Formula E

REVIEW: What has happened since the last Formula E race?

The FIA Formula E Championship is entering the new year at full throttle in Buenos Aires – and three months have passed since the last ePrix in Marrakesh. What’s happened since Formula E’s first visit to Africa? Here’s an overview of the latest events in the electric racing series.

Ice Cap doc available on Amazon Prime Video

In September 2016, all eyes were on Greenland. In partnership with DHL, Formula E staged a show run in the Arctic to raise awareness of the melting polar ice caps, one of the consequences of global warming. Lucas di Grassi, last season’s Vice Champion, performed doughnuts with his ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport racer in endless ice and snow.

Images of the spectacular show run were beamed around the world. Ice Drive, a 52-minute documentary, offers an amazing insight into a process that resulted in a viral video with more than 4.5 million views across YouTube and Facebook – and which is now available on Amazon Prime Video.

Historic eRace in Las Vegas

At the beginning of January, Las Vegas was the venue for the first eRace in history, in which Dutchman Bono Huis emerged as the triumphant victor. On the occasion of the 50th edition of CES, hosted at The Venetian Hotel, Formula E drivers and sim racers went head-to-head in a virtual race through the streets of the gambling capital of the world. Huis successfully kept all veteran drivers at bay and secured the biggest prize in eSports racing history – USD 225,000 for his victory and pole position.

Lucas di Grassi wow Japan

Formula E descended on the Land of the Rising Sun as part of the Ecology Mobility Fair in the Marunouchi business district in Tokyo. ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport driver Lucas di Grassi gave excited onlookers in the streets of Tokyo a little taste of what Formula E has to offer – thus raising hopes of an ePrix in Japan in the near future.

Lucas put on a great show as he demonstrated everything from burnouts to flat-out sprints. After three laps of Naka-Dori Street, he brought the car back and bowed to the crowd. At the evening demonstration, illuminated under the festive lights in Marunouchi, Lucas entertained an even larger crowd. As he lit up his rear tyres he disappeared into the darkness, leaving a trail of tyre smoke in his wake.

Daniel Abt is honoured in Kempten

A great honour has been bestowed on former Deutsche Post Speed Academy champion Daniel Abt. His hometown of Kempten has named the ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport racer Sportsman of the Year. The jury didn’t just praise Daniel’s sporting achievements in Formula E; it also lauded his role as an ambassador for the region in Germany and around the world.

“I’m tremendously happy with this award and I’m so proud to have won it. Thank you to everyone who has supported me”, said Daniel, who swapped his racing suit for black tie for the evening. “It’s really nice that this honour is connected to Formula E. I’m sure that this is the series of the future.”

Berlin ePrix reverts to Tempelhof Airport

On 10 June, the Berlin ePrix is set to return to the German capital’s historic Tempelhof Airport on a revised version of the track to be revealed shortly. Tempelhof hosted the first Berlin ePrix in 2015, while the 2016 electric racing series was held just a stone’s throw away from Alexanderplatz on Karl-Marx-Allee. The race has reverted to its original location following consultation with the Berlin authorities, who were instrumental in ensuring that the all-electric series remained in the German capital.

Esteban Gutierrez enters Formula E

Formula E is delighted to welcome a prominent new addition to the ranks. Esteban Gutierrez, who initially started racing in Formula 1, will make his debut at selected races in 2017, including his home race, the Mexico City ePrix, on 1 April. The first Formula E outing in the mega-metropolis last year was a resounding success – and one that is now expected to be surpassed thanks to Gutierrez.

“I have been very impressed at how the category has grown. Electric cars are the future of urban mobility, so it’s a very interesting way to push innovation through the category. I’m delighted to now be a part of it”, said Gutierrez.

Posting Guidelines

All communications on Logistics of Things should be appropriate for a professional community, respecting the diverse views of individuals from different backgrounds. We will review all comments and reserve the right to terminate or restrict access to user's account and to delete any content posted through it, without notice and at our discretion, if we deem it to be overly promotional, offensive, or off topic.

All posting become property of DHL.