Our reporter-in-the-know, Sophie Barker, takes us around the Formula E paddock mid-season to remind us how each team is performing in the sport’s second ever season…
As we approach the midpoint of the Formula E season, there are clear gaps forming between teams and drivers and it is becoming clear just who has got the right car and team behind them.
e.dams is currently the team to beat. After winning the constructors’ championship in the inaugural season, it had the perfect foundations to build its season two car on. And it’s certainly got everything right – currently lead both championships (with a greater lead in the constructors). The team seems to dominate every race, this becoming more evident in the recent Buenos Aries ePrix in which Buemi stormed from 18th to 2nd. They are certainly ready for the championship fight with Abt…
Abt closely follow e.Dams most races, generally a few tenths off the pace. The German-based team seems to have almost everything right with the car, with Lucas di Grassi in particular securing some impressive results throughout the season (he’s currently second in the standings). Only time will tell whether or not the team has the pace to get the upper hand over e.dams, though…Â
A little way off the pace is Dragon. Its drivers are certainly some of the fastest in the field and, as they have showed, are able to run up at the front with ease. Their powertrain is certainly one of the fastest. The pairing of D’Ambrosio and Duval has made points finishes a regular thing as they are evenly matched and finish close to each other on track. Problem is, sometimes they get too close for comfort, as Jerome decided to show us in the mad Beijing when he nearly took his French teammate out. We can expect a lot more from the team in the second half of the season.
Virgin closely follow Dragon, just four points behind in the championship. The reliability of the car has not been the best, despite Bird being on the podium in numerous races. It seems to be leaps behind the Abt and e.dams cars. Sam is certainly the leading driver of the team, having won the last race out in Buenos Aries. Jean-Eric Vergne is somewhat inexperienced after joining the series halfway through last season. If the team can sort out the few reliability issues then the team will be fighting for the championship in no time.
Mahindra are generally running in the mid-field but recently they have been falling down the order. The reliability of their car is comparable to that of e.dams, but the speed is slightly off. Their championship hopes weren’t helped by Nick Heidfeld injuring his hand and having to bring in rookie Oliver Rowland. Bruno Senna is certainly a solid driver but with their current speed they are struggling to make the top five.
It’s been a rather quiet start to the season for the Venturi team. So far, their car has good reliability but their drivers have been rather inconsistent in scoring points. The majority of the points have come from Stephane Sarrazin who seemed to be the stronger of his teammate Villeneuve, who left the team following the Punta Del Este ePrix. The team seem to be settled in the top ranges of the midfield but seem to be pushing towards the bottom of the front runners.
Amlin Andretti is yet another strong team but is inconsistent in scoring points. Their car has the ability to run towards the front but the drivers rarely score enough points. Robin Frijns proved just how strong the car is by finishing 3rd in Putrajaya but that is where the majority of their points have come from. They are very far down in the championship so we can only hope that they make up some more points in the second half of the season.
Team Aguri have the potential to run at the front of the field, but recent software issues have stopped them from scoring any points. Antonio Felix Da Costa was running in P2 during Buenos Aries, they could have bagged so many more points, but the Punta Del Este software issue returned and he was forced to DNF. They haven’t been inconsistent so much as unlucky. They are running with last year’s power train but that hasn’t affected the speed, all they need now is a little bit of luck.
Finally we are left with NEXTEV TCR. What can we say about them? They came into the season with the first World Champion – Nelson Piquet Jr. They more than likely underestimated just how fast some of the teams would be this year and how the pace of the cars had moved on, though. They have two amazing drivers who rarely make mistakes in a slow car. They certainly need to make some updates as soon as they can to save themselves anymore embarrassment and claw back some championship ground.
There is certainly more to be expected from some of the teams but, as we have already found out, the season could go anyway. Formula E cannot be scripted…
