The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship continues with Rounds 10 & 11 of Season 7 being run in New York City this weekend. As with the other rounds and a unique feature of the all-electric series, the circuits are created just for the event, mostly around cities. This weekend, the circuit for the New York City E-Prix will wind around the streets of Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighbourhood
The circuit is a familiar one and a favourite of the drivers, teams and fans alike. Its 2.320-km, 14-turn layout remains largely unchanged from Formula E’s last visit in 2019. The circuit, which goes around the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal site in the heart of the Red Hook area, is a real test – it is lined with many kilometres of unforgiving concrete. The drivers will have to familiarise themselves with the revised ATTACK MODE activation zone to negotiate, though, with the loop moved from the exit of Turn 5 to the outside of Turn 10 this year. This may sound like a minor detail, but optimising ATTACK MODE has proven to be crucial at previous races this season.
New race leader after Mexico
In the race for championship honours, 12 drivers now sit within 24 points – one race win – of Edoardo Mortara (ROKiT Venturi Racing) who leads. Eight found themselves in the same bounds after Round 7 in Monaco but as the Puebla weekend in Mexico showed, everything’s liable to change, and fast, in Formula E. Mortara rocketed to the top of the standings after following up a podium in the Puebla E-Prix (Round 8) with a long-awaited return to the top step in Round 9 to take the lead with a huge 40-point haul.
Nick Cassidy (Envision Virgin Racing) steered to his first Formula E podium in the second race in Puebla and Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s long wait for its first silverware of the year came to an end via a Lucas di Grassi-Rene Rast one-two in Round 8. That all meant the championship table saw a shuffle with a number of drivers joining the title battle, rather than any breakaways at the top.
The rivals gunning for Mortara
So Mortara’s huge points advantage means he’s the man with the target on his back in New York City. The Swiss-Italian went to Mexico 13th in the running and 30 points behind then-leader Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing). The Dutchman will be hoping for a better race in New York and he’s every reason to be encouraged following his 2019 win in the city – his most recent in Formula E.
Reigning champion Antonio Felix da Costa (DS TECHEETAH) may have struggled to secure the results they’d have hoped for in Mexico but both he and double title-winning teammate Jean-Eric Vergne left relatively unscathed, in pretty much the same situation as they’d arrived. It was a net gain for the champion despite his struggles, with the Portuguese sitting third.
Audi’s 1-2 saw Rast fire himself into fourth in the standings, Jaguar Racing’s Mitch Evans is fifth after a double points score last time out, while de Vries currently places sixth having led the Drivers’ running heading into Round 7 in Monaco after a measured victory in the DHL Valencia E-Prix Round 5 and that storming opening-round drive in Diriyah.
More spectator involvement
Formula E blurs the lines between the real and virtual worlds of motorsport and there are other opportunities to engage with the championship in Season 7 even if you can’t be at an E-Prix in person. It’s the only motorsport event in the world that lets fans play an active role in influencing the outcome with FANBOOST.
FANBOOST for Round 10 remains until 15 minutes into the race, while voting for Round 11 opens shortly after Round 10 has finished. To give your favourite driver an extra boost of power, visit FANBOOST and the Formula E app.
