EXPLAINED: Formula E's rules and regulations for Season 11 ahead of the season-opening São Paulo E-Prix in Brazil

Article by Katy Fairman

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has a strict set of rules and regulations that need to be followed, just like most motorsport series. It’s important that all teams and drivers are in line with the FIA’s International Sporting Code or ensuring the cars are legal from a technical standpoint, for example. 

Here are some of the key things you need to know ahead of Season 11 of the all-electric championship as it begins its GEN3 Evo era. 

What is the race weekend schedule?

Unlike other championships that spread themselves over three days, most Formula E action takes place over one day. There’s one Free Practice session on the eve of an E-Prix for the teams, and another the following morning, but qualifying and the race are both on the same day – often a Saturday or Sunday. 

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Practice sessions are now 40 minutes each, with qualifying lasting for around 85 minutes from start to finish. Every race is made up of a predetermined number of laps, but around an hour is given time-wise. Extra laps can also be added for Safety Car and Full Course Yellow interruptions, which the teams are notified about three laps before the end of the E-Prix. 

What Championships can you win?

New for this season, there are three separate titles to win. As well as the traditional Drivers’ and Teams’ World Championships, the Manufacturer Title will be recognised by the FIA from Season 11. The concept was introduced last season, and sees Manufacturers awarded points based on the results from their best two powered cars. Points allocated for the driver who gets Pole Position and the Fastest Lap will not be counted towards this title. 

If there’s a dead heat at the end of the season, the driver with the most first place finishes will be awarded the higher place in the championship. If that is tied, the number of second places are looked at, then third, and so on until a winner emerges. If this procedure fails to produce a result, the FIA then nominates the winner based on criteria it sees fit.

How many points are awarded over a race weekend? 

Formula E follows a standard points system, used in other FIA-sanctioned series, which awards points to the top-10 classified finishers. 

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There are also additional points on offer, with three championship points given to the Julius Baer Pole Position holder after qualifying and another extra point up for grabs for the Fastest Lap in the race. 

In the rare circumstances that a race cannot be completed, for reasons like torrential weather or an incident, points will be awarded from a set criteria. 

How do penalties work in Formula E?

Like in all motorsport, drivers and their teams need to be on their best behaviour to avoid being penalised. However, if you are found to be at fault for an incident such as causing a collision or forcing another driver off the track, there will be consequences. 

The Stewards – a group of individuals from the FIA – decide if drivers or teams are given a penalty for an incident. Depending on the offence, the Stewards can issue a variety of penalties which are normally handed out during the race. However, if a driver is unable to serve their penalty, due to retirement for example, it can be converted into a grid penalty for their next race.

Time penalties are the most common, with both 5-second time penalties and 10-second time penalties available to use. These must be served the next time a driver requires a pit stop, with no work allowed to be carried out on their car for that duration of penalty time. If they do not need to stop before the end of the race, the time will be added to the total elapsed race time of the driver concerned.

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Drive-through penalties are also available, meaning the driver must enter the pit lane and re-join the race without stopping, in addition to a 10-second stop-and-go where a driver has to stop at their pit box for at least 10 seconds before rejoining the race.

Drivers can also pick up penalty points on their e-Licences. If they reach 12 penalty points over a 12 month period, their e-Licence will be suspended for the following event before the points are then removed. 

What are the tyre allocations? 

There’s a new compound of all-weather Hankook iON tyre for the 2024/25 season, which is much grippier and made from 35% recycled and sustainable materials. 

For each single-header round, each driver may use no more than four new rear and four new front tyres of the same specification. This then goes up to six new rear and front tyres of the same spec for double-header events. All tyres must be strictly identical.

What is an e-Licence in Formula E?

Just like a driving licence for the road, Formula E drivers must qualify for an e-Licence to participate in races or tests. In order to enter the FIA Formula E Championship, drivers must comply with the following:

• Drivers participating in the Championship must hold an FIA e-Licence.
  
  
• Drivers must conduct a specific FIA training session focussing on electrical safety, specific features of the fully-electric Formula E car, as well as reviewing both technical and sporting aspects of the series.

The minimum licence grade for rookies to take part in the official tests organised by the Championship Promoter is International Grade B. International Grade C licensed Drivers, with proven experience in single-seater categories, may be authorised with the prior approval of the FIA. 

Find out more

CALENDAR: Sync the dates and don't miss a lap of Season 11

FOLLOW: Download the Formula E App on iOS or Android

WATCH: Find out where to watch every Formula E race via stream or on TV in your country

SCHEDULE: Here's every race of the 2024/25 Formula E season

HIGHLIGHTS: Catch up with every race from all 10 seasons of Formula E IN FULL