New season, new rules - what to expect from season 9 of formula E
Season Nine might just be the most exciting season of Formula E yet: new rules, new cars, new teams and new drivers. The season gets underway on the 14th of January with the Mexico City E-Prix, and we can’t wait.
If you’d like to read more about this season’s teams and drivers, head to our Formula E section! But, if you’d like to find out about the new rules and cars for Season Nine, read ahead.
Image via FIA Formula E
LAPS REPLACE TIMED RACES
This allows teams to make more strategic calls, while also making it simpler for fans to follow along. Race time lost due to a safety car or a full course yellow interruption will still be compensated for, however this will be done in laps rather than additional time.
ROOKIE DRIVER FP1 SESSIONS
Up and coming drivers who are hoping to make the step to Formula E will now have more opportunity to do so, thanks to the addition of rookie driver FP1 sessions. Each team must complete at least two Free Practice 1 sessions during the season with a driver who has never competed in Formula E before. This new measure hopes to give a chance to rookies, and is similar in style to the FP1 rookie driver sessions which were introduced to Formula 1 in 2022.
Image via The Race
Image via Green Racing News
ATTACK CHARGE AT SELECT RACES
Attack Charge is a new and exciting feature which comes in partnership with the new cars for Season Nine Each driver must complete a mandatory 30 second attack charge stop during a pre-determined period in the race. In doing so, the driver will then unlock two enhanced attack mode periods, which can be deployed later in the race, increasing the car’s power output from 300kW to 350kW. Attack Charge will be trialled at select races, later on in Season Nine, and at these races it will replace the traditional Attack Mode (Attack Mode remains as normal for all races without Attack Charge).
FANBOOST DISCONTINUED
FanBoost enabled fans to engage in the race by voting for a driver to receive an extra boost to their power during the race, giving them an advantage over their opponents. Whilst on paper it was an exciting new way to get fans to interact with the sport, in actuality it saw some drivers never receive FanBoost at all, and others receive it week after week.
THE ALL NEW GEN3 FORMULA E CAR
The new Gen3 car is the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built. With a sleek, pointy design, the cars are able to ditch additional weight from bodywork and most crucially from the battery system. These are the most efficient Formula racing cars ever, with over 40% of the energy used within a race being produced by regenerative braking.
Overall, the Gen3 car has 95% power efficiency (compared to 40% from an ICE), from an electric motor which is able to deliver 350kW of power. Gen3 sees the cars able to go faster than before, with a top speed of 200mph, and that isn’t the only thing thats fast with this generation of car. The battery system boasts an ultra-high speed charging capability of 600kW for additional energy, which can be delivered during a race (an Attack Charge).
Image via FIA Formula E
