After Valencia cancellation: everything you need to know before Formula E testing in Madrid

The official starting signal for the eleventh Formula E season was supposed to be given on Monday afternoon at the joint pre-season tests in Valencia. Following the storms and flooding in the Valencia region Formula E has cancelled the test at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo and is moving to Madrid though. Drivers and teams will now have four days from Tuesday to put the new Gen3 Evo car to the test and compare themselves directly with the competition. We have summarised everything you need to know ahead of the test days in Madrid in this preview.

Heavy rain & flooding in Valencia: tests postponed after extreme weather

The Circuit Ricardo Tormo has also been affected after heavy rainfall in the Valencia region in recent days caused more than 150 deaths. The main access road is currently inaccessible to vehicles due to a broken river bank. Formula E therefore cancelled the test in Valencia on Thursday evening. "Although it would have been logistically possible to continue, it is important not to create a distraction and use up valuable resources that would be much better spent supporting the local community," read a statement from the electric series.

My god. Extreme damage to the main road into the circuit in Valencia, and the minimoto circuit is gone ? pic.twitter.com/iIDWADSZLK

- Simon Patterson (@denkmit) October 30, 2024

The test is to take place nonetheless and is being relocated to Madrid, three hours away by car. They are currently working on the logistics, as some freight had already arrived in Valencia.

Where will Formula E testing take place?

This time, the Circuit del Jarama, around 30 kilometres outside Madrid, will host the pre-season test. The permanent race track is currently used by the Spanish Formula 4, the TCR Spain and the European Truck Championship. However, electric cars have also raced here before: in 2022, the FIA ETCR held its second season's Spanish race at Jarama. The current Grand Prix layout is 3.8 kilometres long and comprises 16 corners.

While Formula E tends to race on angular street circuits during the season, the circuit in Madrid has a more "flowing" layout. The surface is also more even than on most city circuits. The lap times should therefore be treated with caution - also because no Formula E session has ever been held here. It remains to be seen whether the electric series will make short-term adjustments to the circuit - for example by adding artificial chicanes.

What does the programme look like & how can I follow the test?

The programme was supposed to start on Monday afternoon. Following the move to Madrid, the first session is now scheduled for Tuesday. We assume that it will still start in the afternoon before two three-hour sessions per day as usual: one in the morning and one in the afternoon with the usual session times of 9 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm.

The pre-season test will not be broadcast on TV or online. Formula E will only provide live timing. However, e-Formula.news will be at the track and will report on the action from Madrid with daily reports.

Which drivers & teams are taking part?

By today, all teams except Kiro have presented their driver line-ups for the upcoming Formula E season. New on board: Zane Maloney for Lola Yamaha ABT and Taylor Barnard for McLaren. You can find an overview including all the starting numbers known so far on our driver and team overview.

What's the women's test all about?

After last year's rookie test session for female drivers, a women's test is planned for this year. It is the first official Formula E session in which all teams must field female drivers. They will sit in the same car as their male colleagues - namely the new Gen3 Evo. The session on Friday afternoon has been scheduled for this. Here is an overview of the entire start list for the women's test.

What can we expect from the pre-season test in sporting terms?

After two years with the third generation of cars, the Gen3 Evo car will celebrate its public debut at the pre-season test in Madrid this year. In addition to a few changes to the chassis, we will also see the all-wheel drive and the new, optimised Hankook tyres on the track for the first time. The teams' fast-chargers will also be tested so that the long-planned pit stops may finally be introduced in the new season.

For the sporting success of testing and the season opener, the decisive factor for the teams will be who can best adapt their systems to the new conditions and the new racetrack and have the fewest technical failures. It is difficult to say who the favourites are, as many teams have completely overhauled their powertrains. Accordingly, the balance of power could shift compared to last season. However, it can be assumed that Jaguar, Porsche, Nissan and DS are likely to have the best cards for the start of the season. But: Kiro (formerly: ERT) is now also driving with Porsche power - albeit with an older powertrain version.