Formula E

Paddock Whispers: News ticker on all the important Formula E topics in Tokyo

Tobias Wirtz

Tobias Wirtz

NISMO

Formula E is contesting its first "double-header" in Japan this weekend. As always, you can find out what else is going on in the paddock at the "Big Sight" exhibition centre in Tokyo besides the track action in the latest edition of our popular "Paddock Whispers" series. We will update this news ticker regularly throughout the weekend.

>>> Major fire in Bicester: McLaren publishes statement

[16.05. | 07:41] Following a major fire involving multiple explosions at Bicester Motion on the former RAF base in Bicester, UK on Thursday evening, which claimed the lives of two firefighters and a private individual, the McLaren Formula E team has issued a statement: "We are extremely saddened to hear about the fatalities and injuries as a result of the fire at Bicester Motion last night. We are immensely grateful for the bravery and commitment of the Emergency Services, and our thoughts are with the families at this difficult time."

Bicester Motion is home to over 50 companies, including McLaren Electric Racing, the parent company of the Formula E team. The team's remote garage, from where several engineers support the on-site team in real time, is also located there. Most of the companies based here specialise in the restoration of classic cars and aircraft. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

>>> Mahindra Racing with driver trading cards in Pokemon style

[17.05. | 06:32] Mahindra Racing has had "Mahindramon" trading cards printed for the Tokyo E-Prix: both regular drivers Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara as well as reserve driver Jordan King have been immortalised on them.

>>> Nissan presents retro arcade racing game

[16.05. | 11:03] Nissan has presented the racing game "NISMO Electric Racer Tokyo" in the week following the Monaco E-Prix. The retro arcade game was developed in collaboration with Japanese illustrator Kentaro Yoshida. The occasion is the Nissan home race of the FIA Formula E World Championship in Japan.

In the game, which is reminiscent of other arcade racing games from the late 1980s and early 1990s in terms of graphics and sound, the aim is to drive the Nissan Formula E car at speeds of up to 322 km/h without colliding with competitors. If the driver drives too slowly, team principal Tommasso Volpe orders him to drive faster. The best players managed more than 100 kilometres without colliding!

Go to the game here

>>> Weather forecast: organiser expects postponements

[16.05. | 06:12] As heavy rain showers are currently forecast for the whole of Saturday, the organisers expect that there could be postponements, especially for qualifying and the race. One reason for this is that the all-weather tyre that Hankook has revised for this season offers significantly more grip in dry conditions, but works much less well in the wet. "The tyres are simply not made for rain", Cupra Kiro driver David Beckmann had already told e-Formula.news in Monaco.

>>> Halo slogans at Porsche

[16.05. | 05:33] There are also new halo slogans at Porsche in Tokyo. This time, the drivers were allowed to choose the slogan for their team-mate. Pascal Wehrlein therefore has to compete with "Pascal can't use chopsticks", while Antonio Felix da Costa drives with "Wasabi makes Antonio cry". Both sayings are appropriate in both English and Japanese.

>>> Nissan competes with special livery

[15.05. | 19:51] Nissan will compete in the Tokyo E-Prix with a special livery. As in the previous year, even more emphasis will be placed on the cherry blossoms on the car. However, just like the transitions from the white to the red part of the paintwork, these are heavily pixelated in the style of the retro game "NISMO Electric Racer Tokyo" (see above).

>>> Lola drivers visit Yamaha headquarters

[15.05. | 17:49] The two drivers of Lola Yamaha ABT, Lucas di Grassi and Zane Maloney, have paid a visit to the headquarters of the team's technical partner, Yamaha, in nearby Yokohama ahead of the race weekend in Tokyo.

>>> Sustainability: Tokyo E-Prix to be powered by renewable energy

[15.05. | 17:03] As Formula E announced in the run-up to the race weekend, the E-Prix will run entirely on electricity from renewable sources. Mainly hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVO) will be used, and energy storage systems topped up with electricity from renewable sources will also be utilised. There will also be a parade of hydrogen-powered vehicles on the race track on Saturday.

In addition to 240 participants in the FIA Girls on Track programme, 2,000 local residents and schoolchildren will be able to take a look behind the scenes on Friday, walk around the race track and watch the first free practice session on site.

>>> Pikachu kart ride through Tokyo

[15.05. | 16:12] Nico Müller and David Beckmann took to the streets of the Japanese capital before the Tokyo E-Prix - in Pikachu costumes and with road-legal go-karts! Afterwards, they both went to karaoke.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Andretti Formula E (@andrettife)

>>> Pourchaire joins the Stellantis Young Driver Programme

[15.05. | 14:22] French racing driver Theo Pourchaire joined the Stellantis Young Driver Programme a few days ago. At the same time, DS Performance has announced that Pourchaire will be given several test days in the French manufacturer's Gen2 and Gen3 Evo cars. We expect him to take the wheel for DS Penske at the Rookie Day in Berlin.

 
 
 
 
 
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