2024 Formula E season is off to a roll
The Formula E season found itself back in the fold after an open 2023 season, kicking things off with this past weekend's Mexico City E-Prix.
Heading into 2024, only three driver lineups remained the same: the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, DS Penske and ERT Formula E Team. And with many new changes coming to the other teams on the grid, it could create a more open field going through the season's remaining 15 rounds.
Andretti Formula E driver Jake Dennis, is looking to go back-to-back in the series' 10th season, but with Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans joining forces with Jaguar TCS Racing, things are going to get quite steep for the defending champ in regard to pairings.
Dennis and Andretti teammate Norman Nato did not have a strong outing in the season opener south of the border, finishing ninth and 10th, respectively. Meanwhile, Tag Heuer Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein took first place, followed by Envision Racing's Sebastien Buemi in second and Jaguar TCS Racing's Nick Cassidy rounded out the final podium finish.
Nevertheless, the 2024 season will see many storylines to watch going forward.
E-xciting Moves
Silly season in Formula E ran wild this past offseason.
With some solid names under the belt open to joining new groups, we knew that 2024 would feature some question marks on how these new pairings would fare.
Nato joining Andretti is quite an interesting move, to say the least. An impending WEC driver for JOTA, Nato brings what could make a lethal match with him and Dennis for the season, even despite their lackluster first outing together in Mexico City..
Lucas di Grassi is another driver who catches the eye, especially with his success leading up to the race in Mexico City, grabbing the pole in the 2023 opener.
There are definitely some combos on the grid this season that should be tough to handle, but it still seems like the Cassidy-Evans duo may be grouping the beat.
Jaguar TCS Racing, which was practically unbeatable last season, could very well be the favorite to take home this year’s team championship.
Time to reconnect
This past weekend was a definite regrouping race in Mexico City.
For many drivers, it was their first real step inside the car on a competitive platform in Formula E since the middle of last year.
It was interesting to see who has the bearings down early and which team can be able to take what they learned throughout the season with the Gen 3 car and look to expand the gap amongst the other teams.
Similar to other series and their new cars, there are always questions heading into Year 2 as to what the gap will be like between teams, and there is no telling how things may shake up in 2024.
One thing is for certain: being able to stay constant at Mexico City and hitting on a solid strategy provided the best chance of seeing a podium finish by last Saturday evening.
Final Thoughts
Even as a series that features mixed reviews, there is no denying that the competition level has steadily increased over the past 10 years, with this season expected to be one of the more unpredictable ones yet.
With all of the driver changes, it will be interesting to see how drivers respond and adapt to their new homes and which pairings can bring instant success.
Also, to see what teams have been preparing in regard to making improvements to their cars will be something to watch throughout the duration of the season as teams look to get a sturdier grip on these complex machines.
The opener this past weekend had the makings of quite an entertaining way to catapult us into the thick of the racing calendar.