Norris: McLaren’s best chances of 2023 F1 win “have gone”

Norris jumped Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the start to lead the first half of Sunday’s United States Grand Prix. But he was powerless to keep Red Bull’s Max Verstappen from a 15th season win and also had to let Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes past in the closing stages.Afterwards Norris was promoted back to second when Hamilton was disqualified for excessive plank wear, meaning the Briton has now …Keep reading

10 things we learned from the 2023 F1 United States Grand Prix

Everything’s bigger in Texas, according to popular belief and brass-plated belt buckles. While the on-track spectacle across Formula 1’s sprint and grand prix races at the Circuit of the Americas largely did not deliver on such hyperbole, the post-race ramifications certainly did as the theatre ensued in the stewards’ room.PLUS: Why Mercedes could have won the US GPA pair of disqualifications …Keep reading

Aston Martin knew bringing F1 upgrades to US GP sprint was a risky move

The team struggled to optimise its latest updates after problems arose in FP1 at the US GP, after which the specification was fixed.That led to a disappointing qualifying session on Friday, and an equally frustrating sprint qualifying and race on Saturday.The team eventually opted to take both AMR23s out of parc ferme and make wholesale changes that triggered pitlane starts for Sunday’s main …Keep reading

Where a British hopeful is targeting improvement ahead of a first F1 test

My deal to compete in the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Hitech this year came together very late on and, to be honest, I didn’t expect to be doing it. It finally happened just a couple of weeks before the first race in Bahrain. We were the last driver signed coming into the year, so I was a bit on the back foot, not doing any testing, and not knowing any of the circuits bar Silverstone, Red …Keep reading

Ferrari admits Leclerc’s F1 US GP strategy was a mistake

The Monegasque driver started from pole and, having lost out early on to both Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, was the only driver in the field to run a one-stop strategy.He eventually slipped back to sixth place, although that became academic when he was disqualified for a plank infringement.Meanwhile, from fourth on the grid, his team-mate Carlos Sainz followed the rest of the field in stopping …Keep reading

What drives your dreams? A chance to WIN a VIP Dream F1 Vegas Weekend

The anticipation of seeing adrenaline-fuelled F1 racing in the entertainment capital of Las Vegas has sent the sport into overdrive and when the lights go out and the cars roar down the world-famous strip, it will be the place everyone wants to be.The US has become so infatuated by Formula 1 since the success of the Netflix documentary Drive to Survive, that it now hosts three races – and with …Keep reading

Mercedes to make F1 pitstop overhaul after slow US GP tyre changes

Lewis Hamilton finished just 2.2 seconds behind race winner Max Verstappen in what was arguably his most competitive outing of the year prior to a disqualification for a car plank infringement.However, it was not lost on Hamilton nor his squad that the race could have had a different initial outcome if less time had been lost in its two pitstops, which were judged as taking 3.6 and 3.4 …Keep reading
FormulaE – Valencia Test to Kick-Start 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Campaign

FormulaE – Valencia Test to Kick-Start 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Campaign

Sport news

Spanish circuit to offer first glimpse of form guide heading into Season 10 of all-electric single-seater series.
As has become customary in recent years, Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo will host the prelude to Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship later this month (24-27 October), with the official pre-season test set to offer an early indicator of the pecking-order in the all-electric series.
 
Following a number of driver changes over the off-season, the grid looks somewhat different heading into the 2023/24 campaign – the second with the pioneering Gen3 car – but Jake Dennis is banking on continuity. The defending champion remains with the renamed Andretti Formula E outfit in his quest to clinch back-to-back crowns. The Briton will be partnered by race-winner Norman Nato as the Frenchman gets his big break in place of André Lotterer, who has called time on his stint in single-seaters.

Arguably the biggest move of the summer was Nick Cassidy’s defection from Jaguar-powered Envision Racing – who he helped to propel to the Season 9 Teams’ title alongside Sébastien Buemi – to ‘works’ outfit Jaguar TCS Racing, where he will line up next to countryman Mitch Evans. The duo finished respectively second and third in the standings in 2022/23, so will represent one of the most potent pairings in the 22-strong field.
 

Cassidy has been replaced at Envision Racing by Robin Frijns, who is returning ‘home’ to the team with which he competed from 2018 to 2022, and where he claimed both of his career victories and all bar one of his podium finishes. The Dutchman is bidding to battle back from a challenging campaign, while Season 2 champion Buemi stays on-board in the sister Envision entry.
 

Continuing the homecoming theme, two other drivers to have gone back to their roots are recent team-mates Oliver Rowland and Lucas Di Grassi. After sitting out the second half of last season, Rowland has rejoined Nissan Formula E Team – with whom the British racer has achieved the bulk of his success in Formula E – following a year-and-a-half with Mahindra Racing. He will take to the track alongside series sophomore Sacha Fenestraz, who impressed over the course of his maiden campaign in the championship.

Di Grassi, for his part, has returned to ABT CUPRA – the team with which he started out in Formula E, securing the coveted Drivers’ trophy in 2016/17 and tallying four further top three championship finishes. He will be flanked by the incumbent Nico Müller.
 
The Brazilian will be succeeded at Mahindra by fellow former champion Nyck de Vries, back in Formula E after experiencing a taste of Formula 1 with Scuderia Alpha Tauri. The Dutchman – who lifted the laurels in Season 7 – will be partnered by Edoardo Mortara, who finished runner-up to him in his title-winning campaign.
 
There is, conversely, no change at TAG Heuer Porsche, DS PENSKE or the renamed ERT Formula E Team – formerly NIO 333 Racing – all of whom are betting on consistency as they maintain their respective driver duos. Porsche continues with last season’s early pace-setter Pascal Wehrlein and 2019/20 champion António Félix da Costa, while two-time title-holder Jean-Éric Vergne and Season 8 champion Stoffel Vandoorne team up again at DS PENSKE. ERT has kept the faith in promising young guns Dan Ticktum and Sérgio Sette Câmara, the latter having sped to a career-high fifth-place finish in India back in February.
 

NEOM McLaren will field an all-British line-up, as series stalwart Sam Bird – a winner of 11 E-Prixs to-date – joins from Jaguar to compete alongside compatriot Jake Hughes, with Maserati MSG Racing retaining the services of Maximilian Günther and promoting former reserve driver Jehan Daruvala to a race seat for the forthcoming campaign.
 


 

The highly-rated Indian might be the only rookie in the pack, but he will not be the only rookie on the track in Valencia, with all teams obliged to run a newcomer in at least one session around the 3.37km, 15-turn circuit, which is sweeping and technical in equal measure.

Zane Maloney (Andretti Formula E) will be joined by Sheldon van der Linde (Jaguar TCS Racing) and Jack Aitken (Envision Racing), with Luca Ghiotto and Victor Martins both trying out for Nissan Formula E. Tim Tramnitz and Adrien Tambay will take to the circuit for ABT CUPRA, as Mahindra Racing entrusts its car to reserve and development driver, Jordan King. Gabriela Jílková will appear for Tag Heuer Porsche, with Robert Shwartzman at DS PENSKE, Mikel Azcona at ERT Formula E, Taylor Barnard at NEOM McLaren and Yann Ehrlacher at Maserati MSG Racing.

There will be six three-hour sessions in total – two per day on Tuesday (24 October), Wednesday (25 October) and Friday (27 October) – with Wednesday’s running due to include a brace of race simulations. Friday’s sessions will be open to the public.

 

THE TRACK
 

 

MEDIA CENTRE

 

Opening Hours of the Media Center
– Tuesday 24th October 0700 – 1900
– Wednesday 25th October 0700 – 1900
– Thursday 26th October 0800 – 1800
– Friday 27th October 0800 – 1800
 

TIMETABLE
 

Tuesday 24 October      
Starts Ends Length Activity
09:00 12:00 03:00 TEST SESSION 1
14:00 17:00 03:00 TEST SESSION 2
       
Wednesday 25 October      
Starts Ends Length Activity
09:00 12:00 03:00 TEST SESSION 3
14:00 17:00 03:00 TEST SESSION 4
       
Friday 27 October      
Starts Ends Length Activity
09:00 12:00 00:30 TEST SESSION 5
14:00 17:00 03:00 TEST SESSION 6

 

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
 

Tuesday 24 October  
12:45 – 13:00 Drivers FIA Press Conference
  Jake Dennis, Andretti Formula E
  Nyck De Vries, Mahindra Racing
  Jean-Eric Vergne, DS PENSKE
   
13:00 – 13:15 Teams FIA Press Conference
  Thomas Biermaier, ABT Cupra
  Ian James, Neom McLaren
  Russell O’Hagan, ERT Formula E Team
   
Wednesday 25 October  
12:45 – 13:00 Drivers FIA Press Conference
  Antonio Felix Da Costa, Tag Heuer Porsche
  Sacha Fenestraz, Nissan Formula E
  Jehan Daruvala, Maserati MSG
   
13:00 – 13:15 Teams FIA Press Conference
  Sylvain Filippi, Envision Racing
  James Barclay, Jaguar TCS Racing
  Roger Griffiths, Andretti Formula E
   
Friday 27 October  
12:45 – 13:00 Drivers FIA Press Conference
  Nick Cassidy, Jaguar TCS Racing
  Robin Frijns, Envision Racing
  Sam Bird, Neom McLaren
   
13:00 – 13:15 Teams FIA Press Conference
  Florian Modlinger, Tag Heuer Porsche
  Nicolas Mauduit, DS PENSKE
  Frédéric Bertrand, Mahindra Racing

 

ENTRIES
 


 

ABB FIA Formula E World Championship

Formula EFIASEASON 2023-2024SportCircuit1SportABB FIA Formula E World ChampionshipCircuitFIASEASON 2023-2024Formula E01Monday, October 23, 2023 – 11:53amMonday, October 23, 2023 – 11:53am