Formula E is the pinnacle of electric motorsport. With 22 drivers, 11 teams and six manufacturers, all is to play for going into the final two rounds in London this coming weekend (19th – 21st July). If you’re unfamiliar to Formula E or just need a quick re-cap into the rules and regulations for this championship, keep reading…
Championship and Standings:
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship consists of two separate titles with one dedicated to the drivers and another dedicated to the teams. The Drivers’ World Championship is awarded to the driver that has accumulated the most points over the entire season. The Teams’ World Championship is decided by the combined points score of each team’s driver duo throughout the season.
If there’s a dead heat at the end of the season, the higher place in the Championship shall be awarded to the driver with the most first places in a race. If the number of first places are the same, the number of second places are looked at, then third place, and so on until a winner emerges. If this procedure fails to produce a winner, the FIA will nominate the winner according to a criteria they deem is fit.
A new edition to the 2024 season Is the Manufacturers’ Trophy, with this accolade becoming an officially recognised FIA trophy from Season 11. The Championship features six manufacturers (Electric Racing Technologies, Jaguar, Mahindra Racing, Nissan, Porsche and STELLANTIS) powering the 11 teams.
The scoring for this trophy mirrors that of the Teams’ Championship – explained in further detail below – with points awarded based on the performance of each manufacturer’s two highest-scoring cars in every race. Points for Pole Position and Fastest Lap are also factored into the totals.
A unique trophy will be awarded to the winning manufacturer at the end of the season, during the Formula E prize-giving ceremony. Additionally, the victor will receive a Winner’s Badge to be displayed on the helmets, cars, and team apparel in the subsequent season.
Points System:
Formula E follows a standard points system, used in other FIA-sectioned series – awarding points to the top-10 finishers.
| Finishing Position | Championship Points |
| 1st | 25 pts |
| 2nd | 18 pts |
| 3rd | 15 pts |
| 4th | 12 pts |
| 5th | 10 pts |
| 6th | 8 pts |
| 7th | 6 pts |
| 8th | 4 pts |
| 9th | 2 pts |
| 10th | 1 pt |
Additional points are also awarded for securing Julius Baer Pole Position (three championship points) and clinching the TAG Heuer Fastest Lap (one championship point) in the race. However, the driver must finish in the top-10 places at the end of the race to be awarded the extra point for fastest lap.
If the scheduled race distance cannot be completed, this can occur due to rare circumstances such as torrential weather or an incident, points will be awarded from a set criteria.
- No points will be given if the leader has completed less than two lap, and no points will be awarded unless a minimum of two laps have been completed by the leader without a Safety Car and/or Full Course Yellow (FCY) intervention.
- Half points will be awarded if the leader has completed more than two laps, but less than 75% of the original race distance.
- Full points will be awarded if the leader has completed 75% or more of the original race distance.
Those that finish within the top three of the Drivers’ World Championship at the end of the year, must be present at the annual FIA Prize-Giving Ceremony. The Team Principal of the winning team also needs to be in attendance. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to €50,000.
Penalties:
Both drivers and teams need to be on their best behaviour to avoid being penalised. They can be investigated and subsequently sanctioned for a variety of incidents, such as causing a collision, forcing another driver off of the track or breaching the regulations.
The Stewards are a select group of individuals representing the FIA who decide upon a report or request by the Race Director, if drivers or teams are to be given a penalty for an incident. Depending on the offence, any of the following can be imposed upon a driver:
- 5-second time penalty – the next time a driver enters the pit lane for a pit-stop, they must stop in their position for at least five seconds before any work is carried out on their car. If they do not carry out a further pit stop before the end of the race, five seconds will be added to the total elapsed race time for the driver it concerns.
- 10-second time penalty – the next time a driver enters the pit lane for a pit-stop, they must stop in their position for at least ten seconds before any work is carried out on their car. If they do not carry out a further pit stop before the end of the race, ten seconds will be added to the total elapsed race time of the driver concerned.
- In both of the above cases the driver concerned must carry out the penalty the next time they enter the pit lane, including any stop the driver makes whilst a FCY or safety car procedure is in use.
- Drive-through penalty – the Driver must enter the pit lane, stop at their pit for at least ten seconds and then rejoin the race.
- 10-second stop-and-go time penalty – the Driver must enter the pit lane, stop at their pit for at least ten seconds and then rejoin the race.
If any of the four penalties are given to a driver finishing outside of the top 10 or if the driver is unable to serve the penalty due to retirement from the race, the Stewards have the power to hand them a grid penalty for their next race.
There is also the possibility that a driver could have lap time cancelled, time penalty, warning, reprimand or a drop of any number of grid positions at their next competition. They could also be made to start from the pit lane, disqualified or suspended from the driver’s next race.
Drivers also have the ability to be given penalty points on their e-Licences. If they get up to 12 penalty points, their licence will be suspended for the following event, following which the 12 points will be removed from their e-Licence. Penalty points will remain on a Driver’s e-Licence for a period of 12 months, after which they will be respectively removed on the 12-month anniversary that they were imposed.
E-Licence:
Formula E drivers must hold current and valid licences. To achieve this licence, drivers must conduct a specific FIA training session focussing on electrical safety, specific features of the fully-electric Formula E car, as well as reviewing both technical and sporting aspects of the series.
In addition, they will need to have accumulated at least 20 points in the past three years using the FIA points system – used to qualify for a Super Licence. If they haven’t, they need to have previously held a Super Licence, or have participated in at least three events of the previous FIA Formula E World Championship.
The champion from the previous season, which for Season 10 would be Andretti’s Jake Dennis, automatically qualifies for a Super Licence the following year. If this criteria isn’t met, they is still an opportunity for a driver to race – if they are judged by the FIA to have consistently demonstrated outstanding ability in single-seater categories, but with little or no opportunity to qualify.
Tyres and Allocation:
There are only certain tyres that are approved to be used through the competition. These are from the FIA-appointed suppled being the 18-inch all-weather tyres by Hankook. At each race, drivers can use no more than four new rear and four new front all-weather tyres of the same specification. For double-header events, this is increased to six new rear and six new front all-weather tyres of the same specification. All tyres must be strictly identical.
Any modification or treatments to the tyres such as cutting, grooving, scrubbing in, the application of solvents or softeners, the fitting of electric or mechanical temperature conditioners such as heat retaining devices or pre-heating is prohibited. It is prohibited to take off the pick-up rubber from the tyres.
London E-Prix
Formula E has a tendency for championships going down to the wire, and it seems that Season 10 will be no exception! With two final races of the season left to contest, the grid gets set for wheel-to-wheel action at motorsport’s only indoor and outdoor circuit.
Formula E returns to the ExCel London, which features a unique track – thanks to the fact that the cars are emissions-free – that weaves its way both inside and outside of the exhibition centre and around the historical Royal Docks; a first for top-level international motorsport.
Formula E not only displays a bunch of action on track, but also provides fans with even more excitement in the Allianz Fan Village. The Fan Village is essentially Formula E’s immersive fan festival that is at the heart of every E-Prix. It’s a full-days’ worth of entertainment, exploration and innovation purely for the fans. You can test for Formula E skills on the simulator, be amazed by thrilling performances and listen to live music to keep your race experience fully charged.
For 2024, Ella Henderson will be performing on Saturday in the Allianz Fan Village, treating fans to some of her top hits including ‘React’, ‘Ghost’ and ‘What Love Can Do’.
On Sunday, Craig David – widely recognised as one of the biggest British artists of all time – will be performing in the Allianz Fan Village with a set combining a mix of old-school anthems alongside current chart-topping House hits.
Championship Contenders:
There are seven drivers with a mathematical chance of taking the title by the end of the weekend in London. Those include:
- Nick Cassidy – 167 pts
- Mitch Evans – 155 pts
- Pascal Wehrlein – 155 pts
- Antonio Felix da Costa – 134 pts
- Oliver Rowland – 131 pts
- Jean-Eric Vergne – 129 pts
- Jake Dennis – 122 pts
Join Parc Femme this weekend (19th-21st July) at the Hankook London E-Prix to find out who will be the Champion of Season 11.
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