New circuit, drivers return, title battles continue – We break down all the talking points ahead of the Sao Paulo ePrix.
After a four-week break, Formula E returns for Round 6 of the championship and the Sao Paulo ePrix.
The break has given teams the first chance to delve deeper into their race data on Gen3 and develop their packages ahead of the second part of the season.
We saw several switches in the competitive order between testing and the season opener, so the status quo in the opening five rounds may not be the state of play moving forward.
Motorsport Week breaks down all the key talking points ahead of Round 6 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Brazillian debut for Formula E.
Formula E heads to Brazil for the first time in the championship’s nine-year history. The series has raced in three other locations in South America: Uruguay, Argentina and Chile.
The third new track of the season, the Sao Paulo Street Circuit, has previously played host to IndyCar and GT racing but has been reconfigured for the electric series. Home hero Lucas Di Grassi had petitioned for a race in his home nation for several years, with plans formulated in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Opportune layout for overtaking.
The layout sees 14 heavy braking corners across its 2.96km layout, providing all the characteristics needed for plenty of overtakes. The team’s challenge will be in battle efficiency to be amongst it at the end of the race.
With several straights, the slipstream will be effective on this circuit, and the drivers will focus on regenerating into the heavy braking zones. These characteristics will likely benefit the Porsche 99X package, which has shown impressive efficiency this season.
Frijns returns to ABT.
After breaking his wrist during the season opener in Mexico, ABT Cupra reserve Kelvin van der Linde deputised for Robin Frijns throughout his recovery.
The Dutchman had plenty of opportunity to warm up, participating in the action in Sebring last weekend. Expectations will be low for Frijns with what he can achieve in his first weekend back in the car, especially with the team continuing to struggle for pace and reliability.
Recovery needed at Mahindra.
The race in Cape Town saw neither Mahindra nor their customer team ABT’s cars participate in the race. After Qualifying, the team announced the withdrawal of all four M9 Electro machines due to a suspension safety issue.
With the extended break, the team will hope this issue is firmly in the past and can continue to challenge at the front. The team has shown glimmers of pace as Lucas Di Grassi already scored them a podium in round one.
Wehrlein x Dennis battle continues.
With neither scoring in Cape Town, Pascal Wehrlein and Jake Dennis will hope for positive outings in Sao Paulo to build their title challenge. Dennis had not finished lower than second in the opening three races but went on to not score in Hyderabad or Cape Town.
Finishing in fourth in India, Wehrlein has opened up an 18-point advantage on the Briton going into the second part of the season. Dennis will want a solid weekend to keep himself at the sharp end of the title fight.
Maserati will hope for progress.
The standouts in testing Maserati have failed to convert the inherent pace in their package to race results. The Monagasque team currently sits 10th in the team standings, with Edoardo Mortara scoring just three points. Luck has not been on their side, with Mortara only taking the checkered flag twice in five races.
Maximillian Gunther has yet to get off the mark and score a point for the team. James Rossiter’s team will hope they can have improved fortunes as we head into the second part of the season.
The Sao Paulo ePrix begins with free practice on Friday at 16:25 local time.
