Formula E

Paddock Whispers: News ticker on all the important topics from Formula E testing in Madrid

Tobias Wirtz

Tobias Wirtz

More than 100 Formula E days have passed since the spectacular season finale in London, and now the electric series' teams are back in Madrid for pre-season testing. As always, you can find out what is going on in the paddock at the Circuito del Jarama in the latest edition of our popular "Paddock Whispers" series. We will update this news ticker regularly throughout the test week.

>>> Attack Charge: Problems during the test race

[08.11. | 09:09] As we have learnt from team sources, there were problems with the fast charging during the test race on Thursday. DS Penske and Nissan were unable to recharge, which is why both teams had to end the race prematurely - the energy without the attack charge was not enough to drive the full race distance of 24 laps.

>>> Detail pictures of the new steering damper

[07.11. | 21:52] The colleagues from FE Notebook took a close look at McLaren and captured another new safety feature of the Gen3 Evo cars in pictures: The damper unit on the steering column, which is designed to prevent high forces being transmitted via the steering wheel in the event of a crash. In this way, Formula E hopes to reduce the worrying number of hand injuries suffered by the drivers.

>>> Lola Yamaha ABT gives update to Maloney problem

[07.11. | 20:05] Zane Maloney was unable to take part in the test race on Thursday afternoon and also had to watch the rest of the session. It took the team quite a long time to find and rectify the cause. When asked by e-Formula.news, the team issued a statement late in the evening:

"An electrical fault triggered the accident data recorder to flag a crash event which resulted in the battery switching off as per safety regulations. The team is working on a solution and both cars will be back on track tomorrow."

>>> Formula E introduces new lights system

[07.11. | 19:51] The Gen3 Evo Formula E cars have a new safety feature: the LED strips at the rear of the car flash in the respective colour when there is a red or yellow flag. This is intended to reduce the reaction time of the drivers.

>>> Kazuki Nakajima visits Formula E tests

[07.11. | 19:12] Ex-Formula 1 driver Kazuki Nakajima is on site in Madrid to support up-and-coming driver Miki Koyama. Nakajima drove a total of 36 Formula 1 races for Williams from 2007 to 2009, after which he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times for Toyota, with whom he also won the drivers' title in the World Endurance Championship in 2019.

>>> Formula E invites fans

[07.11. | 18:51] On Friday, Formula E invites fans from Madrid to watch the last day of testing from the grandstand. The maximum capacity is 500 people. Fans will also be able to take part in a pit walk during the lunch break between the two sessions.

>>> Damaged curbs are repaired overnight

[06.11. | 20:45] The afternoon session on Wednesday had to be interrupted for a good 15 minutes due to damage to the track. It is now clear that the curbs in turn 9 that caused the problem will have to be repaired overnight. This is reported by the colleagues of FE Notebook.

>>> Andretti introduces Zak Crawford as reserve and development driver

[06.11. | 13:01] Andretti has introduced the US-American Zak Crawford as official reserve and development driver. Crawford is currently racing in Formula 2, but has already driven the Andretti car at the rookie test in Berlin. Crawford is also on site for the team in Madrid.

"I'm very excited to be the official Reserve and Development Driver for the Andretti Formula E team in Season 11", says Crawford. "Growing up in America, Andretti is such a household name in motorsports so it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to be part of the team. I’m keen to learn as much about the car as possible from both Jake and Nico, and to play a role on the development side through simulator work. I’m looking forward to getting started and to hopefully have the chance to get more experience in the car."

>>> Formula E donates 50,000 euros & launches crowdfunding campaign

[06.11. | 09:00] As the racing series announced in a press release on Wednesday morning, it has provided 50,000 euros in emergency aid to the affected communities in Valencia. In addition, each of the 22 cars in Madrid will drive with a sticker on the edge of the cockpit next to the Formula E logo to express the series' solidarity with the city, which has been severely affected by flooding. In addition, a crowdfunding campaign has been launched so that fans, partners, teams and employees can also get involved to help Valencia rebuild more quickly.

Go to the campaign

>>> Roger Griffiths is the new FETAMA Chairman

[05.11. | 20:45] Andretti team principal Roger Griffiths has taken over the chairmanship of the Formula E Team and Manufacturers Association (FETAMA) for two years. This is reported by FE Notebook. Griffiths succeeds Ian James, who has held the position for the last two years. It is Griffiths' second term in this position: he previously chaired FETAMA from 2017 to 2019.

>>> Immense logistical effort

[05.11. | 14:45] Formula E only managed to relocate the test drives at short notice with a huge logistical effort: As Il Messaggero reports, according to Chief Championship Officer Alberto Longo, a whole 38 truck journeys from Valencia to Madrid were necessary to transport more than 100 tonnes of material. The first lorry is said to have only arrived in the Spanish capital on Friday evening.

>>> Minute's silence in Jarama

[05.11. | 13:30] Formula E will hold a minute's silence for the victims of the storm disaster in Valencia immediately before the first session in Jarama. Alberto Longo, Chief Championship Officer of Formula E, has thanked the team for being able to reschedule the tests at such short notice: "We are incredibly grateful to be able to start our pre-season testing in Madrid, which has been made possible by the dedicated efforts of the Circuito del Jarama team," said Longo.

"This season marks a significant milestone as we unveil the Gen3 Evo car and showcase its incredible acceleration figures for the first time," Longo continued. "We are also proud to be making history with the first test for women - a first for an FIA championship - underlining our commitment to diversity and inclusion in motorsport. There is so much to look forward to as we prepare for the new season."

>>> Sophia Flörsch cancels testing

[05.11. | 12:17] Bad news for German Formula E fans: Sophia Flörsch will not be taking part in the women's test for Nissan on Friday. Due to the postponement of the women's test from Thursday to Friday, Flörsch will not be able to drive after all due to a clash of dates. This reduces the number of female participants to 18.

>>> Jaguar tests with special livery

[04.11. | 13:03] Jaguar TCS Racing has come up with something very special for the pre-season test drives: The team is on the road in Jarama with a special livery. In addition to the sponsor logos, the black Jaguar car features the track layouts of all the circuits on which Jaguar has been victorious in Formula E to date.

>>> Antonio Felix da Costa got married

[04.11. | 11:43] Porsche works driver Antonio Felix da Costa married his long-time girlfriend Ines during the break in the season. A large part of the Formula E paddock was also invited. We say: Congratulations!

>>> Drivers present new helmets

[04.11. | 10:16] Not only the cars, but also the drivers are shining in new splendour: Several drivers have already presented their new helmets for the coming season before the Jarama test drives.

>>> Pato O'Ward drives IndyCar at Formula E in Mexico

[04.11. | 09:51] As part of the Mexican Grand Prix in Formula 1, Pato O'Ward has announced that he will be conducting a demo drive with his IndyCar car as part of the Mexico City E-Prix of Formula E in January 2025. O'Ward is a regular driver for the Arrow-McLaren team in the IndyCar Series and was allowed to drive Lando Norris' Formula 1 car in the first free practice session in Mexico.

>>> For Valencia: Andretti drives with mourning colours

[04.11. | 09:20] Andretti will be driving in Jarama with a mourning flag: a black sticker with the words "Para ti Valencia" is attached to the team's cars - "For you, Valencia". The team is thus honouring the more than 200 victims of last week's storm.

>>> Jaguar presents video documentary on the 2024 season

[04.11. | 08:41] "All for One - Won for All" is the title of a 30-minute documentary by Jaguar about the 2024 season, which is now available on YouTube. It's not just about the past season, but the team also looks back on its eight years in Formula E.

>>> Jeff Dodds meets Kevin Magnussen

[03.11. | 21:05] Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds met with Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen during the Formula E season break and talked about the technology in Formula 1 and Formula E, sustainability in sport and "his eleven-year partnership with the Haas F1 Team". It is interesting to note that the Haas F1 Team has only been in existence for ten years, when Magnussen was still driving for McLaren-Mercedes. Will the Dane, whose Formula 1 contract expires at the end of the year, soon be seen in Formula E?

>>> Dummy race with attack charge

[03.11. | 20:41] Formula E will hold a dummy race on Thursday afternoon in which the so-called "Attack Charge" fast-charging pit stops will be trialled. The racing series is still sticking to the introduction after the Attack Charge has been repeatedly postponed for two years for technical reasons.

>>> Envision exhibits two-seater

[03 Nov | 18:53] Envision Racing has exhibited its electric two-seater at the science fair "New Scientist Live" at ExCeL in London. The team developed the racing car in 2021 - back then under the name Envision Virgin Racing. Unfortunately, we don't know why we haven't seen the two-seater on the track since then.

>>> Lola signs Peter McCool

[03.11. | 16:50] Prominent signing at Lola: Peter McCool has taken up the position of Technical Director at Lola Yamaha ABT a few weeks ago. The Brit moved to Lola from the Alpine Formula 1 team, where he previously worked as Chief Designer from 2009 to 2012. He is familiar to Formula E fans from his time with the Amlin Aguri team, which he co-founded in 2013 but left at the end of the first season. He returned to the electric series in February 2021 - as Head of Design at Mercedes EQ and later at McLaren.

>>> Maria Conti new boss at Maserati Corse

[03.11. | 16:01] Restructuring at Maserati Corse, the motorsport division of the Italian sports car manufacturer: Maria Conti took over from Giovanni Sgro on 1 October after a year of parental leave, for which she had given up her post as Head of Communications at the brand with the trident. Before her time at Maserati, she worked at Alfa Romeo, Fiat, BMW/Mini and Nokia.

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