XXL preview of the 2024 Formula E finale: Will Jaguar or Porsche secure their 1st title at the London E-Prix?

Cassidy versus Evans and Wehrlein, Jaguar versus Porsche: these are the battles that will decide the Formula E season at the upcoming finale in London. As so often before, the decisions in the drivers' and teams' championships will be made in the British capital. On paper, Jaguar and Nick Cassidy have the best cards, but it was the New Zealander who suffered a setback in Portland. Everything you need to know ahead of the season finale - including the schedule, track graphics and championship update - can be found in our preview.

Where exactly does the Formula E race take place?

London was already the venue for the Formula E final in the very first season. With 14.2 million inhabitants, the metropolis is the third largest city in Europe. As the capital of the United Kingdom and its predecessors for almost a millennium, it has also developed into one of the most important political and economic hubs in Europe as the seat of government and home of the royal family.

Since the move to the ExCeL exhibition centre in 2021, London has once again secured the long-term hosting of the Formula E final. As a result, many dramatic championship decisions in recent seasons have taken place in London. The exhibition and event centre is located in the Docklands district of west London. The world's largest harbour was once located here. Today, London City Airport is in the immediate vicinity.

Fast facts | London

• The British government has been employing cats with the title "Chief Mouser of the Cabinet" since the 16th century. Larry the cat has been in office since 2012 and has thus experienced six prime ministers.
• While Portland, host city of the last race, was already home to one of the largest urban forests in the USA with four million trees, London has twice as many trees. The UN confirmed that this makes London the largest urban forest.
• A third of the UK population drinks between four and five cups of tea a day. If all visitors to the Formula E race did the same, Formula E would have to serve a good 225,000 cups of tea at the London E-Prix.
• Although the United Kingdom has a certain reputation, on average less rain falls there than in other Formula E metropolises such as Rome, Paris or Miami.
• If Antonio Felix da Costa, Mitch Evans or Sam Bird were to achieve a victory in London, they would equal Lucas di Grassi and Sebastien Buemi in the all-time list of Formula E victories.
• All three titles of the current season could possibly be decided already on Saturday. Read here to find out what needs to happen for this.

Who is broadcasting the Formula E race in London on TV & livestream?

The race days in London start late in the morning on both Saturday and Sunday with a free practice session, before qualifying and the race are on the programme in the afternoon and evening. By Sunday at 7 pm (CEST) at the latest, we will know who the 2024 Formula E World Champion is.

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 data in Central European Summer Time (CEST)

What characterises the race track in London?

The race track through the ExCeL exhibition centre is the shortest on the calendar with a length of 2.09 kilometres. Due to the layout of the terrain, it cannot be extended. With its unique nature as an indoor and outdoor track, it is likely to be retained for the next season.

The area between turns 19 and 5, including the start-finish straight and the pit lane, is located in the exhibition centre and therefore remains dry in the event of rain. The combination of turns 6, 7 and 8 after the first ramp is also covered. The rest of the track runs around the outside of the event location. The attack zone is located in turn 16. Unlike most races we have experienced this season, we are not expecting a "power-saving race" where slipstreaming plays the most important role in the race.

What's happened since the last race in Portland

Just before the Formula E finale, the news has become very quiet. Here is an overview of the most important reports:

• According to media reports, Antonio Felix da Costa will probably fulfil his contract with Porsche and drive for the German team for at least one more season. After his winning streak in the second half of the season, anything else would have been surprising.
• Furthermore, the driver carousel has not really got rolling yet: The cockpits of both Envision drivers, Sacha Fenestraz and Stoffel Vandoorne, are currently uncertain. While Fenestraz was hardly able to shine in Portland in the absence of Oliver Rowland, Frijns countered the rumours about Envision with two podiums in the USA.
• As ABT officially announced on Tuesday, Nico Müller will leave the team at the end of the season. According to reports, he could succeed Norman Nato at Andretti.

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 London E-Prix are as follows.

What will the weather be like in London?

The UK is set for summer temperatures this week. However, it is expected to cool down to around 22 degrees celsius towards the weekend. With up to six hours of sunshine, clouds may come to the fore at times, but no rain is forecast.

What do the championship scenarios look like?

Theoretically, seven drivers still have the chance to become Formula E World Champion at the season finale in London. That is three more than in the last two seasons. However, the decision will probably be made between Nick Cassidy (167 points), Mitch Evans (155 points) and Pascal Wehrlein (155 points). Jaguar driver Cassidy could thus become the third driver after Nelson Piquet Jr. and Antonio Felix da Costa to be outright champion in his first season with a new team. To do so, however, he will have to bring his lead to the finish line.

For a thrilling finale with a title decision on Sunday, Evans and Wehrlein would have to finish in the top four on Saturday. This would postpone the decision even in the event of a Cassidy victory with all bonus points. If Felix da Costa continues his winning streak, the title will only be decided on Sunday if Cassidy finishes second and has not picked up all the bonus points.