Pizza, pasta, e-motore: Preview of the 2024 Formula E double-header in Misano

Italy has been a permanent fixture on the Formula E calendar since the first Rome E-Prix. In 2024, however, the electric series will make its first guest appearance on the classic race track in Misano. You can find all the information about the new circuit as well as the schedule in our preview.

Where exactly will the Formula E race take place?

Instead of the capital Rome, where the races used to take place in recent years, Formula E is now travelling to Misano Adriatico, around 300 kilometres to the north. The town with just under 15,000 inhabitants is a good half hour away from San Marino and - as the name suggests - is located on the Adriatic coast. It is particularly known for its three-kilometre-long sandy beach with promenade and its town centre with shops and restaurants.

Formula E uses a short section of the permanent "Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli" race track in Misano, which is otherwise mainly used for motorbike races. The motorbike world championship held its races there between 1980 and 1993. Misano has been a constant on the MotoGP calendar again since 2007, as has the Superbike World Championship. The DTM has also organised races there.

Fast facts | Misano

• Misano Adriatico, with 14,000 inhabitants, is the second smallest town to have ever hosted a Formula E race. Only Punta del Este had fewer inhabitants with just under 10,000.
• On average, a city that hosts a Formula E race has six million inhabitants. That's twice the size of Berlin, three times the size of Paris or 400 times the size of Misano Adriatico.
• So far this season, the five different races were won by five different drivers. This has only happened three times before in Formula E history - most recently in season 6 with winners Sam Bird, Alex Sims, Max Günther, Mitch Evans and Antonio Felix da Costa.
• The two races in Misano are the ninth and tenth Formula E races in Italy. Although the country has become a constant on the racing calendar with the Rome E-Prix, only five drivers (Luca Filippi, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Jarno Trulli, Antonio Giovinazzi and Michela Cerruti) have made it into Formula E so far.
• Noteworthy: four of them only raced in the Gen1 era. Only Giovinazzi has been able to secure a cockpit since the start of the second car generation.

Who is broadcasting the Formula E races at Misano on TV & livestream?

Coverage of the qualifying and race sessions depend on the region you're in. e-Formula.news offers free Formula E live streams for the free practice sessions though. Here's the schedule for the weekend (CEST).

 
* all figures in Central European Time (CEST)

What characterises the race track in Misano?

Designed and used primarily as a motorbike circuit, the layout consists of many hairpin bends and curves and has a flowing characteristic. However, Formula E uses a short version: the track turns right shortly after the start-finish straight. This saves the drivers the loop through the infield and allows them to exit directly onto the back straight.

From turn 5, Formula E uses the Grand Prix layout again and heads towards the hairpin in turn 7. This is followed by a high-speed straight that leads into a sharp left-right bend with turns 8 and 9. After another sprint in the final sector, it's back onto the home straight through turn 14.

In contrast to Tokyo, the track offers various opportunities for overtaking. However, the energy has been drastically reduced, especially for Saturday's race. This means that a lot of energy has to be saved, which is why it can be assumed that first place will be an unpopular position. The next "slipstream battle" could be imminent.

What has happened since the last race in Tokyo?

• According to media reports, Nico Müller completed a test in the Porsche ahead of the Sao Paulo E-Prix. Team principal Modlinger explained that it is common practice at Porsche to test different drivers in order to assess them for the future. However, the colleagues at The Race speculate that Porsche could have been testing a potential successor to Antonio Felix da Costa in this case, who might be fighting for his cockpit after a weak start to the season.
• Formula E will also surprisingly remain without a support series this season. A few days before the start of the NXT Gen Cup season, which was due to compete in the supporting programme of the electric series for the first time in Misano, a spokesperson for the series confirmed that there will be no joint events this season.
• There will be a "Free Practice 0" session in Misano in which rookies can test the Formula E car. Here you can find an overview of all participants in the rookie practice, which is scheduled for Friday afternoon at 14:30 (CEST).

In which order do the drivers start qualifying?

In Formula E, qualifying takes place in two stages: Group stage and knockout stage. For group qualifying, the driver field is initially divided into two halves, with all drivers in the odd-numbered championship positions (positions 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.) competing in Group A and the drivers in the even-numbered positions in Group B. The four drivers with the fastest lap times in their group after twelve minutes will then move on to the quarter-finals, where they will duel for the best grid positions.

The qualifying groups for Saturday's race at the Misano E-Prix are as follows.

The qualifying groups for Sunday can only be created with the final results of Saturday's race.

What will the weather be like in Misano?

Sunny weather is forecast for Misano Adriatico this weekend. The sun is expected to shine for 13 hours - no rain is predicted. Temperatures are expected to be between 13 and 25.

Who are the favourites?

After two third places and a second place, Oliver Rowland is one of the drivers with the best form. The Brit was very fast recently, as was his Nissan. Just like the Porsche cars, which are considered to be particularly efficient and are therefore among the favourites in Misano - above all the current world championship leader Pascal Wehrlein and world champion Jake Dennis. Antonio Felix da Costa only narrowly missed out on the podium in Tokyo and could be even more motivated in view of the supposed Müller test.

After a strong race in Tokyo, Maximilian Günther in the Maserati is also a candidate for the top spot. It remains to be seen how strong Jaguar will be in Misano. There is no doubt that the cars have efficiency - and therefore race pace - to offer. In terms of layout, however, the circuit could play into the hands of others. One thing is clear ahead of the Misano E-Prix: it should be exciting again and could produce the sixth winner in the sixth race.