enews Surfin USA: Formula E s fantastic adventure Highschool never ends: is FanBoost just a popularity contest?

Transcription

1 April st volume Number 005 enews Surfin USA: Formula E s fantastic adventure Highschool never ends: is FanBoost just a popularity contest? Technical updates: always looking for a way to improve Process in progress: 2nd season is shaping up

2 Editorial 01 Monte Carlo, Berlin, Moscow and london: Formula E Goes EurOpe Get ready for Formula E s big European adventure and the series double season finale with e-racing.net s exclusive enews Special Europe: It s the final countdown - out May 1st. The Special includes in-depth previews for the rounds in Monte Carlo, Berlin, Moscow and London. Furthermore we let you in on the best spots of London and Berlin, take a unique tour around the streets of Monte Carlo and much more. There is no better preparation for your trips to the European rounds than our big special issue - so make sure to get your copy! It s the most wonderful time of the year Wh a t kind of month was March, seriously? Seeing that I am also working as a F1, DTM and WTCC journalist,march usually means the beginning of the busy time of the year and this dark hunch proved itself to become true in the worst possible way: F1 in Melbourne and Formula E in Miami colliding - including the worst time difference for a European ever. Joy, oh joy! But well - sleep is for the weak and years of experience with handling different motorsport series at the same time showed me in an impressive manner that what doesn t kill you seriously makes you stronger - and more addicted to coffee... Spring is this amazing time of the year when most motorsport series finally start again, when we wake up to the sounds of roaring (or in Formual E s case: buzzing) engines and get excited like little kids on Christmas Eve because we can finally see some great racing again. While the Formula 1 season starter in Melbourne was such a disappointment that I actually wanted to crawl back into bed, Formula E once again managed to amaze us with a spectacular thriller on the streets of the Sunshine State s most famous city - Miami. The following second USround in Long Beach was just as entertaining and reminded us how captivating Alejandro Agag s brainchild is even after the two-month break over the winter. Therefore Formula E s fantastic USA adventure is the focal point of enews 005 including race reports, driver ratings and an insightful Scott Speed portrait. But we have much more content prepared for you! As you might have noticed in enews 004 the Miami and Long Beach peviews were published without giving credit to the amazing editor who prepared them for you: Topher Smith. Apologies from my side. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy enews 005 and as always - let us know what you think about our work so we can constantly improve for you. n Sleep is for the weak and not for Antonia Grzelak! Edition notice Editors Antonia Grzelak, Laurence Thorn, Renate Jungert, Topher Smith, Bethonie Waring, Stefan Ruitenberg, Shaun Snape Editor-in-chief Antonia Grzelak Layout Antonia Grzelak, Laurence Thorn Photos FIA Formula E Media Copyright All rights reserved. No part of this epaper may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials.

3 02 list of content list of content 03 EPRIX COVERAGE 07 SPECIAL SURFIN USA: Formula E s big USA adventure 08 Miami eprix 08 Race report 12 Driver ratings 16 Race in Tweets 17 Results 18 Long Beach 18 Race report 22 Driver ratings 26 Race in Tweets 27 Results 28 Championship Standings NEWS COMMENT 04 enews 32 Pros and Cons: Double finale 38 Process in progress: the second Formula E season is shaping up BUSINESS + ENVIRONMENT STORY 30 The return of the Speed 33 The Formula E Social Media Analysis 34 Mahindra Racing 35 Trulli Formula E 40 Highschool never ends: Is Fan- Boost just a popularity contest? ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY 36 Technical updates: Always looking for a way to improve 06 Column #4 42 Do you remember? The Beijing eprix 2014 With the Miami and Long Beach eprix behind us, Formula E now moves on the Europe. But before we prepare our GPS for the journey to Monte Carlo, we take you back to the two fabulously thrilling rounds in the land of the free and the home of the brave. 30 Portrait: Scott Speed In Miami former F1 driver Scott Speed took over Marco Andretti s seat and showed one of the most impressive newbieperformances of all time. 40 Highschool never ends FanBoost is all about the fans. But doesn t this mean it is just a popularity contest? We take a look at the relation between followers and votes.

4 04 enews enews 05 ene w s Th e l a s t f o u r w e e k s in Fo r m u l a E PHOTO CREDIT FIA FORMULA E MEDIA EDITOR Shaun Snape Editor The past four weeks in Formula E presented us with a few exciting and sometimes surprising news. Catch up with the most recent talking points and stay up-todate with our enews section. Suprisingly the Trulli Formula E driver Michela Cerruti announced that she would leave the series right before the Miami eprix. For still unknown reasons the Italian gave up her seat next to Jarno Trulli and is now racing in the VLN for Team Walkenhorst. With Cerruti gone the grid is now without any female drivers. n Michela Cerruti suprisingly leaves Formula E Lucas Di Grassi takes back top place in championship Monaco Free-Prix Agag: Pit lane changes a possibility Lucas di Grassi looked as if he wouldn t start the race at Long Beach due to his battery giving out fumes in parc ferme conditions in his Formula E racecar. He started the race from 4th position and showed good performance throughout the race, however his teammate Daniel Abt seemed to be in even better form and was fighting for 2nd place on the podium until he was given a drive through penalty for exceeding the maximum power usage of 150kw. This allowed di Grassi to take 3rd place in the race and therefore gave him the chance to regain the lead in the championship by a single point from Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet Jr. This is the fourth podium that di Grassi has taken in this season. The previous races in Buenos Aries and Miami, which saw di Grassi retire due to no fault of his own, show that he s a serious contender for the overall championship if this form can continue. n Nelson Piquet Jr.: Following his father s footsteps The year was 1980: Brazilian F1 driver Nelson Piquet took his first ever race win in Long Beach. 35 years later Nelson Piquet Jr. went on to win his first Formula E race on the same track. Piquet showed great pace in his quick lap during qualifying. However there was traffic which meant he was only able to get 3rd. This didn t seem to faze the Brazilian as he was able to pull off a spectacular move in the first corner on Daniel Abt. Clearly Piquet was hungry for the race win as he showed great pace from start to finish and didn t show any signs of letting the lead slip away from him. Piquet also had a helmet design which was a tribute to his father s classic helmet. Piquet is now 2nd in the overall standings only one point behind di Grassi, so we re certainly in for a treat when Formula E goes live in Monaco in a month! n The next race of Formula E season will see the return of a very historic race location, Monaco. Of course like the Long Beach circuit, it won t be the same layout as the Formula One tracks you may be familiar with, but the pit straight and the marina sections will be used. This alone is probably enough to make you want to go and see it for yourself, however there is one difference with this event, it will be free access for the general public, this includes access to the e-village and the grandstands. This is a great opportunity to see the drivers and cars absolutely free which for any motorsport fan is a dream. There s no doubt this will entice more people to watch the race, which is only a good thing for the sports natural growth. n The race at long beach was the first E-Prix to use a more conventional way to change cars during the race. In all previous races we have seen the drivers return to temporary garages to switch cars, where as in Long Beach the IndyCar pits were used, which allowed spectators to see it all take place. Alejandro Agag, the CEO of Formula E had this to say: I like the IndyCar layout, and we had a lot of discussions about it - it s interesting to see how it works. It hasn t required a major change, so let s see, maybe we will do this everywhere from next year. It also allows us to give more accessibility to the paddock for fans, which gives better experience. Formula E is all about the fan interaction, so having the car changes in a more open environment for everyone to see could add to the overall experience for the fans. n Vitantio Liuzzi and Scott Speed made Formula E debut Following the two-month winter break from January to March, Formula E suprised us with two new, yet very well-known faces: the two former Formula 1 drivers Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed both celebrated their debut in the all-electric racing series. While Speed could save an impressive third place for the Andretti team, Vitantonio Liuzzi could not finish his race for Trulli Formula E where he replaced Michela Cerruti last minute. n

5 06l Column surfin usa: Miami and long beach 07 Su r f i n USA Miami and Long Beach Column #4 In which you will find a bit of rambling about the FanBoost, as well as the realisation that yours truly is indeed quite easy to bribe. The FanBoost a unique feature only found in the FIA Formula E series, it has been a subject of huge debates, shitstorms, and flamewars among motorsports fans, as so many other things in the electric series. Many questions have been asked: Is it great to have direct influence on a race, or is it just a silly gimmick that devalues real racing? How much effect will it actually have on the racing in the series? Will we see different winners, or will we have only the same faces winning the popularity contest? Of course, there is no right or wrong. Each to their own, as they say. Some think it a horrible idea, right up there with Formula 1 s DRS and KERS, that destroys real and true racing. Some think it s the greatest thing since sliced bread. I for my part lean towards the latter side: Mario Kart has always been my thing, and after having fantasised often about spicing up races with a couple of turtle shells, banana skins, or power star boosts, the FanBoost is a dream coming true. Not that Formula E necessarily needs spicing up, more often than not it is crazy as it is, but the FanBoost feature certainly adds to the uniqueness of the Formula E series and makes it even more outstanding. The weeks leading up to a race are in fact a little bit like a race of its own: Who will manage to take the boost before time runs out? Who will lead all the way, who will manage to make a late charge, and who will drop out in the last minute? Even if you are not supporting a certain driver, simply following the ups and downs in the vote is an exciting build-up to prepare the race weekend as you watch the efforts that both teams and fan make to bring their drivers up to the top. Speaking of efforts, I ve often wondered in the beginning if it would be the same people winning all the time since it is, after all, more of a popularity contest than anything else. However, teams have soon realised that simply asking fans to vote is not enough, and the promise of merchandise for a lucky FanBoost voter in case of success has become a popular means to sway undecided voters. Let me tell you that works miracles. I m not a supporter of anyone in particular, so I have always had a hard time to decide who would receive my vote that is, until I spotted a tweet of Amlin: Vote for us and you might win a set of team merchandise. Yes Amlin, that s the way to go, you get my vote. Other teams have picked up on this strategy since then, and now the decision who to vote for requires a lot of careful consideration again. However, there was one time when Sam Bird found a way to help me out of my misery: A photo shoot for Cancer Research UK was published in the middle of the FanBoost race, and seeing Mr Bird in all his naked (helmet-covered) glory had me think Yes, you re the man. Merchandise and nudes, that s the way to my heart. Teams, take note. On that note, it is late and I can hear sleep calling me, so I bid you all farewell and wish you very sweet dreams. Until next time! n Renate Jungert Sunshine, racing and the sound of buzzing engines: Formula E s adventure in the US was a huge success and definitely worthwhile. We take a look back at the championship-changing rounds in Miami and Long Beach.

6 08 Miami eprix: Race report Miami eprix: Race report 09 Prost wins thriller in Miami The Miami eprix PHOTO CREDIT FIA FORMULA E MEDIA EDITOR Laurence Thorn Senior duty editor Nicolas Prost became the fifth different race winner in five Formula E races by winning the spectacular Miami eprix, the Frenchman holding off series debutant Scott Speed for a hard-fought win. Taking third place, and a first podium in Formula E, was Germany s Daniel Abt, while championship frontrunners Lucas di Grassi and Sam Bird had races to forget - handing Prost the championship lead. The drivers lined up on the grid on Saturday afternoon after a thrilling qualifying session in which Jean-Éric Vergne (Andretti Formula E) had taken pole. Second-quickest in qualifying was Nelson Piquet Jr (China Racing), but he was dropped down to 7th as a result of a five place grid penalty carried over from Buenos Aires. Before the race it was announced that Vergne, Salvador Durán (Amlin Aguri) and Bruno Senna (Mahindra Racing) were the recipients of FanBoost. Off the start line, Vergne held the lead but had Prost (e.dams Renault) pressuring him into the first corner. Slight contact was made, but Vergne was able to get through the turn unscathed with Prost behind, followed by Bird (Virgin Racing) and Abt (Audi Sport Abt). Bird would make quick work of Prost and pass him for 2nd place, however, taking up the challenge to race leader Vergne. Behind them, series returnee Charles Pic (China Racing) had a spin which immediately put him on the back foot for the rest of the race. And the battles were not just close at the front - in the m i d f i e l d t h e r e was a l o t of action, with Jérôme d Ambrosio (Dragon Racing), Speed (Andretti Formula E) and Durán battling over the lower reaches of the points in the early stages. Durán used his FanBoost to try and get around the outside of Speed, but was unable to do so. Meanwhile Bird set the fastest lap in pursuit of leader Vergne, with Prost, Abt, Stéphane Sarrazin (Venturi) and di Grassi (Audi Sport Abt) close behind. Series newcomer Vitantonio Liuzzi (Trulli Formula E) passed Durán for 10th position, with the Italian looking rapid in the early stages of the race. Another debutant, Dragon Racing s Loïc Duval, had made up four places from his starting position of 18th and was running in a solid midfield position after just a couple of laps. The battle between Speed, Liuzzi, Durán and Sébastien Buemi (e.dams Renault) for the final points continued to rage on as well, with Speed starting to pull out a gap over the battling trio behind him. Bruno Senna (Mahindra Racing) and Duval would soon join the battle as well. A train of cars began to form behind Liuzzi. The Italian started to drop down the order, losing pace rapidly after a promising opening to the race. Buemi made his way into the top 10 while Senna passed Durán behind, with e.dams Renault star Buemi also claiming the fastest lap at this point of the race. Up ahead, Bird was just four tenths behind Vergne and continued to pressure him for the race lead.on lap 18, things came to a head as Bird tried everything he could to get past the Frenchman - contact appeared to be made several times, with the drivers giving each other no space as they had a hard but fair battle. Finally, the pressure told as Bird got past Vergne on lap 20, putting his car in a position that forced Vergne to concede the lead. At this point, Vergne and most of the frontrunners dived into the pits - while Bird stayed out: Due to miscommunication with the team and a radio failure, Bird missed the call to pit, with his car soon losing usable energy. He had to slow dramatically and limp back to the pits with a tiny percentage of energy left, ruining his chance of a race win and seemingly handing the initiative back to Vergne. However, that was not to be the case - Vergne lost several seconds in the pits and, when the stops shook out, came out in effectively fourth position. Abt had leapt to the top of the order, followed by Prost, di Grassi, Vergne and his teammate Speed. While that must have been frustrating for the polesitter, things got even worse soon after when rookie teammate Speed passed him up the inside and started to chase down the leading trio. Bird eventually came out of the pits in the lower reaches of the top 10, while Piquet Jr and Nick Heidfeld (Venturi), both of which received penalties after qualifying, stopped later than most. Piquet Jr came out in 9th after his pit stop, but had a battery life advantage compared to those in front of him. Meanwhile, Bruno Senna retired from the race due to a suspension issue, the body language of the Brazilian showing he was clearly unhappy with this non-finish after running in the points leading up to the stops. The midfield battle was still intense at this point too, with Amlin Aguri s António Félix da Costa - race winner last time out in Argentina - getting himself ahead of team-mate Durán and into the points. Up ahead, Vergne lost another position, this time to d Ambrosio for 5th place. Piquet

7 10 Miami eprix: Race report Miami eprix: Race report 11 The streets of Miami impressed the drivers, teams and spectators. was charging up the field at the same time, first dispatching Bird for 7th, and then passing Vergne for 6th place. The leaders also encountered some traffic just as the battles started to intensify, with Liuzzi seeming to block both di Grassi and d Ambrosio as they tried to put him a lap down. This allowed Speed and Piquet respectively to close in on their rivals as they looked to make a pass. Speed would pass di Grassi for 3rd place soon after, while Piquet was not able to pass Belgium s d Ambrosio despite seemingly having both a pace and battery life advantage. Speed soon came within one second of both race leader Abt and second-placed man Prost, and the three of them ran together for multiple laps, not more than a second apart. The German youngster Abt was doing everything in his power to keep the lead, but at the same time was battling against a battery life deficit compared to his two rivals. Behind the leading group, d Ambrosio passed di Grassi to go 4th, but they were too far away to influence the battle for the lead. Eventually, the pressure on Abt was too much, and both Prost and Speed were able to pass him in quick succession. With just a couple of laps left, the battle for the lead would be between these two men, as Abt had to contend with a quick d Ambrosio catching up behind. On the penultimate lap, Prost touched the wall, giving hope to Speed that maybe he could catch and pass the Frenchman for the lead of the race. But Prost still had enough speed in the bag to keep the American at a safe distance, heading onto the final lap of the race while Vergne, who had been dropping down the order, stopped on track after a terrible second half of the race for him. Coming around to the final few corners, Speed was pushing Prost with everything he had, but the French driver managed to hold on to the lead, helped by waved yellow flags caused by Vergne s car. Nicolas Prost crossed the line to take a fantastic maiden Formula E win, ahead of Scott Speed who made an absolutely stunning Formula E debut. Abt made it across the line in 3rd for his first Formula E podium, ahead of an impressive d Ambrosio and Piquet Jr. After running the kind of opportunistic and mature race that saw him win in Buenos Aires, da Costa picked up more valuable points for him and Amlin Aguri in 6th place, ahead of Loïc Duval who capped off an excellent debut with four points for 7th position. Sam Bird came home in 8th, one position ahead of former championship leader di Grassi, who suffered from an overheating battery towards the end and dropped to 9th, thereby conceding the lead of the title race to Prost. Rounding out the top 10 was an impressive Salvador Durán, giving Amlin Aguri a double points finish. Next time out, Formula E travels to Long Beach in California, also in the USA. For the first time in the history of the series, di Grassi has been toppled from his championship lead. He will be hoping to reclaim that top spot from Prost in California - but Bird should not be written off just yet either. It is sure to be another thriller when Formula E moves from the East Coast to the West in three weeks.

8 12 Miami eprix: driver ratings Miami eprix: driver ratings 13 Driver ratings The Miami eprix PHOTO CREDIT FIA FORMULA E MEDIA DRIVER OF THE RACE EDITOR Laurence Thorn Senior duty editor 4 Jerome d Ambrosio Rating: 8/10 An eventful race for the Belgian in Miami, taking his best Formula E finish to date as he came home in 4th. Starting 8th on the grid, he would maintain this position in the early stages of the race, despite intense midfield battles with the likes of Scott Speed and Salvador Duran for the lower points positions. At the pit stops, d Ambrosio would make up a couple of positions and come out in 6th, behind the Andretti Autosport cars of Speed and Vergne. After Vergne was passed by his team-mate, d Ambrosio was also able to pass the Frenchman and move up into 5th place. Soon, Nelson Piquet Jr would be on d Ambrosio s tail, and despite Vitantonio Liuzzi holding him up while being lapped, d Ambrosio would hold onto the place - and take 4th with just a few laps to go, passing Lucas di Grassi s overheating car. Scott Speed Rating: 9/10 A fantastic FE debut from the former F1 and NASCAR racer, taking the fight to his opponents on track and finishing on the podium despite just 30 minutes of free practice. Started 10th and made up one place at the start over Jamie Alguersuari, running 9th until the pitstop phase. During this time he was involved in several close battles, including repelling a FanBoost overtake attempt from Salvador Duran. After the car swap, he would really come into his own - a quick pitstop moved him up to 4th place, and he would soon pass team-mate and polesitter Jean-Eric Vergne for 3rd place on the 23rd lap. He then showed great speed to catch and pass Daniel Abt, setting up a lead battle with Prost tha he couldn t quite win. Nonetheless, a highly impressive debut. 2 Nicolas Prost Rating: 8.5/10 A well-deserved and hard fought victory for the French driver, who was not the quickest driver in the race but made the most of the chances he was given to take the win. Starting second on the grid behind Jean-Eric Vergne, Prost would pressure his fellow Frenchman into the first corner - contact was made between the two cars but both could continue, with Prost being passed by a fast starting Sam Bird soon afterwards. He would then spend the remainder of the opening stint in 3rd, making sure Vergne and Bird didn t get too far ahead. After the stops, ended up running 2nd behind Daniel Abt, eventually passing the German for the lead just two laps from the end. Had to hold off Scott Speed at the end of the race, and did so successfully to clinch the win. 1 Daniel Abt Rating: 8.5/10 A well-deserved maiden podium for the German youngster, who actually finished 3rd on track in Beijing but received a post-race penalty. This time, there was to be no penalty as Abt took home the points for 3rd. Started 4th and had a very quiet opening stint, watching the likes of Vergne, Bird and Prost battle ahead while keeping the rest behind. A fantastic stop from the Audi Sport Abt crew allowed Daniel to get out in the lead after all the stops had shaken out, however he would have to battle against opponents with more battery life by the end of the race as he used a lot of power in the first few laps following the stops. Try as he might, he was unable to hold off either race winner Prost or runner up Speed, however still secured a maiden Formula E podium Nelson Piquet Jr. Rating: 8/10 A tale of what might have been for the Brazilian, as he set the 2nd quickest time in qualifying but had to start 7th as a result of a grid penalty carried over from the previous round in Buenos Aires. He would maintain his starting position for the first portion of the race, running behind 6th placed Lucas di Grassi until the pit stop sequence. Piquet Jr would use a different strategy to the majority of his rivals, stretching out his battery usage in the 1st stint and pitting a few laps later. 10th after his late stop, Piquet moved through the field effectively, passing the likes of previous race leaders Sam Bird and Jean-Eric Vergne and catching up to Jerome d Ambrosio, although he was unable to pass the Belgian. Passed fellow Brazilian Lucas di Grassi towards the end and finished in a strong 5th position. Antonio Felix da Costa Rating: 7.5/10 A sensible and mature drive from the man who won in Buenos Aires last time out. While he did not hit the same heights this time, he still added more valuable points for both himself and the Amlin Aguri team with a 6th place finish. Started a disappointing 16th so had work to do in the opening stages of the race - which he did very well, moving up the order to 12th by the pit stop phase, including passing team mate Salvador Duran. After the car swap, he would be just inside the points in 10th, where he would stay until a few laps before the end, when he was able to make up four positions by passing Bird, di Grassi, Vergne and Buemi, all of which were suffering with various issues. Loic Duval Rating: 7.5/10 The experienced French driver made his Formula E debut in Miami, replacing Oriol Servia who had been the only man to score points in every Formula E race thus far. Duval kept up the tradition with a strong 7th place on debut. Starting just 18th, Duval had a very successful opening phase, passing Pic, da Costa, Trulli and Alguersuari to run 14th after half a dozen laps. He then joined a big battle for the last of the points positions, with the likes of Senna and Buemi. Passed a slowing Liuzzi for 13th, but after the stops would drop a few more places to 15th. Worked his way up through the field from here, overtaking the likes of Alguersuari and Duran while also benefitting from issues suffered by other drivers, eventually taking home three points for 7th place. Sam Bird Rating: 7.5/10 An up-and-down race for the British driver, who made a fantastic start from 3rd on the grid to pass Nicolas Prost for 2nd on the first lap. After this, he put pressure on Jean- Eric Vergne for many laps, but was unable to find a way past the Frenchman until a forceful move on lap 19. At this point, Vergne and most of the rest of the field would pit, but due to communication problems Bird would miss the pit entry and was forced to drive almost a whole lap on low battery in order to get his car back to the pits. Once he had swapped cars, Bird was down in 9th and had to battle to score a strong result. He would run consistently for the rest of the race, losing a bit of power towards the end but coming home in 8th and taking home three valuable points.

9 14 Miami eprix: driver ratings Miami eprix: driver ratings Lucas di Grassi Rating: 7/10 A disappointing end to a promising race for the former championship leader, who was toppled from his perch for the first time this season, by Nicolas Prost. Started 6th and had a characteristically consistent first stint, however will perhaps be disappointed that he couldn t move up the order, staying behind fifth placed Stephane Sarrazin for the entire first stint. After the pitstop phase, the Brazilian would suffer from an overheating battery, and as a result couldn t show the type of strong performance we are used to seeing from such a veteran. He would drop to 9th place by the end of the race, powerless to stop quicker cars coming past him, and lost his championship lead as a result of scoring 23 less points than Prost. Will look to bounce back in California. Salvador Duran Rating: 7.5/10 The Mexican scored his first points in Miami, and got to keep them this time - he had finished 8th in Buenos Aires but was excluded for a technical infringement. The Amlin Aguri driver would start 12th, and a good start saw him up in 10th place by the second lap. Lots of hard midfield battling would follow, with Duran trying to use FanBoost to pass debutant Scott Speed, a move he could not quite make stick. He would also have tough battles with Buemi and Liuzzi in the first stint, with the midfield proving to be highly competitive. He was also passed by team-mate da Costa, who he would be following on track after the pit sequence as he ran 11th. He would be passed by Duval but was able to secure a first point after Vergne retired and Buemi slowed at the end. Jaime Alguersuari Rating: 6/10 A tough weekend for the Spaniard, who started 9th on the grid but was unable to convert that pace into points after struggling with energy consumption. On the second lap, he was already down to 11th after both Speed and Duran got past, and would have further setbacks as Liuzzi, Buemi, Senna, Duval and da Costa were all able to get past the Virgin Racing car by the midpoint of the race. A more consistent second half of the race would see Alguersuari gain some of those places back, and thanks to the likes of Vergne and Buemi slowing towards the end, Alguersuari got very close to the points, but was not quite able to take the final step and get into the top 10. Nick Heidfeld Rating: 6.5/10 Another Formula E race day, another bad experience for Nick Heidfeld. One of the most experienced drivers in the series, the German received yet another penalty after using too much power in qualifying and was thus sent to the back of the grid. With nothing to lose, Heidfeld put in a long first stint and took a later pit-stop, trying to have lots of energy left towards the end of the race to allow him to overtake his competitors. And it almost worked, with him finishing 12th - just two places outside the points. He was 10th quickest in the qualifying session, which begs the question - what would he achieved if he had been able to start there? It is yet another what if in a season full of them for Heidfeld. Sebastien Buemi Rating: 6/10 After winning in Punta del Este and crashing out in Buenos Aires, it was uncertain as to which Sebastien Buemi would show up in Miami. 13th on the grid suggested that the inconsistent form of the Swiss veteran would continue in the Sunshine state. However, a good opening stage would see him rise to 10th by lap 14, battling with the likes of Scott Speed and Salvador Duran. After the car swap, he would move up a few more places to be running in 8th. He would lose out to a hard charging Nelson Piquet Jr, but would pass Sam Bird to reclaim 8th and seemed to be in the running for some points, until dropping all the way to 13th place on the last lap - the Swiss driver s radio did not work so he had no idea of his energy consumption and had to back off at the end. Karun Chandhok Rating: 6/10 A race day to forget for the Indian racer, starting 20th and last in the race and not being able to make his way through the field and into the top ten. After scoring points in both of the Asian rounds, Chandhok has now failed to score in all three of the rounds in the Americas to date. He had a tidy start, making up a few places in the opening stages and running in 16th by the pit stop phase. However, he would receive a drive-through penalty that wrecked any chances he had of making it into the points. Chandhok spent the rest of the race putting in consistent laps but he was not able to make it higher than 14th place by the end. He will hope for a change of fortunes in Long Beach nest time around Jarno Trulli Rating: 6/10 Team boss and driver Jarno Trulli suffered from energy consumption issues in Miami, as did team-mate and series newcomer Vitantonio Liuzzi. Starting 14th, Trulli was never really able to make his mark on the race, running in the lower midfield and struggling to make an impression. As well as the energy consumption issues, he also suffered from overheating which meant he was not able to push his car as much as he would have liked. He spent almost the entire race in 14th or 15th, doing what he could to drive around the issues that he had. He at least managed to make it to the end of the race, crossing the line in 15th, however will hope for better in Long Beach next time out. Vitantonio Liuzzi Rating: 6.5/10 A promising debut for F1 veteran Liuzzi in Formula E, drafted in as a last-minute replacement for Michela Cerruti who left the team on the eve of the event. Starting 11th, three places ahead of team-mate and team boss Jarno Trulli, Liuzzi was able to run in the points positions early on, running in 10th for some laps. However, as with his team-mate, he suffered with energy consumption issues and as a result had to slow down to regenerate power for the rest of the first stint, costing him a lot of time and positions. After the pit stops, he was unable to make his way back through the field, being passed by team-mate Trulli and also lapped by the leaders. However, he has shown promising form that suggests he could be a great driver choice by the team if he returns. Charles Pic Rating: 5.5/10 After a strong debut in Beijing back in September, where he finished 4th with the Andretti Autosport team, Pic made his Formula E return with the China Racing team in Miami, replacing Ho-Pin Tung. With just 30 minutes of practice to re-introduce himself to a car he had not driven for almost six months, Pic qualified 17th, and made life even more difficult for himself when he spun at the start, dropping himself down to last place. From here he could never really recover and make an impression on the race as he was always playing catch-up. He would be the last running car at the finish, one lap down, and will hope to return to his Beijing form in Long Beach - if he drives again. Jean-Eric Vergne Rating: 7/10 A topsy turvy raceday for the Frenchman, who qualified on pole for the second time in three Formula E races, yet once again the points positions eluded him. He got a good start and, despite contact with Nicolas Prost, was able to keep going at the front. After Prost was passed by Sam Bird, Vergne had to defend against the Brit s advances, which he managed until a forceful move by Bird to get past on lap 19. A few corners later, Vergne dived into the pits, where he was unfortunately hindered by a pit stop issue which lost him time. As he pushed hard to make up time and places following this bad stop, he would use up a lot of power, and was hit with a battery issue towards the end that caused him to slow dramatically, with a brake lock-up ending his race with a lap to go. Stephane Sarrazin Rating: 7.5/10 After a quick qualifying lap allowed him to start in a promising 5th, Venturi s Stephane Sarrazin was unfortunately hit by gearbox problems that prevented him scoring points in Miami. After a strong start, he maintained his 5th place, battling with the likes of Daniel Abt ahead and Lucas di Grassi behind. The experienced Frenchman held his own and was looking on course for a strong points finish. However, when changing cars, Sarrazin s second car suffered from a gearbox issue which caused him to spend over two minutes in the pits, costing him any chance of success in the race. He would give it his all to move up through the field in the second stint but, unfortunately, he would suffer a reoccurrence of the issue and be forced to retire 8 laps before the end. Bruno Senna Rating: 7/10 A promising race came to an end for Bruno Senna on the streets of Miami, with a suspension issue causing him to be the first retirement of the race. Starting 15th, Senna had a clean and tidy start, moving his way up the order with some feisty overtaking moves, and he was running 10th after the pit stop sequence as well as setting some of the quickest laps of the race. However, his suspension would then fail, causing the Brazilian to retire from the race. From his body language, it was clear how disappointed he was by this, as he had a real chance of scoring points. He will hope to be back to successful ways in Long Beach next time out.

10 16 Miami eprix: race in tweets miami eprix: results 17 Race in tweets: Miami Relive the race on twitter PHOTO CREDIT Twitter Results: Miami eprix 2015 Fr o m P1 t o P20 PHOTO CREDIT FIA Formula E

11 18 Long BEach eprix: Race report Long beach eprix: Race report 19 Like father, like son Piquet Jr. conquers the streets of Long Beach PHOTO CREDIT FIA FORMULA E MEDIA EDITOR Antonia Grzelak Editor-in-chief Just like in Miami only a few weeks before, Formula E once again managed to show a fantastic performance in Long Beach. While the sun magically put a smile on everyone s face, it was Nelson Piquet Jr. who smiled wider than everybody else: The Brazilian won the eprix in an impressive manner and is now only one point behind Lucas di Grassi in the championship. What scenery greeted the Formula E circus when it arrived in Long Beach: The Surfer s Paradise on the States West Coast made us wish the series USA adventure would never end endless sunshine, fantastic skyline and the unique sound of the buzzing engines when the 20 cars were lining up for the start to the second US round. Before they could start their run-up to the first chicane, the three winners of FanBoost were announced. This time Nelson Piquet Jr. (China Racing), Sam Bird (Virgin Racing) and Jean-Eric Vergne (Andretti Formula E) were the lucky winners of the extra boost during the race. Bruno Senna (Mahindra Racing) and Stephane Sarrazin (Venturi) were battling each other for P10, Vergne was closing the gap to Prost. Before the drivers could show more exciting overtaking manoeuvres though the first Safety Car that came out on track slowing them down. It was caused by Miami sensation Scott Speed (Andretti Formula E) who ended his race in the wall after his suspension broke after slightly hitting the curbs a few seconds before. While the Safety Car gave the delighted fans some time to catch their breath, it also gave the drivers the chance to save a bit of battery. While the unlucky Bird was apparently happy with the situation, Piquet lost his lead and had to prepare for saving his position during the restart. No sooner said than done. He pulled away from his followers while Vergne wisely used his FanBoost to finally overtake his fellow countryman Prost ahead who was then also quickly passed by Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport Abt). Just like his teammate, Buemi was also struggling to keep his position after the restart but not long after the first Safety Car, China Racing driver Charles Pic brought it back onto the track after a kamikaze move on Jarno Trulli (Trulli Formula E). While Pic quickly headed into the pits, the unnecessary collision meant the unfortunate end of the race for the Italian veteran. During the second restart, Buemi took his chance to pass teammate Prost while di Grassi was closing the gap to Vergne ahead in P3. The Brazilian s teammate Abt was still bravely defending his second position; the German did not have the chance to challenge Piquet in front. While Buemi was now trying to push and close the gap to the top-4, Prost was loosing ground as Amlin Aguri s Antonio Felix da Costa also overtook him. While the drivers showed intense fights for track positions, the time for the pit stops came closer and Daniel Abt opened the pit stop window for the regular car changes. Just a few moments later most of the other drivers also decided to change into their second car, with the exception of Bruno Senna who therefore gained the lead. He made his mandatory stop one lap later, handing the lead back to Piquet while P2 was taken by Vergne who was able to pass Abt during the pit stops. After a very turbulent qualifying session earlier in the day, it was Audi Sport Abt s very own Daniel Abt who started from pole position ahead of Nicolas Prost (e.dams-renault) and Piquet Jr. When the red lights finally went off, the Brazilian quickly managed to get passed Prost and then Abt and came out in the lead after the first chicane. Another brilliant start came from Vergne but the Frenchman had to hold back after he nearly collided with Prost in the first corner. The same corner quickly turned into a real nightmare for Sam Bird who found himself between Sebastien Buemi (e.dams-renault) and the solid walls. The unforgiving walls of Long Beach rapidly won this battle and Bird damaged his car so badly that he needed to change into his second car after just one lap. In the lead, Piquet Jr. was easily controlling the events and put one fastest lap after another on the tarmac, therefore pulling away from the pack following him. While the Brazilian was dominating, the fights in the midfield became more heated.

12 20 long beach eprix: Race report long beach eprix: Race report 21 While Vergne was getting comfortable in P2 as he didn t have a chance to compete with Piquet in front, behind the Brazilian- French leading duo the battles were heating up again. Whilst Bird had to retire from the race with technical issues a few minutes later, Senna was battling Prost for P6 with the eventual better end for the likable Brazilian. By this point Nick Heidfeld (Venturi) had made his way into the top-ten and was closely following Prost in P7. With everything giving the impression that the race was mainly decided, the Formula E surprise bag showed its face again and introduced the Minutes of penalties to the Long Beach eprix. While China Racing driver Pic received an expected drive-through penalty for his earlier crash with Trulli, Daniel Abt s drive-through came as quite a surprise. Whilst it seemed that the German would take another trophy for third place home with him, he was kicked out of the top-ten due to the penalty which was due to exceeding the maximum power. The penalty was the centre of heated debates on Social media later on as fans were vividly discussing the use of such a penalty in racing. But it was not only Abt who surprisingly was forced to give up his position: Prost was also handed a drive-through penalty for an earlier incident with Jerome d Ambrosio (Dragon Racing). As we are used to by now, the last few minutes of the race turned into quite a position-changing massacre. D Ambrosio also had a moment with Heidfeld who ended up in the wall after he tried to squeeze passed the Belgian. Loic Duval who saved a strong P9 after an eventful eprix after he got amorous with Amlin Aguri s Salvador Duran which resulted in too much contact and meant the end of the race for Duran. The last point was taken by Stephane Sarrazin, saving at least one point for the Leonardo di Caprio-powered Venturi team after Heidfeld once again couldn t finish in the points. During all this madness Nelson Piquet Jr. pulled further away from Vergne in P2 and crossed the startfinish-line in P1, making in six different winners in six races. Vergne finally took a well deserved podium and was more than happy about both being on the podium again and finally finishing an eprix. Lucas di Grassi who was involved in an intense battle for P3 with Buemi for quite a while return to the podium as well and regained the championship lead. He is now only one point ahead of the victorious Piquet Jr. making it a magnificently exciting scenario for Formula E s big trip to Europe for the second half of the season.

13 22 Long Beach eprix: driver ratings Long BEach eprix: driver ratings 23 Driver ratings The Miami eprix PHOTO CREDIT FIA FORMULA E MEDIA DRIVER OF THE RACE EDITOR Laurence Thorn Senior duty editor 4 Sebastien Buemi Rating: 8/10 Buemi took pole position but, as a result of using too much power, was demoted to 10th having lost his best qualifying lap. He showed throughout the race that his qualifying pace had been no fluke, flying up to 7th already on the first racing lap having dispatched Heidfeld, d Ambrosio and da Costa, and coming off better from a collision with Sam Bird that forced the Briton to change cars. He would inherit 6th after Scott Speed retired due to a suspension failure, and was able to pass team-mate Prost for 5th not long after. Following the pit stops, he battled hard with Lucas di Grassi for 4th, which became 3rd when Daniel Abt was given a drive-through penalty. He couldn t make a pass stick so finished 4th, not quite on the podium but still a strong points haul. Jean-Eric Vergne Rating: 8.5/10 Finally, after many strong performances and always showing front-running pace, Jean-Eric Vergne able to string it together for a whole race distance, avoid any bad luck, and finish on the podium. He started 5th and made a strong start to leapfrog Lucas di Grassi in front and run 4th on the first lap. After an early safety car to recover Scott Speed s damaged car following a suspension failure, Vergne passed Nicolas Prost for 3rd place using FanBoost. After this, he would hunt down second placed Daniel Abt, eventually getting past the German at the pit stops. Try as he might, Vergne was unable to catch and pass Piquet at the front, however will be happy to have finally finished on a Formula E podium at the 4th time of asking. 2 Nelson Piquet Jr. Rating: 9/10 An almost perfect weekend for the second generation star, who emulated his father by winning on the streets of Long Beach 35 years after his dad had managed it in F1. Starting 3rd on the grid, Piquet made an absolutely lightning start to lead into the 1st corner, getting past both of the front row men Daniel Abt and Nicolas Prost. Once he was in the lead, he would actually hold it until the end, only losing it briefly during the pitstop phase. Towards the end he backed off somewhat, which allowed Jean- Eric Vergne in second to close up, however had enough in reserve to keep his lead over the Frenchman and take a famous maiden eprix victory. He is now just 1 point off the championship lead held by compatriot Lucas di Grassi. 1 Lucas di Grassi Rating: 8.5/10 After two races off the podium, Formula E s Mr Consistency was back in the top three in Long Beach - as well as taking back the championship lead - with a strong 3rd place. Starting 4th, he was passed off the line by Jean-Eric Vergne, who demoted him to 5th. He would run here for a while before passing Nicolas Prost on lap 8 to take back 4th place, a position he would hold until the pit stop phase. After this, he would be involved in a battle with Sebastien Buemi - who actually took pole but was then penalised and started 10th - over the final podium place. di Grassi managed to hold off Buemi and finish in 3rd, reclaiming the championship lead from Buemi s team-mate Nicolas Prost Bruno Senna Rating: 8/10 The Brazilian equalled his best Formula E finish to date in Long Beach, finishing 5th - just as in Buenos Aires back in January - following a consistent and hard-fought race. Senna started down in 12th, already making up one place on the first lap as Sam Bird dropped down the order with car damage, and he would enter the top 10 after Scott Speed retired. Passed Heidfeld on lap 9 to run in 9th position, a place he would hold until the pit stop phase. An excellent stop would see Senna come out in 6th, which became 5th later on after Daniel Abt took a drive through penalty. From here, Senna drove sensibly and calmly to cross the line in 5th and secure eight valuable points Jerome d Ambrosio Rating: 7.5/10 An eventful race for the Belgian, who was involved in incidents with other drivers on track multiple times but still came home in 6th, continuing his consistent season which has seen him miss the points just once so far. Started 7th but was passed on the first lap by Antonio Felix da Costa. He reclaimed 7th after Scott Speed retired and held this until the stops. After pitting, he came out in 9th, behind Heidfeld and Prost. In two separate incidents, he would be hit by Prost and squeezed into the wall by Heidfeld, both drivers earning drive-through penalties for their troubles. With Daniel Abt also serving an unrelated penalty, this moved d Ambrosio up into 6th, where he would finish the race. Antonio Felix da Costa Rating: 7.5/10 A penalty in qualifying for using too much power didn t actually cost him a grid slot, as both of his laptimes were good for 7th on the grid. Overtaken by Buemi at the start and ran 8th before moving up to 7th when Speed retired. He would then pass Prost on lap 12, moving himself up to 6th position. After the pitstop phase however, returned to the track way down in 11th, with work to do to move himself back up into the points. After penalties for Heidfeld, Prost and Abt, as well as a pass on Sarrazin, da Costa would get himself up to 7th place by the end - four valuable points for himself and the Amlin Aguri team. Jaime Alguersuari Rating: 7/10 A quiet race for the Spaniard who nonetheless took three points for a 7th place finish, his 4th points finish in six races. From a lowly 14th on the grid, he was involved in an incident at the first turn that saw him drop to 17th. Yet he would soon start to move up the field, helped by retirements or penalties that hurt other drivers. By the pit stop phase, he already found himself up in 11th place, and after a fantastic pit stop drove a low-key but consistent race to benefit from more issues for other drivers and move up to 8th place by the end of the race. Much needed points for the Virgin Racing squad after teammate Sam Bird retired. 8

14 24 Long beach eprix: driver ratings Long Beach eprix: driver ratings Loic Duval Rating: 7/10 Two races, two points finishes for the experienced Frenchman who has continued the work of Oriol Servia in ensuring that the number 6 Dragon Racing car has finished in the points in all six races thus far in Formula E. He started down in 17th so had work to do in order to make it up the field, but staying out of trouble on the first few laps enabled him to move up to 13th in the first stint. An incident with Duran when fighting over 14th after the stops may have cost him some time, but nonetheless he managed to stay out of trouble for the remainder of the race and move up to 9th by the end, bringing home two points for him and the Dragon Racing team. Stephane Sarrazin Rating: 7/10 Whilst often showing great pace in Formula E to date, Sarrazin has not always had the finishes to back that up. In Long Beach, he would secure a 10th place finish, adding one more point to his total. He started 9th but would lose out to a fast-starting Buemi and be pushed back to 10th. However he reclaimed 9th following Speed s retirement. After this, he would be locked in a battle with Bruno Senna which he ultimately lost, dropping him back down to 10th and the final points paying position. From here, Sarrazin would pit and come back out in 10th. He would move up as high as 7th towards the end, but the last few laps saw the Frenchman drop back down to 10th, where he would remain until the end. Nick Heidfeld Rating: 6/10 It sounds like a broken record: another race, another penalty for Nick Heidfeld. A drive through for contact with Jerome d Ambrosio moved him outside of the points paying positions, causing him to finish 11th. Started just 15th but showed great pace and awareness to move up to 11th after just a couple of laps. He would make it into 10th by the time the pitstops came around and a quick stop would see him emerge in 8th. He would pass Prost for 7th and this soon became 6th after a penalty for Daniel Abt. However, in a battle with Jerome d Ambrosio, he squeezed the Belgian into the wall, which the stewards did not like and for which they awarded the German a drive-through penalty. He would eventually come home 11th, meaning he has only scored points in two out of six races to date. Karun Chandhok Rating: 6/10 Another race in the Americas, another race without points for Karun Chandhok. After two out of two races in Asia ended in points for Chandhok, he has not had a good time of it since Formula E moved to North and South America. Qualifying 18th, he would lose one place at the chaotic start to run 19th. The early safety car for Scott Speed s accident allowed him to move up the field but also save some energy, allowing him to pit later than expected and come out in a strong 14th place. After penalties for Abt and Prost, he was able to move up to 12th, but could make no more progress in the tight midfield and was unable to score any points. Vitantonio Liuzzi Rating: 6/10 In his second Formula E race, Liuzzi showed more of the potential that we had seen glimpses of in Miami. Despite starting 20th and last, he was able to consistently move up the field during the race, avoiding incidents and benefitting from the likes of Speed and team-mate Trulli retiring in order to move up the order. A good pit stop saw him maintain 16th place, and penalties or retirements ahead would allow him to move up to 13th ahead - no points for Liuzzi but a strong finish considering where he had qualified. If he can get a better qualifying performance going next time out in Monaco, we could see the F1 veteran claiming his first Formula E points Daniel Abt Rating: 8/10 Inheriting 1st on the grid after polesitter Sebastien Buemi was penalised, young German Daniel Abt was passed at the start by Nelson Piquet Jr, but settled into a good rhythm and ran strongly in 2nd place throughout the first stint. He held off strong pressure from the experienced Jean- Eric Vergne behind to keep the position, however took an earlier pitstop than most of his rivals which ended up costing him the place to Vergne, returning to the track in 3rd. While chasing down Vergne, he would unfortunately use too much battery power, for which he received a drive through penalty and finished in 15th, However his strong qualifying and race pace were impressive, continuing where he left off with a podium in Miami. Charles Pic Rating: 5/10 A race to forget from Frenchman Pic. After 4th place hi his first eprix in Beijing, he returned to the series last time out in Miami but a driver error put him on the back foot and led to a finish outside the points. The exact same thing would happen here - after the safety car restart for Scott Speed s accident, Pic made an overly optimistic move on Jarno Trulli, hitting the Italian s car and causing him to retire. Pic received a penalty for this, and spent the rest of the race driving around at the back, unable to make any progress. He was almost lapped by team-mate and race winner Nelson Piquet Jr at the end but managed to stay on the lead lap. Will hope for better in Monaco. Salvador Duran Rating: 6/10 After scoring his first Formula E points in Miami, Duran was not to be so fortunate this time around, retiring the race following an incident with Loic Duval. Mexico s Duran started 19th and had a stunning start to reach 13th by the end of lap 1. This soon became 12th after Speed retired, and he seemed to have a strong chance of scoring points once more. After the stops he would come out in 13th, and was battling hard with Loic Duval when the two collided, causing damage to Duran s car which he had to retire from. With the various penalties that were still to come, Duran probably would have reached the points if not for this incident, and will hope for more on the streets of Monaco. Sam Bird Rating: 5.5/10 Not the best of qualifying performances for the British driver, starting 11th on the grid, and a collision with Sebastien Buemi at turn 1 saw him sustain car damage. He had to limp back to the pits and already change car on the 2nd lap, meaning he had the huge task of trying to make it to the end on 1 battery. He put in some consistent laptimes but was still rooted to the bottom of the order. Trying as hard as he could for the fastest lap points, he had to retire on lap 23, bringing an end to his race. Nicolas Prost would eventually get the fastest lap points. He will hope to get back to points scoring ways in Monaco, where he has won in both GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5 in the past. Jarno Trulli Rating: N/A It is hard to rate Trulli s race as he was taken out so early, and through no fault of his own. Qualifying 13th, the Italian lost one place at the start but gained this back once Scott Speed retired. However after the restart, Charles Pic would make an overly ambitious move in the tightly packed midfield, going up the inside at the hairpin and hitting Trulli s car into a spin. The damage was too severe for the Italian to continue, and he had to retire from the race. After qualifying not far away from the top 10, it is disappointing that Trulli had to retire so early as points would definitely have been a possibility if he had remained in the race Nicolas Prost Rating: 6.5/10 An eventful race for the man who won in Miami last time out. Qualified 3d but started 2nd after a penalty to team-mate Sebastien Buemi, and he was passed by a lightning-quick Nelson Piquet Hr at the start. Pressured Daniel Abt for 2nd place in the early stages but could find no way past the German, and was passed by both Vergne and di Grassi on lap 8, dropping him to 5th place. Further passes by da Costa and Buemi dropped him to 7th, with the Frenchman complaining of being down on power as his e.dams Renault car moved down the field. After the pit stops, he would be involved in an incident with Jerome d Ambrosio, squeezing the Belgian into the wall while battling for position. This resulted in a drive through penalty, and Prost could only recover to take 14th place in the end Scott Speed Rating: N/A After a stunning debut in Miami, Speed continued his impressive form with the 7th quickest qualifying time. Starting 6th thanks to poleman Buemi being penalised, Speed made a strong start to maintain his position, and was chasing Lucas di Grassi hard for 5th place when, on lap 3, his right front suspension would break when he hit a kerb too hard, sending him crashing into the wall. Unfortunately for Speed, he had to retire from the race early on, robbing fans of the chance to see another exciting drive as in Miami. If he returns in Monaco, he will be hoping to have a bit more luck and that he can once again get himself on the podium, as he did on his debut.

15 26 long beach eprix: race in tweets long beach eprix: results 27 Race in tweets: Long Beach Relive the race on twitter PHOTO CREDIT Twitter Results: Long Beach eprix 2015 Fr o m P1 t o P20 PHOTO CREDIT FIA Formula E

16 28 Championship standings Championship standings 18 Driver Standings Af t e r r o u n d 6 o f 11 PHOTO CREDIT FIA Formula E Team Standings Af t e r r o u n d 6 o f 11 PHOTO CREDIT FIA Formula E

17 30 Portrait Scott Speed Portrait Scott Speed 31 Andretti s Scott Speed Th e Re t u r n o f t h e Sp e e d PHOTO CREDIT FIA FORMULA E MEDIA EDITOR Laurence Thorn Senior duty editor Wi t h a name like his, Scott Speed was always destined to become a racing driver. However, after tough times in both Formula 1 and NASCAR, it was unclear what the next step in his career would be. Now, in the wildly different disciplines of Formula E and Global RallyCross, the American driver is rebuilding his reputation - with a smile on his face. Born in Manteca, California in 1983, Scott Speed started off karting at the age of 10. He would spend 8 years in the discipline before switching to car racing in 2001, becoming champion in US Formula Russell would see him split time between Formula Dodge and Star Mazda, finishing 3rd and 18th respectively. His big break would come at the end of the year - he was victorious in the Red Bull Driver Search, earning him sponsorship from the energy drink giant and a move to British Formula 3 for He would struggle to 23rd in the championship, suffering from illness during the season meaning he had to return to the US. Back in Europe in 2004, Speed would have a much more successful year - winning both German Formula Renault and the hugely competitive Formula Renault Eurocup, racing against the likes of Pastor Maldonado, Romain Grosjean and Jérôme d Ambrosio. His reward for 2005 was a drive in the inaugural GP2 Series season, the last step on the ladder before F1. In GP2, Speed finished 3rd despite not winning a race, showing impressive consistency during the season. He would also compete in 3 rounds of the inaugural A1GP World Cup of Motorsport season for Team USA. Having purchased Minardi F1 Team and them into Scuderia Toro Rosso for the purposes of promoting talent from their young driver scheme, Red Bull placed Speed into F1 in 2006 alongside fellow Formula E competitor Vitantonio Liuzzi. It would be a tough learning year with no points scored, as Toro Rosso struggled with a year-old Red Bull chassis and uncompetitive Cosworth engine. Speed was retained for however, after disputes with the team, he would leave F1 at the mid-point of the season. He kept his personal sponsorship from Red Bull, and would move back to the States to compete in NASCAR the following season. He won a race in the NASCAR Truck Series in early 2008, in preparation for his entry into the top-level Sprint Cup, where he competed in 5 races towards the end of the season. He also won 3 races in the ARCA Re/Max Series, a lower-ranking stock car series. However, in NASCAR s main class, he would struggle to make an impression during his 3 years with Red Bull Racing, and was released from his contract at the end of He would drive limited schedules in NASCAR between 2011 and 2013 for various teams, while also failing in an attempt to qualify for the Indy 500 in With his career not living up to early expectations, Speed would make a switch to the US-based Global RallyCross Championship for 2013, driving for Andretti Autosport. A 5th place finish with 2 wins would be followed by a 3rd place finish in 2014, with 3 further wins. Fellow Formula E competitor Nelson Piquet Jr. is also racing in Global RallyCross, finishing 4th behind Speed last year. His success with Andretti Autosport, along with his extensive racing experience, made him a perfect candidate to be called into their vacant second car for March s Miami eprix alongside Jean-Eric Vergne. Sporting a blank white helmet, as well as a smile on his face the whole weekend, Speed would only have 30 minutes of practice before qualifying but put his car 11th on the grid despite this. A sensational race performance would follow, with Speed scything his way through the field on the way to a stunning 2nd place finish on debut, less than half a second behind Nicolas Prost at the end. With this one performance, Speed had re-established himself on the world stage, and the news that he would return for April s Long Beach eprix was greeted with great excitement and anticipation from all corners. Putting his Andretti Autosport car 8th on the grid, Speed was in a good position to once again move up through the field on the streets of his home state of California. Having made up 2 places at the start, Speed s suspension unfortunately broke after 3 laps as he hit one of the kerbs hard, causing his car to then hit the wall. Speed was thus forced to retire, bringing an early end to his race and potentially robbing the fans of another exciting performance like Miami. It is currently unclear whether Speed will return to the Andretti car for future races, and the team has had somewhat of a revolving door this season. One thing is for sure - if Speed does return for the rest of the season, fans and competitors alike can be sure that the American will give it his all on track, and enjoy doing it. His smile and high-pitched voice have brought some fresh passion to the championship - and, if he sticks in the series, we could be seeing a lot more of those smiles very soon. n

18 32 pros and cons formula e social media analysis 33 Pros and Cons Double season finale PHOTO CREDIT FIA FORMULA E MEDIA EDITOR Topher Smith Editor Bethonie Waring Editor Formula e social media analysis Part IV: Mahindra Racing / Trulli Formula e PHOTO CREDIT FIA FORMULA E MEDIA, twitter As we have already discussed, Social Media is a core element of the PR concept of Formula E. A big part of it is interaction with the fans, made possible by embracing modern technology and using social media to connect the paddock with the rest of the world. Of course, not only the series itself makes good use of all available opportunities. The Formula E teams have also taken to the internet to connect with fans all over the world and allow them to participate. EDITOR Renate Jungert Deputy editor-in-chief Much has been written about the involvement of social media in Formula E s marketing and PR strategies. However, the activities of teams, which in fact play an elementary part in promoting and allowing fans close contact with the series, have not received as much attention. Therefore, ERN has decided to take a closer look at the social media use of the Formula E teams. CRITERIA Activity We will examine how often teams tweet, and take a look at the live coverage during race weekends. PROS It s very unusual for a motor racing series to have a double header event on a calendar, but Formula E has gone and done that with the final event of the inaugural season in London. It may be uncommon, but why not? By adding that one extra race, as well as the addition of the Moscow eprix, the championship has been made that bit more wide open, giving drivers an extra opportunity to reel in their rivals and potentially steal the championship lead at the last moment. How amazing would it be if that extra race gave us a title showdown of epic proportions? Motor racing has needed spicing up for many years now, and by adding this double header to the Formula E calendar we may have that extra kick of excitement for the inaugural season. It will be amazing for the fans as well, given that two days of racing is more likely to attract a larger total crowd, rather than only a day s worth of attendees, who may also see the crowning of the inaugural Formula E champion. Formula E has already been putting in a lot of work to ensure that the series is promoted sufficiently and crowds are drawn in, arguably more so that Formula 1 already, and with the variety of cities visited throughout the world, reaching a suitable climax in London would be the icing on the cake for a ground-breaking new series. CONS Having the penultimate and final races of the season on the same track one day after the other is going to be an advantage for some people and a disadvantage for others. The two London rounds have effectively become one event which has twice as much importance as any other event of the season. Whilst the driver can and will learn as they drive, of course, there s going to be a disadvantage for a driver who doesn t find the Battersea Park circuit to their liking. This is bad enough when there s only one round of points up for grabs (or going down the drain) but with the second round of the weekend on the same track, the disadvantage and the amount of points lost is doubled. Any problems that happen on the Saturday will be difficult to solve before the Sunday qualifying as well, and the bad luck or silly mistakes that happen in the penultimate round will have an impact on the driver s performance in the final round. Of course, this would also mean any advantages a team gets during the Saturday round might continue into the Sunday round as well. A driver who learns the circuit better and is more comfortable with the challenges that are thrown at them will have that advantage in both rounds. The weekend will essentially be a double points weekend. Whilst there s a chance the results won t be the exact same on both days, it s likely they ll be pretty similar. In this new series, we will examine their activities, rate their social media appearance, and give you a detailed analysis. Firstly, we have asked ourselves: What makes a good and successful social media profile? What do we want to see on a team s profile? Since its far reach and fast communication are big advantages of social media, we want to be kept up to date with the latest news and developments. In addition, we do not only want to be informed, we also wish to see unique content that is not available in other media and follow the action as closely as possible. With all technical means available nowadays, we are not satisfied with only written articles, we are expecting pictures, videos, information and entertainment through different types of media. Last but not least on our wish list, another big part of social media is the chance to create interaction: We want to participate, voice our opinions and have them heard, and be rewarded for our support. We will analyse how the different teams fulfil these criteria, and rate their social media appearance accordingly: Up to 5 points will be awarded for each objective, depending on how well it is achieved. The number of reached points will be summed up for a total score so that teams can be compared and ranked easily. Own Tweets vs. Retweets vs. Replies Original tweets are of great importance to us, but Twitter is not just all about publishing. Therefore we are looking for a good balance between own tweets and interaction. Wide range of topics We do not want to read only news articles. We want to be informed, but also entertained. We do not want only facts. We want to get a sneak peek behind the scenes and follow the action as closely as possible. Interaction We will take a look at how often teams interact with their fans, and in which different ways. Multimedia After examining the content, we also check how it is presented: Is it mainly text, or are more types of media like images and video used as well? Unique content As it is extremely important to stand out, we will also pay attention to unique and special approaches of the teams.

19 34 formula e social media analysis formula e social media analysis 35 With over followers, the Indian team is easily among the most popular teams on Twitter. The Formula E team and its sister team in the Moto3 series share a Twitter account. Mahindra driver Karun Chandhok is also an active Twitter user, loved in particular for cheeky jokes and banter involving team mate and good friend Bruno Senna. The Italian team is one of the last to have conquered the realm of Twitter, but it has quickly gained a solid fan base with its openness and cheerful mood. Unique among teams, Trulli has developed its own app to connect the fans directly with the action. Activity: 5/5 4.5 tweets per day is a solid rate. On race weekends, the team maintains a steady flow of interaction with their supporters. Mahindra also provides live-tweeting, which is not only informative but also entertaining Own Tweets vs. Retweets vs. Replies: 3/5 For Mahindra, the balance is somewhat biased towards own content, which accounts for 60% of all tweets. 30% of tweets are retweets by drivers, fans, and businessmen related to Mahindra, while the remaining 10% consists of replies. However, especially in recent times the team seems to put in more effort to stay in touch with their fans. Variation of content: 4/5 Mahindra provides a lot of entertainment for the Formula E fan. The team is very active during race weekends, making sure to bring the action close to the fans, and also promotes the FanBoost. The only thing missing would be in-depth news articles. You feel entertained following Mahindra, but not well-informed. Interaction: 5/5 Despite the low percentage of replies, Mahindra is shining brightly in this department. There is constant contact between fans and team during the race weekends. Giveaways are also popular with the Indian team, often in relation to FanBoost votes, and a particular highlight was the chance to win paddock passes for the eprix in Long Beach. Multimedia: 4/5 Mahindra provides many sneak peeks of the action going on at race weekends on the shapes of pictures and short videos, and the team is also active on YouTube with a vlog that is shared and promoted on the team s Twitter account. Only text is somewhat neglected. Unique features: 1/5 Mahindra launched a secondary Twitter account for its mascot, the so-called Mahindra Bear, possibly with the intention to provide further background information and show the paddock from a different perspective through the eyes of a stuffed animal. However, the account has been abandoned since November 2014, and an excellent idea seems to be going to waste. Well, at least they tried. Conclusion: 22/30 Mahindra s social media presence gives off a very likeable vibe, providing good entertainment and making fans feel included. The only deficit is the superficial news coverage, and abandoning the Mahindra Bear its great potential to attract more followers is also hard to forgive. Activity: 3/5 7.8 tweets per day is quite a high amount, but it is still possible to follow without being overwhelmed. Trulli does not provide live timing during race weekends quite a shame, considering its cheeky attitude we might be missing out on good entertainment there. Own Tweets vs. Retweets vs. Replies: 3/5 Almost half the tweets of the team are retweets, namely 48%, which may explain the high number of tweets per day. 27% of tweets are replies to fans, rival teams, as well as news outlets, a considerable number. Only 25% of tweets are own content, something the team could work on. Variation of content: 5/5 The team allows many glimpses behind the scenes and brings the action right up to our screens. In addition to that, press releases keep you up to date with everything concerning the team, and all else is retweeted from other news accounts. Interaction: 5/5 + performance from Trulli. With a manageable amount of followers, the team has made sure to stay close to its fans from the beginning. There are Q&A sessions, giveaways, and lucky fans also had the chance to win paddock passes in a Meet & Greet competition. Fans can share their pictures with Trulli drivers with the hashtag #Trulli FanFriday, and puns based on the team s name are a fan favourite as well. Multimedia: 5/5 The team uses a good mix of media on their Twitter feed. Text is provided in the shape of the team s press releases to keep you up to date with what is going on in Trulli s world, and photos as well as videos make sure you get as close to the events as possible. Unique features: 5/5 As mentioned before, the team has developed its own app for fans. Similar to the Formula E app, the Trulli app provides everything from the latest news, exclusive photos and videos, as well as a chance to vote for Trulli drivers in the Fanboost. In addition to that, the Trulli puns have taken off like a shooting star and are popular with both team and fans. Conclusion: 26/30 Small but not to be underestimated, Trulli does not have the highest follower count but its social media presence is nevertheless outstanding. The focus lies on the connection with fans, guaranteeing a loyal crowd of supporters.

20 36 Technology Technology 37 Technical updates Al w a y s l o o k i n g f o r a w a y t o i m p r o v e PHOTO CREDIT FIA FORMULA E MEDIA, stefan ruitenberg EDITOR Stefan Ruitenberg Editor We have just passed the halfway point in the first all electric racing championship. It has been a fascinating rollercoaster ride so far which has seen six different winners. I have followed the path of updates the cars have had so far, as well as the ideas needed to iron out the technical gremlins which still lurk. Come the third round of the season we had seen many cars with rear subframe and transmission damage from hitting the walls to much. This was evident as all cars who had tapped the wall had deformities to the drive shafts and rear casing to the gearbox. This was a major issue at the time, as slight over steer resulted in you having a DNF from just a slight tap of the barrier. As many cars fans know, we like to see cars on the edge fighting hard for position, not taking it easy due to them being so fragile, and the risk of damage being too high. The idea wasn t helped by the fact the cars are not perfectly balanced, as most of the cars weight lays in front of the rear axle and behind the driver. The solution to the cars and their fragile rears, called for a V shaped steel bar that cased the side walls of the rear transmission of the car. They were mounted from the rear crash structure and then past the transmission to the e-motor shell, and bolted firmly on. Since the introduction of the steel bars there has been a big reduction in races being ended due to rear taps on the walls. We have also gained more competitive racing, thanks to drivers have more confidence, in being able to push more, now knowing they won t have to DNF from a slight tap. It might be a simple idea to the problem, but its the simplest ideas that work in the long term. Anything more complicated would affect the car s weight, so two steel bars is enough. Come the 5th round another issue which has plagued this pioneering racing season is the suspension. They are steel wishbones mounted from the tub to the wheel hub. Many drivers suffered with front and rear suspension failures so far. If you pushed too hard the back-end would step out and you would crush these tiny wishbones between the gearbox and the wall. At the front we have seen many drivers pushing too hard and as a result have flown over the sausage kerbs and instantly bending the wishbones. The wishbones are constructed of steel rather that Carbon Fibre for a major reason in Formula E. With Carbon Fibre it behaves in a different manner - when Carbon Fibre breaks, it splits into two pieces with all the tethers inside to help from going everywhere, and help prevent a injury. But still a lot of fragments go flying in a accident. Steel is different, its more malleable. So when the wishbone goes it will only bend to form a V shape structure, which is more safer on a street circuit. There is no debris flying around, which can potentially hurt another driver in a following car. The solution to the wishbones was to make them of a thicker steel that was still hollow. With a estimated thickness of 0.2mm. So far there haven t been any casualties of failing wishbones on the Spark SRT_O1E since. Over heating has been a issue too, as we have seen many teams using dry ice to cool the cars battery pack before and after the race. A simple solution would be to connect the role hoop to the motor and battery. So air can be pumped around the 150 batteries in the case. But this is a bigger issue than said, and will have to have a big revamp in the cooling department. As a result of pushing we are seeing many technical issues with the cars. But its still the first season of Formula E. Teams and the FIA will take on-board the technical issues for 2014/15 season. As from next year teams will still use the car monocoque shell from Dallara. There is a still lot to learn for everyone involved.

21 38 highschool never ends highschool never ends 39 highschool never ends is FanBoost just a popularity contest? EDITOR Bethonie Waring Editor Followers and FanBoost votes: Drivers DRIVER FOLLOWERS TWITTER* FANBOOST VOTES D. Abt 10.2 K 0 0% FANBOOST RATIO PHOTO CREDIT FIA FORMULA E MEDIA J. Alguersuari 160 K 0 0% M. Andretti 83.2 K 0 0% S. Bird 23.6 K 1 17% M. Brabham % S. Buemi K 0 0% M. Cerruti % K. Chandhok K 0 0% J. d Ambrosio 37.6 K 0 0% A. F. da Costa 18,8 K 0 0% L. di Grassi K 1 17% S. Duran % L. Duval 12.1 K 0 0% A. Garcia % N. Heidfeld 143 K 3 50% K. Legge 22 K 2 100% V. Liuzzi % F. Montagny % C. Pic K 0 0% N. Piquet Jr. 423 K 1 17% N. Prost 12.6 K 0 0% S. Sarrazin % T. Sato 46.5 K 0 0% The run up to a Formula E race probably involves more pleas for votes than the run up to a General Election. Social media is saturated with teams and drivers trying to convince the public to vote for them. But does any of it work? Isn t the FanBoost, a feature designed to encourage fan involvement, really just consist of a popularity contest? Or does having a big name from series like Formula One guarantee you votes? Thousands people are voting every race, but why? Of course, the most obvious reason for somebody to vote for one driver over another is who they like more and, whilst it s not the only reason people have given, a lot of people have and will continue to vote for their favourite driver on the grid. It s hardly surprising. After all, doesn t everyone want their favourite driver to do well? And, ignoring the supposed FanBoost curse, giving a driver FanBoost is the best way a fan can help a driver. So, more fans mean more votes, right? Possibly. But people give a huge number of reasons as to why they ve chosen their chosen driver. This ranges from rewarding a driver for an excellent driver in the last race to encouraging a driver whose luck wasn t with them in the last race. And, with the grid changing almost every race, is it more likely that, rather than the FanBoost being a driver popularity contest, it s a team popularity contest? Teams put in a great deal of time and effort into social media, trying to pull in fans and win votes that way. In the weeks leading up to a race, many teams run competitions for voters to try to sway people s decisions, offering signed merchandise to voters if one of their drivers win the Fanboost. This kind of thing from the team does exactly what FanBoost was designed to do: encourage involvement from the fans. And gets the team the votes they want. With competitions and the team s social media getting the fans attention it would make a great deal of sense if, the more Twitter followers a team has or the more Facebook likes a team s page has, the more likely they are to win the Fan- Boost. The scientist in me gets excited at a hypothesis, and decided to run some calculations which lead me to the conclusion that, statistically, there is a positive correlation between the amounts of Facebook likes and Twitter followers a team has and the number of FanBoosts they have been awarded, but the strength of the relationship wouldn t be worth betting your mortgage on. Most of the drivers in Formula E have moved from one series into this one, but does having been in a big, massively publicised series such as Formula One give you a better chance at winning the public s votes? For some FanBoost winners, there stints in other series must have helped their campaign. Others, it s easy to imagine other reasons why they won the public s vote. Andretti driver Jean-Eric Vergne has been FanBoosted every race he s participated in. After leaving Formula One at the end of 2014, Vergne s move to Formula E was huge news for the sport. Being under the spot light in a series as big as F1 gained the Frenchman fans, who have been happily giving him their votes since December. If the FanBoost is just a popularity contest, having so recently been in Formula One is definitely a sure way to win. Venturi driver Nick Heidfeld also raced in Formula One, but the fans have given other reasons for supporting the German driver and awarding him the FanBoost three times so far. Heidfeld s season didn t really start in the best possible way, a crash with Prost costing him the race, and his luck hasn t really improved since. Some fans decided after the first race to award the German driver FanBoost as a pat in the back and better luck next time, and then again after the second race when he was crashed into again and later disqualified. Whilst FanBoost is still controversial, it has definitely done what it set out to achieve, fan involvement, and the feature encourages the teams to take the fans into account tactically. Figuring out what will please fans is always important in motorsports, but FanBoost means that teams relationship with their fans actually has an impact on the track. B. Senna K 4 67% O. Servia 22.1 K 0 0% S. Speed 64.2 K 0 0% J. Trulli - 0 0% H.-P. Tung % J.-E. Vergne K 4 100% Followers and FanBoost votes: Teams TEAM FOLLOWERS TWITTER* FANBOOST VOTES Amlin Aguri % Andretti Formula E % Audi Sport ABT % China Racing % Dragon Racing % e.dams-renault % Mahindra Racing % Trulli Formula E % Venturi % Virgin Racing % FANBOOST RATIO *Facebook was not included in the chart as not every driver/team has an official Facebook profile The charts show the correlation between the number of followers and the number of FanBoost votes which have been received so far. Former Amlin Aguri driver Katherine Legge and Andretti star Jean-Eric Vergne could both get FanBoost is ever single race they took part in. Looking at the teams it is surprising that Virgin Racing has the second biggest amount of followers, yet was only able to win FanBoost once.

22 40 process in progress process in progress 41 Process in progress Th e s e c o n d Fo r m u l a E s e a s o n is s h a p i n g u p PHOTO CREDIT FIA FORMULA E MEDIA EDITOR Topher Smith Editor Te s t i n g While we still have a few Formula E filled months ahead of us, the organisers are already working on the second season. What has been planned so far and what can we expect from the next season? Just like the first season, Donington Park will once again be the base for the Formula E teams and the location of their testing programmes, with six test days confirmed before the beginning of the season. The opening day will be on 10 August 2015, starting at midday and concluding at 7pm, with the following days of the 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th. With new rules being introduced, where manufacturers can produce their own powertrains, it will be even more important for the teams to get to grips with their machines and do their best to get an advantage. Unlike last year, only the final day of testing, on 25 August, will be open to the public, with details about registration due to be released in the coming months. Ma n u f a c t u r e r s Teams and Drivers As Formula E begins to look towards how to further advance the series in season two, it was inevitable that the usual silly season would creep up on us sooner or later. With manufacturers looking into their own developments for the next season, drivers will want to get the best idea they can of who is going to be at the top of the pile. As far as driver moves go, Nelson Piquet Jr has been linked to a seat with Virgin Racing, to replace Jaime Alguersuari. The British team currently lie third in the standings, only a single point behind Audi Sport ABT, and are on their way to being a hot property for the season. Elsewhere, Nick Heidfeld has stated he is to prioritise Formula E during the second season, and has strongly hinted that he will remain with the Monegasque team Venturi. Given that the series is still very new and teams are still looking to find those extra tenths, it would be logical for teams to keep their driver line ups as consistent as possible, as familiarity and the bond between team and driver have the ability to push a team forward towards victories. For some teams however, such as Andretti, consistency with drivers hasn t exactly been a strong point this season, and for season two it would be highly beneficial to them to find a driver line up who are in it for the whole season, not just race by race. The same ten teams from the season have all been confirmed for a second term in the sport, with Abt Sportsline, Andretti Autosport, Mahindra Racing, Venturi GP and Virgin Racing all constructing their own powertrains. China Racing will be a customer of NEXTEV TCR, e.dams Renault will have their powertrain provided by Renault, and Trulli GP will purchase from Motomatica. Amlin Aguri and Dragon Racing have yet to confirm their plans for acquiring a powertrain. Host cities For the inaugural season, the cars were built by the same companies, to ensure equality and fair competition throughout the grid. For the second season, however, it has been announced that manufacturers will be allowed to produce their own electric motor, inverter, gearbox and cooling system, which all make up the powertrain. The chassis will continue to be manufactured by Dallara, while Williams F1 will provide the batteries once again. Eight manufacturers will compete in the season. Abt Sportsline, Andretti, Mahindra, Venturi Automobiles and Virgin Racing Engineering have all decided to construct their own powertrains, while Motomatica, NEXTEV TCR and Renault Sport will offer their services to customer teams. Nothing is yet confirmed as to which cities will host a Formula E race during the second season, but Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag has confirmed that the calendar will be expanded to 12 cities, with rumours circulating that Paris is due to host the season opener. As well as the ten cities already on the Formula E calendar, other cities said to be in discussions to host an eprix include Copenhagen in Denmark, Geneva in Switzerland and Adelaide in Australia.n

23 42l Do you remember? sparking the next month 43 Do you remember? Th e Fi r s t Fo r m u l a e Ra c e e v e r PHOTO CREDIT FIA FORMULA E MEDIA EDITOR Laurence Thorn Senior duty editor Sparking the next month In this feature we take you back to memorable moments in Formula E, exciting races the impressive drivers of the series showed in the past and the most amazing memories of the teams. This month: the inaugural Formula E eprix. It may seem like a strange topic for the inaugural Do You Remember feature, however the Beijing eprix was amazingly already seven months ago (how time flies) and the series has seen so much change since then, that it really is worth revisiting. This was of course the first ever Formula E race, with fans and journalists having absolutely no idea what to expect from the series. Would the cars even make it to the end of the race, or would they all break down? Would we see any overtaking, or would the series choice to run on only street tracks lead to boring races? How would the car changes work? As seen in Beijing, all of these questions were answered - the cars were reliable, the races thrilling and the car changes, while not liked by some, were at least simple to follow on television. Before the first race, of course, we had no idea what the competitive order would be. With a race win, Lucas di Grassi marked himself out as the early championship leader - and he still holds that position today. However another man who looked like one to watch was Franck Montagny - the Frenchman putting in a thrilling drive to finish 2nd by the end and claim a well-deserved podium. However, after a less than impressive drive in Putrajaya and a subsequent failed drugs test, Montagny has now sadly been banned from racing by the FIA for two years. Montagny s team-mate for Beijing was fellow Frenchman Charles Pic, who put in a fantastic performance to finish 4th and take 12 valuable points for himself and the team. After this race, he was not seen in the series again until Miami and Long Beach, when he drove twice for China Racing but was unable to score any points. In Beijing we also had F1 veteran Takuma Sato driving for Amlin Aguri, as a substitute for Antonio Felix da Costa who had other commitments. Sato would set the fastest lap of the race, taking his only Formula E points to date as he has not re- turned since as da Costa took back his seat from Putrajaya and beyond. In the other Amlin Aguri car was Katherine Legge, one of two female drivers in the field. Legge received FanBoost, as she would for her other Formula E race in Putrajaya before stepping aside due to other commitments. The other female driver was Trulli Formula E s Michela Cerruti, who raced in four rounds before leaving the series before Miami. The series currently has no female drivers as compared to the two we had in Beijing. One thing that hasn t changed since Beijing is that incidents just follow Nick Heidfeld around. Whether being hit by other drivers - as suffered at the hands of Nicolas Prost in the Beijing eprix, and Franck Montagny in Putrajaya - or receiving penalties, Heidfeld s races in Formula E never seem to run smoothly, with the German always battling some kind of disadvantage, whether selfinflicted or not. As for Prost, he finally won in Miami, four races after causing the last lap collision with Heidfeld in Beijing while fighting over the lead. Since Beijing, the likes of Sam Bird, Sebastien Buemi and Nelson Piquet Jr have proven themselves to be championship contenders, winning one race each. We have not had a repeat race winner yet in Formula E, in fact. But di Grassi has been Mr Consistency, scoring three further podiums to go along with his Beijing win. In the next five races, we will find out if he can clinch the inaugural title. n Th e n e x t i s s u e o f ene w s w i l l t a k e a l o o k a t h o w b i g t h e i m p a c t o f Fo r m u l a E r e a l l y is. Fu r t h e r m o r e w e In t r o d u c e y o u t o t h e m a n b e- h i n d Fo r m u l a E: Al e j a n d r o Ag a g. Bu t t h e r e is m u c h m o r e c o n t e n t t o l o o k f o r w a r d t o, e s p e c i a l l y o u r in-d e p t h p r e v i e w s f o r Mo n t e Carlo, Berlin and Moscow. n

24 Next issue: 8th May 2015