Formula E

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

Tobias Wirtz

Tobias Wirtz

FIA Formula E (Instagram)

After a seven-week break, the 2024 Formula E season is now going from strength to strength: the first Tokyo E-Prix in the history of the racing series will take place just two weeks after the race in Sao Paulo. As always, you can find out what else is going on in the paddock in the Japanese capital 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.

>>> Yuki Tsunoda meets Nyck de Vries

[30.03. | 06:41] Yuki Tsunoda is a guest at the Tokyo E-Prix. The Formula 1 driver paid a visit to his former team-mate Nyck de Vries on the grid, among others.

>>> Takuma Sato visits Andretti

[30.03. | 01:38] Japanese racing driver Takuma Sato has paid a visit to the Tokyo E-Prix. Sato won the legendary Indianapolis 500 for Andretti in 2017, but he is also a familiar face in Formula E. Sato contested the very first Formula E race for Amlin Aguri, where he replaced Antonio Felix da Costa, who was unable to compete. To date, he is the only Japanese driver to have scored Formula E points: He drove the fastest race lap, which was worth two points at the time.

>>> DS Penske drivers have fun at the media day

[30.03. | 01:17] Are media days always boring as hell for racing drivers? Not in Formula E! DS Penske has published a video showing Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Eric Vergne having a great time. Whether it was origami, video games or much more, the two were in a great mood. But see for yourself...

>>> Underground party with Formula E drivers & actor Sung Kang

[29.03. | 21:42] Formula E has posted an entertaining video on its social media channels. Several Formula E drivers, actor Sung Kang and a few other people use all the tuner clichés from Tokyo Drift, Need for Speed Underground and the like. Who do you think makes the most cheeky impression?

>>> A day from a racing driver's perspective

[29.03. | 18:34] Jaguar has fitted the current world championship leader - Nick Cassidy - with sunglasses with a camera function. The New Zealander used them to film a day from his perspective. In the video, he takes you on a typical racing driver's day before the E-Prix weekend - including sightseeing, sushi with the boss and karaoke...

>>> New role at McLaren for Formula E veteran Chiocchetti

[29.03. | 17:05] Franco Chiocchetti, one of McLaren's top engineers, will no longer be at the track with the team. "Franco's role (...) has moved from the Formula E project to other programmes within Neom McLaren Electric Racing - he is using his expertise to help us succeed in these areas too," McLaren told FE Notebook.

Chiocchetti - who once worked for Audi and Mercedes, among others - is still an important part of the team, the team from Woking emphasises. "Part of his role was to make sure we had a strong (engineering) team in place. We feel we have achieved that goal and have entered the next phase of our transition in the engineering team."

>>> Envision pays homage to Nintendo with Mario Kart video

[29.03. | 13:01] Not only Nissan comes from Japan, but also gaming giant Nintendo. For the Tokyo E-Prix, the reigning Formula E world champion team Envision Racing released a video in the style of the racing classic "Super Mario Kart", to which Nintendo holds the rights. After selecting a virtual Tokyo track, the two pixel drivers Sebastien Buemi and Robin Frijns drive through the Japanese night.

>>> Japanese helmet designs for Nissan drivers & jubilarian Evans

[29.03. | 12:46] In Tokyo, some drivers compete with special helmet designs - this time in the spirit of the host country. It was almost to be expected that the two Nissan drivers Oliver Rowland and Sacha Fenestraz would show Japan the respect it deserves. But Jaguar driver Mitch Evans will also be paying homage to Tokyo at his 100th Formula E race.

>>> Lucas di Grassi criticises track design in Tokyo

After the first free practice session, ABT driver Lucas di Grassi criticised the new track design in Tokyo: "I don't think it's the best track they could have made," the Brazilian told Motorsport.com. "The problem is that the track is very bumpy and there are height differences. With the grip we have with the tyres, we have to be really careful how we use the throttle."

>>> Lola already involved with Drayson ahead of Formula E debut in 2014

[29.03. | 12:14] Lola-Yamaha's enrolment as a new Formula E manufacturer was officially announced on Thursday. As FE Notebook reports, the British chassis constructor had already applied for the original contract with the Formula E promoter in 2012 and was technically involved in Drayson Racing's all-electric Lola LMP1 car.

Formula E fans from the very beginning will remember: Drayson was originally intended to be one of the twelve Formula E teams in season 1 and had already presented a chrome-green livery, but withdrew from the electric series at the beginning of 2014 before it started a few months later in Beijing.

>>> Taittinger new champagne partner of Formula E

[29.03. | 12:04] Formula E and the champagne brand Taittinger have announced a new multi-year partnership. As the official champagne, Taittinger will be sprayed on the podium at every race from this year onwards (subject to local regulations) and will also be served to VIPs in the Emotion Club. After G.H. Mumm and Moet, Taittinger is already the third type of champagne to be sprayed in Formula E.

>>> No fast-charging tests in Tokyo either - Attack Charge probably not before Berlin

[29.03. | 11:41] Due to technical problems at the Sao Paulo E-Prix, there will also be no tests of the new Attack Charge this weekend in Tokyo. This makes the planned introduction of fast-charging pit stops at the double-header in Misano in a fortnight' time unlikely. It is possible that Formula E will use its Attack Charge for the first time at the Berlin E-Prix on 11/12 May.

>>> Tokyo drift at Porsche

[29.03. | 10:23] Porsche remains true to itself with its humorous halo slogans. At the Tokyo E-Prix, the safety bar above Antonio Felix da Costa's cockpit bears the inscription "António Drift" - in reference to the well-known part of the film series "The Fast and the Furious". Pascal Wehrlein's halo reads "The Car-Ate Kid".

>>> Capricious weather during the track walk

[29.03. | 07:11] The weather in Tokyo was extremely changeable during the obligatory track walk: drivers and teams completed the inspection of the new race track near Tokyo Bay on Friday morning (local time) in pouring rain and strong winds. However, bright sunshine and more than 20 degrees are forecast for race day.

>>> Car tuner Liberty Walk designs wide-body kit for Gen3 show car

[28.03. | 16:51] The Japanese company Liberty Walk, which specialises in extreme body kits for sports and super sports cars, has designed a wide-body kit for the Gen3 show car of Formula E. Among other things, the company reworked the front wing, the sidepods and designed a large rear wing for the car, which is currently on display in Tokyo. Even though ERT driver Dan Ticktum expressed his wish on Instagram that the Gen3.5 car planned for the coming season should look exactly like this, it is a customised design.

 
 
 
 
 
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>>> Hungry for Nissan?

[28.03. | 15:07] Nissan has had meals made in team livery for its home race. On its social media accounts, the team is showing three short videos documenting the creation of the portions in fast motion - one each with the likeness of the two drivers and the design of the Formula E car.

It's just a shame that the standard livery of the Nissan works car for season 10 was chosen. We would have liked to see the special livery for the Tokyo E-Prix here.

>>> Article about Nissan's special livery

>>> Dodds gives the go-ahead for Shanghai E-Prix

[28.03. | 14:20] Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds visited Shanghai in the week before the Tokyo E-Prix. On Tuesday, the Briton gave the symbolic starting signal for the Shanghai E-Prix, which will take place on 25 and 26 May. Dodds then travelled on to Japan on Wednesday.

>>> 100th E-Prix for Jaguar & Mitch Evans

[28.03. | 13:42] Jaguar TCS Racing is celebrating an anniversary in Tokyo: it is the 100th Formula E race for the team, which has been on the grid since the start of season 3. At the same time, the Tokyo E-Prix marks the 100th race for Mitch Evans, who has driven every single race for the British team. He is therefore likely to become the first driver in Formula E to have contested 100 races with the same team.

>>> Le Mans: demo drives with hydrogen vehicles planned

[28.03. | 11:13] The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), organiser of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has announced that demo drives with hydrogen-powered prototypes will take place before the 92nd start of the endurance classic on the Sarthe. Several cars equipped with either hydrogen fuel cells or hydrogen combustion engines will be used.

One of the participating cars will be the so-called H24, which the ACO itself has developed as part of the MissionH24 project. Stephane Richelmi and Andretti Formula E driver Norman Nato will be the test drivers for the project, which is currently working on a successor model called H24EVO.

>>> McLaren CEO Zak Brown extends his contract until 2030

[28.03. | 10:44] The British motorsport team McLaren Racing has extended the contract with its CEO Zak Brown until 2030. The American, who has been at the helm of the long-established team since 2018, has also driven expansion in the electric sector during his time at McLaren. In 2021, McLaren announced its entry into Extreme E and a year later bought the former Mercedes Formula E team, which has been competing under the name Neom McLaren ever since.

>>> Nissan official partner of the Tokyo E-Prix

[27.03. | 11:36] Nissan is the official race partner of the Tokyo E-Prix at the debut Formula E race in Tokyo. Nissan has been competing in Formula E since the fifth season and was the first Japanese manufacturer to get involved in the electric series. In addition to its works team, Nissan has also been equipping a customer team, McLaren, with its drive systems since the start of the Gen3 era. On the sidelines of the race, Nissan was also the first manufacturer to announce that it had signed up for the Gen4 era of Formula E.

>>> Gaming: Formula E now available in Trackmania

[27.03. | 10:03] Formula E is cooperating with the game developer Ubisoft. The approximately nine million players of the popular game "Trackmania" will have access to the liveries of the eleven Formula E teams as well as a special Formula E Championship livery. Ubisoft has designed a special Formula E game mode including attack mode and energy management.

The Formula E racetracks of Tokyo, Berlin and London will also be available in Trackmania. A live race will be held on each of the three tracks, with €1,000 in prize money up for grabs. The first of the three races will take place at 7 pm (CET) on the evening of the Tokyo E-Prix.

Trackmania: Formula E Trailer

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