Formula E

Paddock Whispers: News ticker on all the important paddock topics for Formula E in Shanghai

Tobias Wirtz

Tobias Wirtz

Jaguar TCS Racing

The Formula E World Championship returns to China for the first time since the pandemic with the Shanghai E-Prix. As always, you can find out what else is going on in the paddock at the Shanghai International Circuit besides the action on the track in the latest edition of our popular "Paddock Whispers" series. We will update this news ticker regularly throughout the weekend.

>>> Less time in attack mode again

[24.05. | 18:03] As in Berlin, there will also be less time in attack mode for the 22 drivers in the racing series in Shanghai. Instead of a total of eight minutes, as usual at the start of the season, there will only be six minutes each in China. The reason for this decision is of a technical nature, as the FIA has now confirmed.

"The duration of Attack Mode has been reduced as part of the normal and continuous process of cars life cycle monitoring. The Sporting Regulations have been specifically designed to allow for this flexibility in format," said an FIA spokesperson when asked by e-Formula.news. According to rumours, it is a problem with the battery from manufacturer WAE, where a software update carried out after the Berlin E-Prix is believed to have caused massive problems in the first free practice session.

>>> Andretti drivers do well in Indy 500 quiz

[24.05. | 16:27] In addition to the Shanghai E-Prix, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 are also on the agenda this weekend. The two Andretti drivers Jake Dennis and Norman Nato were therefore able to prove their knowledge of the event in the world-famous "noodle pot" not far from the Andretti headquarters in an Indy 500 quiz. They did really well.

 
 
 
 
 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Andretti Formula E (@andrettife)

>>> New Porsche Halo slogans

[24.05. | 15:03] Porsche also has new Halo slogans in Shanghai: "He who uses Attack goes fast" and "He who comes first wins race".

>>> McLaren and Mahindra drivers play Jianzi

[24.05. | 14:41] Sam Bird, Jake Hughes, Nyck de Vries and Edo Mortara played a round of Jianzi in the paddock in Shanghai, a traditional Chinese sport with over 2000 years of history in which the players have to keep a shuttlecock from hitting the ground with their feet. Is it allowed to hold the shoe in your hand, as Sam Bird did?

 
 
 
 
 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Mahindra Racing Formula E Team (@mahindraracing)

>>> Mitch Evans drives through Shanghai city centre

[23.05. | 09:46] Jaguar driver Mitch Evans has completed a demo run in Shanghai's city centre ahead of the race weekend. The New Zealander drove the Formula E demo car in Jaguar livery along the waterfront promenade "The Bund". It is considered the preferred destination of the racing series to replace the Shanghai International Circuit, which is around 25 km from the city centre, in the future. As is well known, a race there was not (yet) possible for 2024...

>>> Year of the Dragon: Jake Dennis with new helmet design in Shanghai

[24.05. | 09:07] Formula E world champion Jake Dennis will contest the two races in Shanghai with a special helmet design. The Briton's head protection shines in a dragon design, and the number 1 can also be seen in large letters on both sides. It is a tribute to the current year of the dragon (2024).

>>> Sustainability: Formula E uses local green electricity & hydrogenated vegetable oils

[24.05. | 07:54] The Shanghai E-Prix will be powered 100 per cent by electricity from renewable sources: In addition to green electricity from the metropolis' power grid, the racing series is once again using hydrogenated vegetable oil to generate energy. This is a waste product from food production that is completely CO2-neutral.

>>> Misano disqualification: date set for Porsche appeal hearing

[24.05. | 07:39] As the colleagues at Motorsport-Magazin.com report, the date has been set for the hearing of Porsche's appeal against the disqualification of Antonio Felix da Costa in Misano. The case will be heard in Paris on 7 June. Felix da Costa was disqualified following his race win because a throttle spring was deemed to be non-compliant with the rules. Porsche argues that the spring had been used since the previous season and was previously compliant, but that the team had not received any notification that this had changed.

>>> Nissan presents satirical fragrance "Smell my dust"

[24.05. | 06:20] Nissan has come up with something special for the Shanghai E-Prix: In a video clip on social media, the team is presenting a fragrance called "Smell my dust". This is a satire on perfume adverts. Among other things, a few French words were incorporated into the advert. The reason: "It sounds cooler."

>>> Dennis: "He's only interested in beating me"

[23.05. | 19:03] Jake Dennis clearly doesn't have a high opinion of Porsche works driver Pascal Wehrlein. "He's only interested in beating me. He'd be happy if he finished 21st and I finished 22nd," he railed against the German in a video from Formula E's Driver's Room published after the Berlin race. Dennis clashed several times with Wehrlein on Sunday in Berlin. Will we see another round of the Dennis versus Wehrlein duel in Shanghai?

>>> Vergne threatens to retire from Formula E

[23.05. | 16:53] As the colleagues at Racingnews365 report, two-time Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne is clearly not a fan of the "peloton" races that Formula E currently holds on the somewhat faster and more energy-intensive tracks. When asked whether drivers might leave Formula E because of this type of racing, the Frenchman replied: "That could happen. The good thing is that there will be a (new) Gen4 car. But if it's the same with the Gen4 car, I'll stop for sure!"

It is safe to assume that the weekend in China will not lift Vergne's spirits: The Shanghai circuit looks set to be one of the most intense slipstream battles in Gen3 history...

>>> Report: Formula E return to Malaysia fails

[23.05. | 14:38] As reported by FreeMalaysiaToday, Malaysia will not host the Formula E season finale in 2025. It is said that Formula E has significantly increased the fees for hosting the event after local promoter Sports Tech Holding decided to move the race to the permanent Sepang International Circuit instead of a city circuit.

Formula E had originally planned to return to the Southeast Asian state after a ten-year absence. The Putrajaya E-Prix was held there twice in 2014 and 2015. Sam Bird and Lucas di Grassi will therefore remain the only Formula E race winners in Malaysia for the time being.

>>> NXT Gen Cup will run as part of the DTM in 2024

[23.05. | 13:22] After the failure to establish a supporting series in Formula E for the first time since the end of the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy, the electric junior touring car series NXT Gen Cup has now announced that it will hold all its races in the 2024 season as part of the DTM. The electric Minis will drive before the DTM races at Nürburgring, Sachsenring, Norisring and the season finale at the Hockenheimring. However, another collaboration with Formula E is planned for the European races in 2025. Let's wait and see...

 
 
 
 
 
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>>> Envision launches new game for children

[23.05. | 11:57] Envision Racing wants to get more children excited about the race against climate change. The reigning Formula E world champion team is therefore cooperating with Cartoon Network on the Roblox gaming platform. The players compete against each other with vehicles that they can equip with e-waste collected in the game.

The team is picking up on a project from last summer: Envision Racing had already shown a Gen3 car at the London E-Prix 2023, which had been customised with e-waste by artist Liam Hopkins. Actor Aidan Gallagher was recruited as an ambassador for the campaign, who was even allowed to drive the electric scrap racer.

>>> Dan Ticktum on the road in Shanghai

[23.05. | 09:10] ERT driver Dan Ticktum was in Shanghai for promotional purposes in the week before his team's two home races and was able to take a look over the city from a height of 552 metres.

>>> Formula E presents power supply with state-of-the-art technology

[23.05. | 07:58] Formula E has announced a collaboration with Aggreko. The company will supply the racing series with six batteries, each with a storage capacity of 300 kVA, which can charge four Formula E cars in parallel. These batteries are powered by generators that burn hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVO) and therefore produce around 90 per cent fewer emissions compared to diesel. In addition, solar panels are also used on individual routes to charge the batteries and keep emissions even lower.

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