ahead of nearest rival Sam Bird, but with his title rival a specialist around the streets of Brooklyn, the title was not guaranteed. Things got even more challenging for Vergne, who was disqualified from qualifying after overpowering during his flying lap. Bird failed to capitalise however, with a disappointing 14th place in qualifying.
It took the Frenchman just 17 laps to pass Bird, before eventually finishing in fifth place and earning himself his first Formula E championship on Bastille Day: France’s national holiday. The next day, JEV completed a dream weekend by lifting his own championship trophy after winning the final race of the season.
Season 5: New York City E-Prix, 13 & 14 July 2019
Winning the Formula E championship in NYC was so nice, JEV had to do it twice! Vergne led the championship by 32 points heading into Brooklyn, leaving any potential rivals praying for two zero point races from the Frenchman to have any chance.
INTERVIEW: Vergne looks back at his Formula E career so far
However, it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. Vergne qualified in 10th, and despite not looking fully comfortable during the first race, was on course to finish ninth and claim a second Drivers' title with two laps to go. Then, disaster struck, when a collision with Felipe Massa saw him fall to 15th and out of the points. The race win went to Sebastien Buemi - his 13th, and last in Formula E to this date.
JEV came back fighting the following day, and was able to drive a smart race to claim the points he needed to become champion once again, this time becoming the first champion of the GEN2 era and only back-to-back champ in Formula E.
Season 7: New York City E-Prix, 10 & 11 July 2021
After the coronavirus pandemic prevented us returning Stateside in Season 6, Formula E was back at Red Hook for the fourth time in 2021.Unlike the previous two visits, this was not the season-finale, and instead the 10th and 11th rounds of a fiercely-competitive season.
Maximilian Guenther was able to provide home heroes Andretti their first win on US soil for race one. Whereas, the second event of the double-header saw a familiar face leading from the front, with Sam Bird on pole for the Jaguar team. The Brit would go on to achieve a perfect day, winning by over four seconds to Nick Cassidy and banking the maximum 29 points available.
Season 8: New York City E-Prix, 16 & 17 July 2022
After narrowly missing out on victory in his last visit to New York City, Nick Cassidy finally achieved his first Formula E win in the most bizarre circumstances!
The final 10 minutes saw torrential rain hit Brooklyn, resulting in shunt involving a number of drivers - including the race leaders - which brought the race to an early end under the Red Flag. Due to the circumstances and per the regulations, the final results were taken from the end of the penultimate lap, which reinstated all three to the podium.
After the unexpected ending of Saturday, Sunday proved to be much more straightforward. Antonio Felix da Costa stood at the top of the podium after a lights-to-flag victory and jumped in the Hudson river to celebrate.
Season 9: Portland E-Prix, 24 June 2023
Formula E touched down in Portland, Oregon for the first US race of the GEN3 era. The Portland International Raceway, a permanent circuit that is a regular on the Indycar calendar, welcomed all-electric racing with open arms and high-speeds.
FEATURE: Motorsport's best moments in Portland
The race itself was wild, with a record-breaking 403 on-track passes over just 28 laps.
Drivers were looking to capitalise on the slipstreaming around this flowing circuit, and not give away any vital energy in the opening quarters of the race. Nick Cassidy did what he does best, and mastered the strategy to work his way through the pack from 10th on the grid to win – his second in the States.
Formula E returns to Portland for double the fun in 2024, as the Portland International Raceway returns for two races on Saturday 29 June and Sunday 30 June.
Miami is also back on the calendar for Season 11, but at an all-new location. The Homestead-Miami Speedway venue draws on its heritage and success in hosting thrilling NASCAR and IndyCar races for decades.