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TESTING WRAP: What we learnt in Madrid

FEATURE 13 Nov 2024 5 Mins

Pre-season testing is finished ahead of our season opener in São Paulo next month, and these were the key takeaways from our Championship Journalist Katy Fairman.

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feature season 11

Article by Katy Fairman

Testing is always an important part of the calendar each season. Not only is it a chance to run all 22 cars alongside each other and get a rough idea of how your competitors are looking, it’s also important to make sure these cars can be run safely and efficiently especially with the introduction of new technologies.

The GEN3 Evo race car is brand new for Season 11, and brings with it several new and exciting features. With the introduction of all-wheel drive at certain points over the race weekends, new gripper Hankook iON tyres, re-homologated powertrains and a much faster car with a refreshed body kit, there are plenty of lessons to be learnt.

After being relocated to the Circuito del Jarama in Madrid with very short notice, after the devastating flooding experienced by the Valencia region, the pre-season test still provided teams and drivers with some great understanding of these cars before the first race of the season in São Paulo on 7 December 2024.

Drivers are enjoying the GEN3 Evo

Season 11’s pre-season test marks a new era of the championship, with the much-anticipated debut of the GEN3 Evo race car - a major milestone in electric racing technology, blending performance, sustainability, and efficiency.

This groundbreaking machine, capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in just 1.82 seconds, is not only the quickest-accelerating FIA single-seater but also outpaces current F1 cars by 30% in acceleration, reflecting Formula E’s ongoing commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility.

MEET THE NEW RACE CAR: Introducing the GEN3 Evo

Although drivers have tested these cars in private, last week in Madrid was the first time the entire grid was able to take to the track alongside one another.

“I really like it,” two-time Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne had to say about his new DS PENSKE machine. “It's a very nice evolution that we have, especially with the four wheel drive. There's a lot more power out of the corner that gives you the impression of having more grip. It’s very nice so far, especially on this track. The launch from 0-100 mph is also rapid!”

Tyres will be a big talking point this season

There was lots of tyre talk in Madrid, as Formula E’s tyre supplier Hankook provided a new compound for Season 11. The specific GEN3 Evo iON race tyre, which was developed in close collaboration with the FIA specifically for this generation of car, promises to deliver ‘enhanced performance across all weather conditions’.

“The most surprising thing is the difference in tyre compared to what we are used to,” Kiro Race Co’s Dan Ticktum said about the four-day test. “The tyre we had last season, you could pretty much do anything to it, and it didn't matter the mileage or the heat cycles, it would pretty much do the same lap time. Whereas, the tyre we have got here, it’s quite an abrasive track, but it’s a more conventional race tyre.”

It’ll be a hugely important part of the car to understand for Season 11, with Hankook claiming the grip of the tyre has improved by 5-10% compared to previous models, and will undoubtedly lead to quicker lap times across the season.

Evans quickest but still questions at Jaguar

It’s fair to say Jaguar TCS Racing had quite a mixed week in Madrid. Sure, Mitch Evans went quickest out of everyone during the final day of testing, but teammate Nick Cassidy seemed to have a different view of how things were unfolding.

The team were forced to miss the first three hour test session of the week, alongside Nissan, after being found in procedural and minor overspend breaches over the period 2022/23. However, they got themselves back on track to complete with 379 laps overall across the test.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Nick Cassidy said before the Jaguar I-TYPE 7 Prototype hit the track. “I don’t think we have rolled out as we wanted, so it’s going to be a big couple of months ahead. On our side there’s a couple of spanners that have been thrown into the works, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out.”

Despite claiming both the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ trophies in London at the end of Season 10, both Evans and Cassidy missed out on a chance of the Drivers’ World Championship. “Ultimately it feels like we should be having number one on the car,” Cassidy tells me, and is a statement he echoed over various media commitments across the week.

It’s clear there’s still some tension there, but there’s no doubt that the team will be trying to iron out any imperfections when the season kickstarts in Brazil next month.

Promising lap times from Kiro Race Co

One of the biggest stories of the off-season was when The Forest Road Company - a Los Angeles-based investment firm - acquired 100% of the ERT Formula E Team. Now rebranded as Kiro Race Co, and featuring an impossible-to-miss neon livery, the team are also now using an old-spec Porsche powertrain and it’s certainly made them quick.

With a temporary teammate duo of Dan Ticktum and David Beckmann last week, the team are looking very strong although it’s always said that pre-season testing results should always be taken with a pinch of salt as it’s not totally representative.

Nevertheless, Kiro finished second and fourth overall in the test, and will hope this pace translates across the 10 locations we’ll be racing at over the Season 11 campaign.

Competition will be as close as ever in Season 11

I know we say this every year, but with teams like Kiro making giant leaps forward during the off-season and Mahindra Racing finding early success with a new powertrain supplier, the grid really is closing up ahead of the new campaign.

Six different drivers from six different teams all topped a session in Madrid, with four of those being with different powertrains.

Who topped each session?

Test Session 1: Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche)
Test Session 2: Jake Hughes (Maserati MSG Racing)
Test Session 3: Maximilian Guenther (DS PENSKE)
Test Session 4: David Beckmann (Kiro Race Co)
Test Session 5: Nyck de Vries (Mahindra Racing)
Test Session 6: Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing)

São Paulo is going to be a fascinating insight into this new generation of Formula E, with the brilliant Brazilian circuit ready to host the season opener. It’s a track that is great for overtaking, and last season saw one of the wildest last laps in our championship history when NEOM McLaren’s Sam Bird swooped into first place in the final few corners as an intense battle for third place unfolded behind.

It seems almost impossible to predict who our champion will be this time next year, so make sure you don’t miss a moment.