Formula E for Dummies

So, you’ve heard that Cape Town will be hosting its first-ever Formula E race this weekend, but you have no idea how it will all go down… Well, by the end of this explainer, you will feel like an expert.

Cape Town E-Prix Track Layout

CARBON ZERO

The easiest place to start is to introduce Formula E, the first-ever full electric racing series.

The series has travelled the globe since its inception in 2014, bringing racing action to street circuits around the world, both new and iconic, boasting the accolade of being Net Zero in terms of carbon emissions since its very first season. The sport features cars from the likes of Jaguar, Porsche, McLaren, Maserati, and Nissan which has enabled them to further the technology they have available for their electric road car development.

THE SHOW

The 2023 season is the ninth edition of the series and features the third generation of Fomula E cars (Gen 3).

A total of 22 drivers from 11 teams have entered and will fight it out over 16 races to become the next World Champion.

The streets of Monaco are the most iconic of the race venues this year and are joined by the likes of London, Rome, and, most recently, Cape Town as the battle grounds for the 2023 Formula E Championship.

NUTS AND BOLTS

Formula E races take on a slightly different format than most racing fans will be used to with qualifying, the race, and points scoring all taking on unique characteristics.

Qualifying

Formula E’s qualifying format allows the best teams and drivers to showcase their speed and skill but maintains the possibility of any driver to step up, pull a lap out of the bag, and fire themselves up the starting grid.

The group stage sees two groups of 11 drivers, ordered based on their Drivers' World Championship position, battling at 300kW to set lap times, each in a 10-minute session, with the fastest four from each progressing into the duels stage and the quarterfinals. The two winners from each group then compete against one another head to head in a knockout at 350kW over the last eight into the semifinals. Then, the eventual quickest from each group face off in the final duel.

The winning driver of the final duel takes the Julius Baer pole position, while the runner-up lines up second. The semifinalists will line up third and fourth, the quarterfinalists between fifth and eighth - according to their lap times.

The fifth to 12th-placed drivers who competed in the polesitter's group will fill the odd positions on the grid. The corresponding drivers from the other group will be classified in the even grid slots. So, if the polesitter comes from Group 1, the fifth placed driver in Group 1 will line up ninth on the starting grid and the fifth placed driver in Group 2 takes 10th and so on. - Formula E

POWER: 300KW IN GROUP AND 350KW IN DUELS.

RACE

Races, or E-Prix, begin with a standing start, meaning the cars are stationary until the lights go green. The drivers line-up on a dummy grid - a short distance behind the actual grid - and slowly file into position to start the race. The E-Prix lasts for a predetermined number of laps.

Laps can be added for Safety Car and Full Course Yellow interruptions. The total laps to be added are announced three laps prior to the end of the E-Prix.

Introduced for the 2018/19 season was ATTACK MODE, which lets every driver pick up an extra hit of power at their own risk. To fire up ATTACK MODE, drivers will need to arm their car, drive off the racing line, and through the Activation Zone. As a reward for taking a slower line through the corner, they’ll be able to collect an extra 50kW of power – 350kW from the stock race power deployment of 300kW. Drivers can choose to secure the extra speed if they want to race harder, giving them the edge to keep ahead of the competition or make moves up the pack. The time that ATTACK MODE is armed is published by the FIA pre-race.

Later in Season 9, ATTACK CHARGE, using pioneering battery and charging technology, will allow the newer, smaller, lighter Gen3 cars to receive an in-race energy boost via a pit stop – delivered at a lightning-quick 600kW. This mandatory 30-second stop will unlock two ATTACK MODE periods with the cars running at 350kW v the stock 300kW. - Formula E

Tyres and Allocation

The bespoke 18-inch treaded all-weather tyres used by all teams and drivers are supplied by Hankook - official tyre supplier of the FIA Formula E World Championship. Each driver can use no more than four new rear and four new front tyres for each event. For a double-header, drivers are given six front and rear tyres to use across the whole weekend.

Points

Much like in any other race, points are awarded to the top 10 finishers, with the winner spot earning 25 points and 10th place receiving one point. In addition, three points are awarded to the driver who claimed the Julius Baer pole position in qualifying and one point is given to the driver with the fastest race lap.