2019/2020 Formula E silly-season

Edited by SonGoku, 10 September 2019 - 14:45.

According to e-racing 365 Vandoorne and de Vries will drive for Mercedes.

Kinda nice.

Many German car companies does this.

Looking it, I can hardly avoid thinking; Is there any way for a new series, a series with open formula for chassis-motor building?

Many German car companies does this.
 
Looking it, I can hardly avoid thinking; Is there any way for a new series, a series with open formula for chassis-motor building?
 
Hard to start new series, tho, now that Porsche, BMW, AUDI, Merc, Nissan had lined up for this series... But therefore also interested in thinking about it.
But the way F1 and LeManPrototype goes, would it be yet again the money wins, and a driver to become a puppet in a computer?

FE has kept the open development areas to motor/inverter/gearbox/rear suspension/software and kept the chassis-battery spec for that reason. It's all about mitigating a spending war or one team dominating which would easily have killed a new series dead. This way they've had the major manufacturers all come in on relatively level footing (they all took at least one win last season). 

If we are to see complete open development of an electric racing car, I think it will be Formula E (or F1 in a weird future twist of plans - it has the brand strength for it) opening itself up once it considered itself to be stable enough to support it. I don't think a brand new series could do it. 

FE should always be about the powertrain and if they free up development it should be in that area. Chassis/aero development will only add cost and not improve the racing or increase development of electric vehicles.

Nico Mueller takes the Dragon seat

https://e-racing365....dragon-line-up/

Edited by Vielleicht, 18 September 2019 - 08:06.

Hell yeah!
I've been rooting for his debut for years.
He just seems comfortable in driving Formula E cars, always fast in testing.

Muller-Hartley. Stellar lineup if you ask me!   

Edited by thegamer23, 18 September 2019 - 08:24.

Updated grid

DS Techeetah: Jean-Eric Vergne - Antonio Felix da Costa

Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler: Lucas di Grassi - Daniel Abt

Virgin-Audi: Sam Bird - Robin Frijns

Nissan e.dams: Sébastien Buemi - Oliver Rowland

BMW Andretti: Alexander Sims - Maximilian Günther

Mahindra: Jérôme D'Ambrosio - Pascal Wehrlein

Jaguar: Mitch Evans - Alex Lynn

Venturi: Edoardo Mortara - Felipe Massa

Mercedes: Stoffel Vandoorne  - Nyck de Vries 

Dragon: Brendon Hartley - Nico Müller 

NIO: Oliver Turvey  - Tom Dillmann

Porsche: André Lotterer - Neel Jani

Green: Confirmed

Yellow: TBC

Edited by thegamer23, 18 September 2019 - 08:33.

NIO might even change lineup completely this season.

Hopefully the car/electric p.u is better than last year tho. A friend of mine was in Bern watching the race, and the NIO cars were all over the place compared to all the others. 

Turvey & Dillmann are decent drivers. But i feel they need a very strong N.1 driver even from a marketing point of view. 

NIO was just invisible last season. Dull livery, slow car, dull lineup

Edited by thegamer23, 18 September 2019 - 08:50.

NIO's change of ownership to Lisheng Racing (TCR China promotors) is defintely a bit of a wildcard. Could end up with either very little difference or a major shake-up.

Yeah, Turvey is a very expererienced driver, especially in test and development. I think it would be a mistake to lose him.

I'm liking how this lineup is developing 

Two or three years ago we were saying that FE had one of if not the best driver lineups outside of F1. This one already looks a leap above the field of a few years ago. 

Two or three years ago we were saying that FE had one of if not the best driver lineups outside of F1. This one already looks a leap above the field of a few years ago. 

Misses Jarno Trulli and team IMO.

So is Jaguar going to bag Nico Hulkenberg? 

Surprise!

James Calado close to a deal with Jaguar to partner Mitch Evans!

https://e-racing365....guar-race-seat/

Huh, who saw that coming? I rated him pretty highly in his GP2 years and would be intrigued to see how well he could do here. 

Hoped that Hülkenberg would get the Jaguar seat but he is not interested in Formula E I think.

Hoped that Hülkenberg would get the Jaguar seat but he is not interested in Formula E I think.

Well, I can't blame him, the F1 -> FE transition must be the most underwhelming one a professional driver can make nowadays (from a pure driving/racing point of view).

Surprise!

James Calado close to a deal with Jaguar to partner Mitch Evans!
https://e-racing365....guar-race-seat/

Well, I can't blame him, the F1 -> FE transition must be the most underwhelming one a professional driver can make nowadays (from a pure driving/racing point of view).

Depends on your mindset, I think. You'd have thought LMP1 to FE would be fairly similar but Lotterer says FE is so difficult to drive and they have so much to do in the cockpit that it makes LMP1 seem like a piece of cake. 

I think expectations and mindset still plays a massive part in all that. 

Depends on your mindset, I think. You'd have thought LMP1 to FE would be fairly similar but Lotterer says FE is so difficult to drive and they have so much to do in the cockpit that it makes LMP1 seem like a piece of cake. 

 

I think expectations and mindset still plays a massive part in all that. 

Yeah, but I've never heard a single driver say that the FE car is enjoyable to drive. Of course, successful drivers use terms like "challenging", but you can tell it's a frustrating experience, especially after you try it out on a simulator for example.

Mitch Evans confirmed as #1 Jaguar Driver

 

Yeah, but I've never heard a single driver say that the FE car is enjoyable to drive. Of course, successful drivers use terms like "challenging", but you can tell it's a frustrating experience, especially after you try it out on a simulator for example.

Yeah, but I've never heard a single driver say that the FE car is enjoyable to drive. Of course, successful drivers use terms like "challenging", but you can tell it's a frustrating experience, especially after you try it out on a simulator for example.

Really? I think it is quite common to heat them talk favouribly about the instant torque of the electric motors when asked. If electric karts are anything to go by I can compeltely beleive that they are enjoyable cars to drive, even if difficult.

Really? I think it is quite common to heat them talk favouribly about the instant torque of the electric motors when asked. If electric karts are anything to go by I can compeltely beleive that they are enjoyable cars to drive, even if difficult.

That's just a small part of the whole driving experience. But of course we would enjoy it, I'm talking about switching from F1 to FE. It's a completely different experience, even compared to LMP cars. I think both Hülkenberg and Alonso said that driving those is relatively easy with previous single seater experience. LMP are also high-tech, full of electronic aids and equipped with those amazing Michelin tyres, drivers can push them to the limit without much less compromise.

That's just a small part of the whole driving experience. But of course we would enjoy it, I'm talking about switching from F1 to FE. It's a completely different experience, even compared to LMP cars. I think both Hülkenberg and Alonso said that driving those is relatively easy with previous single seater experience. LMP are also high-tech, full of electronic aids and equipped with those amazing Michelin tyres, drivers can push them to the limit without much less compromise.

I can see where're you are coming from. Underwhelming is perhaps not the word I would use though.

Edited by Vielleicht, 26 September 2019 - 19:29.

So is Jaguar going to bag Nico Hulkenberg?

Uh oh

That's interesting

And probably not a coincidence, given he himself admitted that there are offers from FE.

Edited by thegamer23, 27 September 2019 - 09:32.

What seats are left?

One Jaguar

One BMW

Both Mahindras

Both NIOs

6 more drivers to come!

Possibly Chinese driver to be paired with Oliver Turvey at NIO:

“We are under a lot of discussions with drivers about next season but we would rally want to have a Chinese driver,” Wang told e-racing365. These are former NIO racer Ma Qing Hua and Renault young drivers Guanyu Zhou and Ye Yifei, who compete in FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 this season, respectively. 

Dillman still in the frame.

https://e-racing365....chinese-driver/

Edited by thegamer23, 01 October 2019 - 17:26.

That Mahindra teaser image? Well...

That Mahindra teaser image? Well...

 

That is amazing. 

JAGUAR #2 driver to be announced tomorrow.

FE is hyping up the event quite a bit on their social feeds, so i guess it might be a special name
 

Will be interesting to find out later! 

James Calado completes the Jaguar lineup.