Robert Wickens had a clear goal in Formula E show run: "I do everything for a purpose"

Since his serious IndyCar accident at Pocono Raceway on 19 August 2018, Robert Wickens has been confined to a wheelchair. Despite this, the Canadian drove a few laps in a modified Formula E car at the Portland E-Prix in June. Wickens did not get into the car just for the headlines, however, but to improve his chances of getting a regular cockpit in the electric series.

For the test run in Portland, Formula E had modified the Gen3 demo car so that Wickens could accelerate and brake with his hands. "In Formula E, of course, you don't shift gears, but I now have a great feel for my left hand when accelerating, so I can just keep doing that. It's a bit different to using my feet, but it works for me," Wickens explains at The Race.

The event was not just a show race for him. "To be honest, I'm too old and impatient to do anything just for fun," says the 35-year-old. "I do everything I do in my career for a specific purpose. And it's no different here. I want to use this as an evaluation of a career opportunity."

Formula E is unique in its own way, says Wickens. "I've always looked at it very closely. There's tough competition, you can see that from the many different winners and the small number of title defences - it's so difficult. That's what I love."

First destination: Valencia

So Wickens is hoping for another stint in a few months' time: "In November, when Formula E conducts the rookie tests in Valencia, I will hopefully be considered by one of the teams on the grid to have the same chance of a race seat as everyone else they are considering."

"I need to do well enough at the rookie test for the team to want to sign me because I'm the best option to get results, not because I'm the disabled player." There are already teams with whom Wickens is in talks - "whether informally or officially".

Formula E CEO Dodds: "Inclusive sport is a must for me"

For Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds, Wickens' demo laps in Portland were "not just for fun": "I want to see drivers like Robert competing at a high level in racing now and in the future. An inclusive sport is a must for me. These stories are so human and inspiring that they deserve to be told and continued."

Dodds reckons Wickens has every chance of making it into Formula E: "Robert has the stamina to do special things in this car and possibly in future cars. Robert's spirit is remarkable and he has a lot of talent that he is using to continue a career that he loves," said Dodds.

Wickens' stint in Portland was not his first brush with Formula E: in 2020, Toto and then team principal Susie Wolff linked him to Venturi to test a customised simulator for the Monegasque team, in which the accelerator and brake pedals were transferred to the steering wheel. We may find out in November whether the Canadian will get another chance.