Race Review: Diriyah Eprix 2024

Formula E graced our screens once again this past weekend with the first double header of Season 10. And, with this year's pecking order and championship contenders yet to be decided, Diriyah may well have been pivotal to this year's championship battle.

Starting off proceedings, race one was shaping up to give us an immense battle for the lead, with reigning world champion; Jake Dennis, double world champion; Jean-Eric Vergne and championship favourite; Mitch Evans, all gunning for the win. Alas, even with early attack modes and what was looking to be a strategic drive from Vergne, Dennis stretched his lead to achieve the biggest winning margin in Formula E history. But, where was Evans, I hear you ask? Well, after a strong start to the weekend, team orders and a costly mistake cruelly snatched away the Kiwi driver's first podium of the season. Could Diriyah have shown the first signs of tension between Evans and Jaguar as well as Evans and teammate; Nick Cassidy? I hope not. But, to rub salt into the wound, Cassidy would go onto win race two, while Evans finished in a dismal and lonely tenth.

Despite the battle out front and a bit of action towards the end, race one was another mediocre race in this Formula E season. However, the best was yet to come. Kind of.

Dan Ticktum, best known for his overly animated radio messages (and attitude), kicked off the drama in race two, with a pit stop before lights out. Yup, you read that correctly. Eventually he DNF'd and was joined by rookie - Jehan Daruvala - who lost his brakes, and not a rookie - Sam Bird - who damaged his suspension/steering rod in a botched overtake on cars ahead of him. And, you thought that was the fun part, huh?

What made Race Two a race was the return of overtaking; something Formula E is renowned for and something that has been missing so far in Season 10. Up and down the field, with the help of attack mode, the cars were racing as close as ever. Maybe Stoffel Vandoorne's failed attempted at activating attack contributed to this? Regardless, it was fun.

I've already ruined the surprise by telling you Cassidy won this race. But in reality, he nearly didn't. Hard racing meant drivers found themselves conserving energy by the end and the battle for the lead became at least a twelve horse race. It was shaping up to be the battle of the century but in proper motorsport fashion, it failed to come to fruition. A sigh of relief could be heard from the Jaguar camp. Cassidy is impressive so far this season. Are we really surprised? The only driver to finish on the podium at every race, as well as leading the championship? Like the race, this year is his to lose.

So what's next in Formula E? After three disastrous races, can Porsche driver Antonio Felix da Costa turn his season around? Can DS Penske keep their momentum going into the next race? Can Evans take a challenge to Cassidy? What a shame it is that we have to wait until 16th March for the next race in Brazil. Either way, things are looking interesting.

Dreaming of Formula One - Should Young Drivers Set Their Sights Elsewhere?

Young racing drivers all over the world dream about making it big in the world of motorsport. They dream about following in the footsteps of legends such as Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel etc - all of whom made their names in Formula One. However, as most motorsport aficionados know, there is more to motorsport than F1, but do you really hear of young drivers declaring their ambitions to race in the World Endurance Championship, Touring Cars or other single seaters such as Formula E or Indy Car? Not really. It's a shame but with F1 being known as the "pinnacle of motorsport," there is no real surprise to what the youngsters are striving for.

I recently read an article about how ex-Williams reserve driver - Jack Aitken, almost regretted having Formula One has his sole goal in motorsport. It got me thinking and has been the inspiration behind this short post. Using Aitken as an example, he took the more traditional route in paving his way to Formula One; taking part in GP3, Formula 2 and becoming a member of some of the more prestigious Formula One junior academies such as Renault before being appointed as a reserve driver for Williams and getting a race outing during the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, replacing George Russell who stood in for an unwell Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. For Aitken, this would be his only race outing in Formula One before leaving the series entirely in 2022.

In a recent interview with The Race he said:

"So I was in the Renault academy for four years - I would say for the first three years of that there was never any thought of taking my career in another direction. Possibly a mistake. When I talk to younger drivers now I'm like 'you really should consider that stuff [outside of F1], at least just open doors elsewhere... Because statistically speaking it's more likely, bro'."

For years and years, as fans we have watched young drivers miss out on their dreams through no fault of their own. They have given up their livelihoods (and tonnes of money) to get there, just to be shown the door. And, with (currently) only twenty seats on the Formula One grid, a large number of drivers with never ending funds, and motorsport as popular as it is ever been, the chances of making it to the big time is almost nothing but luck of the draw. Take the upcoming 2024 F1 season, not a single rookie sits on that grid. Not even the most recent Formula 2 champion; Theo Pourchaire. That pretty much sums it up.

However, success has found those who have had no choice but to change the direction they were heading in their careers. Take Antonio Felix da Costa as a prime example. Tipped to race for Toro Rosso in the 2014 Formula One Season, da Costa found himself missing out to his younger Red Bull Junior companion - Daniil Kvyat; who had just won the 2013 GP3 crown, compared to da Costa's 3rd in that year's Formula Renault 3.5 championship. For da Costa, his hopes of one day racing in Formula One diminished and, instead, found himself racing in DTM and Formula E; even winning a championship in the latter series. And, it's not just those who missed out on a chance in Formula One who's race craft has come in handy elsewhere, with numerous ex-F1 drivers finding success elsewhere. Examples being Sebastien Buemi, Nelson Piquet Jr and Jean-Eric Vergne; all of whom are now Formula E champions alongside da Costa.

But alas, with the coverage and "hype" that Formula One receives (Netflix's Drive to Survive and F1's own channel in the UK, as examples) kids will want to strive for nothing more than Formula One and emulate their heroes. But, as motorsport continues to grow in popularity, I hope that some of the more underrated series get their time because honestly kids, F1 is great but motorsport is a big world and there is plenty to explore!

Race Review: Formula E Mexico City Eprix 2024

After a long wait for the return of Formula E, it was an interesting beginning to Season 10, with Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein taking the Mexico City Eprix win for the second time, after his last victory there during Season 8.

However, going into the race weekend, it was Jaguar that appeared on everyone's "bingo" cards as the favourites, with their strong end to Season 9 and their new all-Kiwi line up of Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy. It would be hard to bet against them. But still. This is motorsport, and anything is possible. Just ask Wehrlein and Sebastien Buemi, both who each knocked out a Jaguar in the qualifying duels to line up on the front row of the grid. Elsewhere, eager eyes would be watching Jehan Daruvala, the only rookie of 2024, as he took to the grid for his first Formula E race. Then there's Nyck de Vries, a former Formula E champion, returning to the series after his somewhat "mediocre" attempt at Formula One. Can he bounce back to his original form?

Although tame, when compared to previous Formula E races; this year's Mexico City Eprix still had it's fair share of drama, with pre-race issues for the newly established ERT team and their driver - Sergio Sette Camara, who was unable to take to the start. There was also some early action which led to a few bumps and bruises. A late lunge from Antonio Felix da Costa on Nico Mueller saw the Porsche driver (da Costa) eliminated from the race. While ABT driver - Lucas di Grassi, found himself in the barriers, also ending his race prematurely. However, it would be Robin Frijns, on his return to Envision, who's crash would bring out the only Safety Car of the race. A mere coincidence, after crashing out of the Mexico City Eprix only one year ago, breaking his hand in the process. Thankfully for the Dutch driver, there were no injuries to be reported. Just a sorry looking car.

One thing that the Mexico City Eprix seemed to be lacking were on-track battles and overtakes, with many drivers struggling to make their move, even with attack mode activated. Most notably this was evident in the latter stages of the race, with Evans' surprise and unexplained lack of pace in the Jaguar. With good defending and strong straight line speed, he could just about hold onto 5th, even with the DS Penske of the only double Formula E Champion - Jean-Eric Vergne; breathing down the Jaguar man's spine. But still, was the minimal overtakes a first race of the season thing? Is Jaguar's straight line speed really that strong? So many questions.

As we've experienced before, as recently as Season 9, what seems to be the strongest driver line up doesn't always come into fruition. Looking at you, DS Penske. But, with a double points finish in Mexico City, it's a better start for the team from the States, and a better start for their drivers - Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne. Both of whom are Formula E champions and both of whom are expected to be in the fight for the prize. Season 9 was a disappointment for the duo, but if foreshadowing really is real, Season 10 is ready for them to be back where they belong.

Chequered flag, and, as mentioned earlier, it would be Wehrlein to take the first win of the season, leading from start to finish. Not overly surprising with his successful history at the track - 2 wins and a podium, as well as his form in the latter stages of Season 9. The German driver is one to watch in 2024. Buemi would take 2nd, ahead of Cassidy in the Jaguar - scoring a podium on debut with the British team.

Overall, Formula E's return to racing wasn't exactly a disappointment, despite the lack of overtakes and on-track battles. Impressive performances from several drivers overshadowed how tame the race was for Formula E. Right now, the pecking order is still all over the place and not all teams are showing their full potential. Season 10 is being set up to be an exciting one and I, for one, can't wait!