Formula E: The Season So Far

Wow, doesn't time fly when you're having fun! And, with the 2023 Formula E season now at its half-way stage, I think it's fair to say that the season, so far, has been nothing less than thrilling and fascinating.

So far, we have seen six different winners in 9 different races and only two of them are from the same team. We've had an inaugural race in South Africa and return trips to many of our favourite tracks that have coughed up plenty of on track action. This season has been nail biting and we've still got a long way to go. But before that, shall we have a catch up of the season far? You betcha.

The season began back in January with the Mexico City E-Prix. Lucas di Grassi, in his debut race for Mahindra Racing, took pole position. At lights out, di Grassi managed to keep hold of his lead while further back the scrap for positions began. ABT Cupra driver; Robin Frijns, collided with the Nissan of Norman Nato. Both drivers had to withdraw from the race, with Frijns finding himself in hospital with a broken wrist. Once the racing was back underway, Jake Dennis managed to get his Andretti past di Grassi and into the lead. Attack modes were being activated left, right and centre. Porsche driver; Pascal Wehrlein, used his to his advantage when passing the McLaren of Jake Hughes for third. Wehrlein repeated this feat again in the latter stages of the race, taking second of di Grassi. At this point, Dennis was long gone and won the race nearly eight seconds ahead of Wehrlein. di Grassi held onto third.

Next up was the first double header of the season - Diriyah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia. After breaking his wrist in Mexico, Robin Frijns was replaced by Kelvin Van Der Linde. Sebastien Buemi, in his Envision, was the driver who stuck his car on pole for the first of the two races in the desert. Unfortunately however, on lap seven of the race, Jaguar driver; Sam Bird, overtook Buemi for the lead. The Envision driver's misery didn't end there as Wehrlein then made an appearance in the Swiss drivers wing mirrors before making his way past. Lap thirty and Wehrlein had managed to hunt down Bird, taking the lead in the process. He then went on to win the race, only his second victory in Formula E. Current championship leader; Jake Dennis, finished second with Bird rounding out the podium places.

Jake Hughes found himself on pole for Race Two but was overtaken by Mitch Evans in the Jaguar at the first corner. René Rast, Hughes' McLaren teammate, used Attack Mode to then take the lead from Evans. Wehrlein, also using attack mode, became the fourth leader of the race when he caught Rast on lap seventeen. The German driver then made a comfortable lead and took another win that weekend, putting himself into the driver's seat, pun not intended, for the driver's championship. Dennis, who took second the day before, finished second once again, but it was not enough to stay ahead in the championship standings. Rast would cross the line in third.

A trip to India was next up for our Formula E circus with the Hyderabad E-Prix. Mitch Evans was the pole sitter for this race. DS Penske's Jean-Eric Vergne sat in second. It was an initial good get away from the front row starters, but on lap seven Sebastien Buemi overtook the pair of them for the lead. Evans' race was about to get even worse when he fell to third before being hit and spun around by his teammate; Sam Bird, eliminating both of them from the race. On lap fifteen, Vergne made his move for the lead, overtaking the Envision of Buemi. Nick Cassidy, in the second Envision car, made the most of his attack modes and found himself in second place, ahead of his teammate, by lap seventeen. A safety car was quickly deployed when the McLaren of Hughes ended up in the wall. This then caused a chain reaction as at the restart Rast and Dennis collided, taking them both out of the race. For Vergne though, he held on and took his first win of the season. Cassidy, who finished with more energy than Vergne, settled for second. Porsche driver; Antonio Felix da Costa, took third.

Not only was round five the inaugural Cape Town E-Prix, it also saw a maiden pole position for Nissan driver; Sacha Fenestraz. There was mayhem on lap one when Wehrlein, the then championship leader, retired from the race after colliding with the back of Buemi's Envision. After the first round of attack modes, it was Cassidy who yet again took advantage and found himself in the lead. Max Guenther, who had been fighting alongside Fenestraz and Cassidy for the lead, clipped a wall, damaging his Maserati and finding himself out of the race. This promoted da Costa and Vergne into podium positions. But that wasn't enough for da Costa and, on lap twenty four, he overtook Cassidy for the lead. However, things then got a bit hairy for da Costa when he missed the activation point for attack mode, handing the lead to Vergne in the process. Again, the Porsche driver wanted more and managed to get back into the lead where he would hold on and cross the finish line 0.2 seconds ahead of second placed man; Vergne. Fenestraz, who was running in third, crashed on the final lap, handing the last podium place to Cassidy.

It was another debut race for the next round. But, this time in São Paulo, Brazil. Robin Frijns was back after his injury in race one. Stoffel Vandoorne, the reigning champion, took his first pole position for DS Penske at this race. But, would he be able to hold on for the win? The first half of the race was plagued with battles for the lead with Cassidy being the eventual leader. On lap fourteen, Nio's Dan Ticktum collided with Dennis who in turn hit Wehrlein. The three-way collision ended Dennis' race much earlier than he anticipated. Ticktum and Wherlein were able to carry on. Towards the end of the race, on lap thirty two, Evans made a successful lunge for the lead, taking it off his fellow countryman; Cassidy. Evans would win the inaugural São Paulo E-Prix with Cassidy and Bird taking up the remaining podium spots.

Another double header awaited the drivers for the next round with the Berlin E-Prix in Germany. Buemi was the driver on pole for race one but, as with the previous race, there were many changes for the lead early on after drivers decided to activate their attack modes earlier than we've become accustomed too. Lap twelve saw the first safety car period after a collision between Sergio Sette Camara and René Rast. Eight laps later, the safety car was back out again after Ticktum clipped Vandoorne, taking them both out of the race. It was another disappointing race for Dennis who, on lap thirty one, hit da Costa while trying to pass Guenther for fifth position. Back at the front, it was Evans leading again, eventually taking his second consecutive win of the season. Bird and Guenther overtook pole sitter; Buemi, on the final lap to claim the final podium positions.

A surprise was in store for race two when a wet qualifying session saw the ABT Cupras of Frijns and Nico Muller lock out the front row. Once the lights went green, the race, in places, was almost a carbon copy of the day before. With early attack mode activation and numerous changes for the lead, it was hard to know who was going to win. New Zealander; Cassidy, made his move for the lead on lap twenty five. And, after a relatively quiet race when it came to incidents, Cassidy took the chequered the flag. Jake Dennis, finally getting some reprieval, finished in second with the DS of Jean-Eric Vergne in third. Muller, who started on the front row, finished in ninth meaning he scored points for the first time this season.

Half way through the season and it was time for the Monaco E-Prix. Fenestraz was the man on pole. However, he was then disqualified due to exceeding the power usage limit. McLaren man, Jake Hughes, was left to inherit pole. An incident filled race saw Hughes get away at the line unscathed. Andrea Lotterer was first driver out after crashing at the final corner. This was followed by Oliver Rowland losing his front wing at the chicane. In the meantime, both Evans and Cassidy were flying through the field and quickly became contenders for the win. Dan Ticktum and Norman Nato both received damage when they came together at the Rascasse corner. Ticktum would be in another incident later on when his rear was hit by Max Guenther. The damage was so severe for Guenther that he stopped on track and brought out the safety car. In the latter stages of the race, Cassidy found himself leading. A late-race shunt for Nico Muller brought out the safety car once more and sealed Cassidy's fate. The race ended under safety car with the driver from New Zealand taking the chequered flag. Mitch Evans and Jake Dennis would also end up on the podium.

There we have it - the first half of the Formula E season. But what about the current championship standings?

As we know, Wehrlein has spent a lot of this season with the championship lead. However, the German driver hasn't been as consistent in recent races meaning he has lost his lead to the ever improving Nick Cassidy in the Envision racing car. Cassidy currently sits twenty points ahead of Wehrlein who is in second. The full championship standings can be seen below (via wikipedia):

With seven races left in the season, there is still a lot of excitement to come. Can Cassidy keep his impressive form up? Can Wehrlein fight back? What about our reigning world champ; Stoffel Vandoorne? Can he get is first win of the season? There are so many questions and I am so excited to see how the rest of the season plays out! Unfortunately, it does mean having to wait a few weeks before the season resumes. But when it does, I will be ready. I'm sure you will be too.

Opinion: Will F1 Be The Victim Of Its Own Success

Remember the pre-race driver interactions before lights out at the Miami Grand Prix? And, before that in Austin, Texas a few years back? Well, if rumours are to be believed, we could be seeing the cringey segment several more times over the course of the 2023 season. And, with overall fan reaction being relatively negative; we have to stop and ask, is F1 heading in the completely wrong direction?

It’s no secret that for years Formula One management (FOM) has had ambitions to crack America. And, since the introduction of the hit Netflix show “Drive to Survive” in 2019, the sport’s popularity has soared, especially in the United States. With this in mind, alongside the three US races that appear on the 2023 F1 calendar, Americanisms, such as “driver introductions,” are to be expected. But are the sport’s American bosses trying too hard to make the sport something that it’s not? F1’s heritage lies in Europe after all.

But interest in the sport’s history has become dire and there is a big danger brewing that long-term Formula One fans may start to feel  alienated. Why? Because everything is being tailored to the newer fans. The ones who come from “Drive to Survive,” or the TikTok influencers with thousands of followers. We are no longer F1’s target audience. It’s all about the PR and marketing strategies that generate a large income.

However, as with everything, the current hype surrounding F1 simply won’t last forever. Fans may eventually move on and F1 will be back to square one. And, what about the long-term fans that have been chased away due to Liberty Media’s neglect? Dire times could be on the horizon. Of course, this is hypothetically saying.

We need to remember though that the sport is constantly evolving and changes are always welcome, but they need to be changes that will benefit the sport in the long term. Gimmicks like pre-race driver interactions and random sprint races are just not it. Even drivers themselves have spoken out against it.

So, what do F1 management need to do exactly? It’s pretty simple and it’s starts with listening to the F1 community. Whether you’re a team, driver or fan, the ignorance is evident. If anything, with the likes of social media, communication between sport and fan should be easier than ever. Look at how huge the Twitter and TikTok F1 fan bases have grown. But obviously, with a sarcastic tone, FOM know what’s best and it usually always includes a dollar sign.

I hate being so critical about the sport I love, but at times like these, it’s hard to hold back on my opinion. I don’t want to see F1 shoot itself in the foot because in my eyes that is where we are heading. Things need to change, and not in the way Liberty Media envisions. Unfortunately, I believe that they are heading in completely the wrong direction in improving F1 but until they realise this, we’re just going to have to sit back and watch it all unfold one cringe-worthy idea at a time.

Race Report: Miami Grand Prix 2023

Miami, Florida. Home of the sun, sea, Miami Dolphins and William's driver; Logan Sargeant. This past weekend the city, also known as Vice City, played host to Formula One as it arrived in the States for the first time this season. And, with the weekend back to the normal format that we all know and love, it didn't stop Formula One Management and Liberty Media in

managing to irk many fans across the globe with one of their "clever" ideas. However, that's a conversation for a later date.

Onto the action and qualifying ended with a varied top ten after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc found himself colliding with the barrier on his flying lap. This was perfect for Red Bull's Sergio Perez as he embarks on his championship battle with teammate Max Verstappen. The Mexican was on pole with Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz making up an all Hispanic top three. Verstappen, who never managed to set a time before Leclerc's untimely incident, found himself starting in 9th.

The following day and the drivers were all lined up on the grid ready to go. The formation lap comes to an end it's light's out and away we go!

Perez get's a tidy start and leads Alonso and Sainz into the first corner. Kevin Magnussen, in the Haas, drops down the order after starting in 4th. Alpine driver, Pierre Gasly, is the big winner here as he finds himself in 4th. At the back of the field, Lando Norris goes wide after he's tagged by Nyck de Vries in the Alpha Tauri. Besides that, everyone is through without incident.

Lap 3 and Sargeant is pitting for Williams. He's given a new front wing and a set of hard tyres which suggests he's going long. Magnussen is starting to come back through the field and gets past Leclerc for 6th. However, he's not there for long because with the help of DRS, Verstappen picks of both Magnussen and Leclerc in one impressive swoop. Race stewards decide that the first lap incident involving Norris and De Vries needs no further investigation.

The McLarens of Norris and Oscar Piastri pit on lap 6. Both drivers started on the soft tyres and unfortunately the strategy seems to have failed them. At the front, Perez is pulling away from Alonso in second. However, he's not getting as far ahead as people would expect of the Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton gets on the radio to his Mercedes team and is concerned that the car wont make it to the end of the race. Up and down the field, drivers are starting to complain about tyre wear. More pit stops could be happening soon as tyres are degrading faster than predicted.

Lap 9 and it's now George Russell complaining that his Mercedes has problems. "Big vibration on the brakes" he tells the team. And, it gets worse for Russell when Verstappen gets past him for 5th. Verstappen seems to be on a mission as he quickly disposes of Gasly as well. The Dutchman is up to 4th. Russell follows Verstappen through, demoting Gasly down to 6th. Leclerc and Magnussen are still jostling for position with some excellent racing. Esteban Ocon is waiting in the wings, however. Waiting for a mistake to be made.

Verstappen catches up to Sainz and picks him off quickly. Four seconds now separate the two Red Bulls. On Lap 15, Magnussen dives into the pits, starting off the chain reaction. He switches to hards, as does Gasly, De Vries and Valtteri Bottas. Sainz, now in 4th, is closing in on Alonso who now sits in P3. He's been passed by Verstappen. Ferrari decide to bring Sainz in to try the undercut on Alonso. He come's back out in 7th, in the middle of a DRS train headed by the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg.

There's movement down at Red Bull with Perez entering the pits for a set of hard tyres. Verstappen takes the lead. However, it's not all plain sailing for him as he starts to sound concerned over his upshifts on team radio. Sainz manages to get past Hulkenberg and break away from the DRS train. Unfortunatley, he's being investigated for speeding in the pitlane. Lap 24 and Russell reckons he has damaged his front wing after a battle with the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll. An incident which gets noted in the stewards room but has no further investigation. Russell's front wing is ok and he passes Stroll with ease. Alonso finally switches onto the hard tyre. Ferrari's undercut has worked as Alonso returns to the track behind Sainz. But only a few laps later, Alonso returns the favour and passes Sainz.

Things are starting to become clear. This race will be a two Bull race between Verstappen and Perez. Perez is currently on fresher hard tyres but Verstappen is yet to pit. He tries to discuss strategy with his team. However, they tell him to focus on driving. He starts to set consistent fastest laps. At Mercedes, Hamilton is told not hold up his teammate and let's him through at Turn 12. Sainz, who has battling with Ocon, is slapped with a 5 second penalty for speeding in the pitlane.

On Lap 37, besides Verstappen, there are still drivers out there who are yet to pit. Yuki Tsunoda dives down the pitlane and makes it one less. Magnussen and Leclerc are still battling it out for the final point paying positions. A battle that has been raging all afternoon. By Lap 39, Leclerc is back in front and starts to pull a gap to the Haas driver. Sainz, in the other Ferrari, is struggling with the hard tyre. He also has his penalty to come at the end of the race. To rub more salt into the wound, he is passed by Russell.

Surprisingly, all twenty cars are still running. There hasn't been a single yellow flag, Virtual Safety Car or Safety Car. Everyone is really behaving themselves this afternoon. We're into Lap 43 and we're still waiting for Verstappen to pit. Perez has lost time to his teammate. Surely this race is now Verstappen's to loose? And, it looks as if Perez knows this as he starts to pump in some fastest laps. Verstappen finally comes in on Lap 46. He switches to the mediums and Perez takes the lead. Verstappen, however, returns to the track 1.5 seconds behind his teammate.

Ten laps to go and Verstappen is right on Perez's tail. He has a look here and there, but decides to make the move on the start/finish straight. He's back in the lead. Alonso, currently in 3rd, has had a relatively lonely race. Russell is behind enough that it shouldn't effect the Spaniard who is on course for another podium this season.

A battle seems to be brewing between Magnussen and Bottas for the last point. However, it hasn't come to fruition. Tsunoda, on fresher tyres, quickly gets involved and passes Bottas for 11th. Leclerc has made some progress and, using DRS, gets past Gasly for 6th. Hamilton follows him through and then challenges Leclerc, himself. He makes the move and demotes Leclerc back to 7th.

On the penultimate lap, Verstappen has stretched his lead to 3 seconds and his trying his hardest to nab the extra point for the fastest lap. A feat which he achieves on the last lap. The chequered flag is waving and Verstappen has done it, from 9th on the grid. Perez finishes 2nd with Alonso making up the podium positions. Russell is 4th and Sainz holds onto 5th as Hamilton, in 6th, couldn't get within 5 seconds to the Spaniard. The final points go to Leclerc, Gasly, Ocon and Magnussen.

I think as F1 fans we understand that not every race will be exciting and, unfortunately, Miami was anything but.

It's now back to Europe for the next round of the Formula One World Championship. Let's hope that once we get back onto proper race tracks, the racing will be all that more exciting. See you then!