198 replies to this topic

[Vielleicht]

Well... Massive recovery from Evans. Last to 6th is a good recovery race, but qualifying was a missed opportunity.

 

Günther held  his head and scored good points. Decent.

 

Da Costa has been threatening this for weeks.

 

Very clean racing today for the most part!

[Disgrace]

Gunther has been quite the revelation! What a move!

[OvDrone]

What happened to Sims??

Transcended dimensions.

 

Straight into the losing-the-championship one.

[crooky369]

Wow what a move. Great last lap pass by Gunther.

[thegamer23]

Man JEV is wrecked

What a race

[Ben1445]

Great recovery from Evans. 

[Ben1445]

Oh yeah...the streak continues! 5th different winner this year. 

[OvDrone]

Very happy for Da Costa.

 

Gunther is really impressing me. Cool head, tough kid.

 

JEV was incredible. Champion's drive.

 

Also amazing race for Evans. Wow.

 

I really, really enjoyed this race to be honest. Intriguing and intense. More of this please.

[Muppetmad]

Great race - da Costa managed it impeccably, and the racing throughout the field was tip top. All very clean as well.

[thegamer23]

Gunther is so impressive, cold blooded, smart, fast.
Many drivers would have lost their heads after that super aggressive defence from JEV.

Evans, amazing comeback drive.

Edited by thegamer23, 29 February 2020 - 15:02.

[Ben1445]

Günther is very impressively cool headed for me. Pleasure to watch. 

[HistoryFan]

Evans from 24 to 6 => is that a new record? What was the record for most gained position before?

[balmybaldwin]

Gunther is doing really well, great to see an a driver go straight in to FE and perform.

 

Thought it was a good race overall, Jev's drive was outstanding and he clearly gave it everything and could hardly get out of the car afterwards.

 

Evans came through the field well, but silly mistake in quali

[maximilian]

Evans from 24 to 6 => is that a new record? What was the record for most gained position before?

 

Seems like diGrassi went from last to first at some point a few seasons ago, if I remember correctly?

[Ben1445]

Seems like diGrassi went from last to first at some point a few seasons ago, if I remember correctly?

Mexico S3 with the early stop and massive energy saving? I think he was in last place at one point yes 

 

Last to 6th with no help from a SC at any point has got to be among the best 'no-help' recoveries we have seen though.  

[Imateria]

I love how this track always gives us a good race, when it can't do that for any other series.

[condor]

Another good race with plenty of action.     

[Vielleicht]

Inside Electric @Inside Electric
@mitchevans_ on his comeback drive: "We’ve been down in the dumps after qual. We took it on the chin. We want to send a message to the rest of the field [that] I can come back. It was awesome racing. We had a really aggressive plan and stuck to it."

[Ben1445]

Calado started 10th and finished 16th, while Evans went from last to 6th. 

 

How long before Jaguar start asking if they've made the right choice?  

[HistoryFan]

There are a lot of big differences between team mates:

 

Lotterer => Jani

Turvey => Ma

di Grassi => Abt

Evans => Calado

Mortara => Massa

 

So Jani, Ma, Abt, Calado and Massa should be out of Formula E.

[messy]

Jani should never have been signed, he was woeful last time too and that should have rang alarm bells but, bizarrely, didn’t. Massa is the exact kind of “F1 driver retirement home” driver that FE has long since outgrown, and Abt keeps his drive because of who he is.

Calado, I’d give more time because I’ve always thought he was good. Is Evans just a nightmare Team-mate? He’s now seen off Piquet and Lynn, and is making Calado (also a very respectable GP2 driver and factory WEC driver) look pretty daft.

Enjoyed that race today, because it was straightforward - untainted by safety cars, silliness or crashes, and that makes the performances of Evans and JEV even more impressive. Evans’ recovery to sixth was stunning.

Edited by messy, 29 February 2020 - 16:39.

[Vielleicht]

Some drivers adapt immediately to the challenges of FE whilst others take time.

On the other hand though, taking the case of Jaguar, if Calado was able to match Evans’ pace and points scoring ability the team could easily be leading the teams championship. That’s something the team principals have to reckon with in the upcoming silly season, which could be quite exciting but also potentially quite brutal for some familiar names.

[Vielleicht]

More from Evans [video]
 

"A massive 45 minutes we just put out - manged to crawl in 18 places to finish P6. Yeah, I'll take that with open hands. We got fastest lap to get another point so massive dmanage limtation after, obviously, that unfortanet situation after qualy. So just a huge thanks to the team for giving me the right plan in the race. We excecuted it to perfection and passed a lot of cars along the way, so hopefully this sends a good message to the others that even when these things happen, we'll come back with a big fight."

[Sterzo]

Gunther is so impressive, cold blooded, smart, fast.
Many drivers would have lost their heads after that super aggressive defence from JEV.

Definitely, incredible how he responded to Vergne's double chop by making another attempt in the same place, but diving left earlier to head off the second chop. He was a nearly-man in F3, obviously very good but not about to be offered an F1 seat, so it's great to see him doing so well in FE. And that mix of experienced older drivers and youngsters is fascinating in any series. De Vries and Günther up against Vergne and Buemi... a perfect mix.
 

[FLB]

Definitely, incredible how he responded to Vergne's double chop by making another attempt in the same place, but diving left earlier to head off the second chop. He was a nearly-man in F3, obviously very good but not about to be offered an F1 seat, so it's great to see him doing so well in FE. 
 

I fully agree about Günther. He's racing in the wrong era, IMHO, because he's showing classic Niki Lauda signs. Lauda was far from impressive in F3 and had a single win in F2... and when he got the right opportunity, he shone as a Thinking Man's Driver, which is what Günther is.

[Vielleicht]

Evans from 24 to 6 => is that a new record? What was the record for most gained position before?

According to Formula E Stats on Twitter it is a record, but I’m not sure exactly how it is counted.

[thegamer23]

I fully agree about Günther. He's racing in the wrong era, IMHO, because he's showing classic Niki Lauda signs. Lauda was far from impressive in F3 and had a single win in F2... and when he got the right opportunity, he shone as a Thinking Man's Driver, which is what Günther is.

Well, his helmet is Lauda-esque too!   

[maximilian]

There are a lot of big differences between team mates:

 

Lotterer => Jani

Turvey => Ma

di Grassi => Abt

Evans => Calado

Mortara => Massa

 

So Jani, Ma, Abt, Calado and Massa should be out of Formula E.

 

Agree that Jani and especially Ma have NO place in FE.  Massa's form has consistently deteriorated to the point where he has become a liability to the team, despite his past F1 glory.  Abt needs to get his act together ASAP.  He's shown good stuff, but the Gen2 car doesn't seem to suit him as well.  Audi sure have lots of other intriguing options to possibly replace him.  Too soon to judge Calado, although I wouldn't mind seeing Jaguar giving Chadwick a run when the time comes.  I am also increasingly less and less impressed with Hartley.  I thought he would have brought home a couple good results by now, and Dragon are testing Sette Camara and Eriksson - both could be intriguing options.  SOMEBODY should sign up Cassidy ASAP.

Edited by maximilian, 29 February 2020 - 21:12.

[Anja]

 I am also increasingly less and less impressed with Hartley.  I thought he would have brought home a couple good results by now, and Dragon are testing Sette Camara and Eriksson - both could be intriguing options. 

 

Drivers are not really the problem at Dragon. 

[Muppetmad]

Ma was always going to be the least inspiring signing of the field. As for Massa, Abt, Calado and Jani... yeah, they really need to up their game, and soon. With the amount of investment manufacturers are now making in the series, they'll be less and less tolerant towards poor performances as time progresses, and there are a lot of drivers who will surely impress in the rookie test and present themselves as potential replacements.

Edited by Muppetmad, 29 February 2020 - 21:22.

[thegamer23]

Well, let's see how the Rookie Test goes!

Tomorrow, all set!
(Lapierre to replace Rossiter)

Edited by thegamer23, 29 February 2020 - 21:51.

[RSRally]

NIO have benched Ma before haven’t they? He was really bad this weekend, like worse than normal. I think Chadwick tested for them before.. she can’t be worse, surely?

Dragon seem off the pace this year, sure their drivers can do better than that. They were fast but unreliable last year, now they lost their speed.

I think Jaguar made a mistake not sticking with Lyn to be honest..

Abt is not having a good year, but then neither are Audi generally speaking.

Can’t see Jani completing the season for Porsche, the obvious choice would have been Hulkenberg but he’s not doing the rookie test so maybe he’s concentrating on getting back into F1? How about someone like Sirotkin? Or a comeback for JM Lopez?

[maximilian]

Can’t see Jani completing the season for Porsche, the obvious choice would have been Hulkenberg but he’s not doing the rookie test so maybe he’s concentrating on getting back into F1? How about someone like Sirotkin? Or a comeback for JM Lopez?

 

Hülkenberg would have been awesome, yes.  I guess HE doesn't really want to?  Sirotkin would be good.  Lopez?  No, thanks!  Maybe if Preining does well in the rookie test, they might give him a shout?  Simona is there, too... wonder how she'd get on in formula type cars these days.  At least she USED to be good...

[Gambelli]

If they scrap Fanboost then this to me is just about spot on Motorsport entertainment.  I actually like that its as much chess as racing, I enjoy the place that energy saving has in this format, to watch most drivers come over the line with 0.0% energy left is total precision all whilst trying to race, Evans had 1.5% more than nearly everyone else with 10 mins to go and used that extra to perfection to get to P6, De Costa using strategy to relinquish the lead for a while, I love it, its great viewing.

 

If they can just sort out their gaps between rounds then they are going to go from strength to strength.

[RSRally]

Hülkenberg would have been awesome, yes. I guess HE doesn't really want to? Sirotkin would be good. Lopez? No, thanks! Maybe if Preining does well in the rookie test, they might give him a shout? Simona is there, too... wonder how she'd get on in formula type cars these days. At least she USED to be good...

Maybe Hulk would rather have a private test at some point to see how he gets on? I can see him being more tempted going forwards as power levels increase and circuits improve.

Lopez was a bit crashy but at least he's fast, unlike Jani.

[MattK9]

I would like to see all of the new drivers being given the year before being dropped. That goes for drivers who are proper rookies like Muller or rookies who are FIA world champions and Le Mans winners in WEC.

When Lotterer came to FE he needed a season plus an experienced teammate who was willing to share his knowledge.

When Gunther was at Dragon last year he had flashes of speed but no good results before he got dropped and 1 good result after he got his drive back. Look at him now.

[RSRally]

I hear what you're saying but I don't remember Lotterer or Gunther being sooo far from their team mates as Jani or Ma.

There seems to be a feeling in the paddock that Massa and Jani are indeed under some pressure.

[balage06]

Is there any feature somewhere on Ma's problems by the way? I mean he obviously isn't one of the greatest drivers of his generation, but he is a capable driver, to see him so far off the pace is still a bit strange.

[messy]

Nio are terrible too though, and Turvey is good. Maybe those things are conspiring to make him look even worse than he usually is.

Bottom line is, in 2014-15, the grid was chock full of average drivers - people still living off a short and unsuccessful F1 stint (sorry Karun Chandhok, Charles Pic, Bruno Senna etc), retired F1 drivers 4-5 years past their ‘best before’ date (Trulli, Liuzzi, Sarrazin) and a few random oddities. These days drivers like that absolutely stand out like a sore thumb and that shows how far it’s come doesn’t it?

[Ben1445]

Is there any feature somewhere on Ma's problems by the way? I mean he obviously isn't one of the greatest drivers of his generation, but he is a capable driver, to see him so far off the pace is still a bit strange.

Was going to say...he has WTCR wins to his name. 

 

From what I read, Lisheng Racing (NIO 333 owners) want to help bring young Chinese talent into international motorsport and so Ma's presence is tied to that long term aim (an example) rather than out and out race results. They've got Daniel Cao in the car for the rookie test today to back up that aim. I don't know if it's the best way to go about it but it's the way they have chosen. 

[HistoryFan]

The only real fast Chinese driver now are Guanyou Zhou and Yifei Ye.

[maximilian]

I would like to see all of the new drivers being given the year before being dropped. That goes for drivers who are proper rookies like Muller or rookies who are FIA world champions and Le Mans winners in WEC.

When Lotterer came to FE he needed a season plus an experienced teammate who was willing to share his knowledge.

When Gunther was at Dragon last year he had flashes of speed but no good results before he got dropped and 1 good result after he got his drive back. Look at him now.

 

Lotterer made a LOT of mistakes in the early going, but he clearly had pace even then.  Günther also showed clear promise with the cards he was dealt at the time (Dragon).  Jani meanwhile hasn't shown even a sliver of promise.  There simply appear to be certain drivers that don't have a "knack" for Formula E type racing, and then there are others who seem to pick it up immediately.

[maximilian]

Lopez was a bit crashy but at least he's fast, unlike Jani.

 

That's true... Lopez' was quite quick on occasion,  but his racecraft was so horrendous, it pretty much made him useless overall.  Definitely a lot better than Jani, though, I don't recall ever seeing him in a top-10 timesheet.

[MattK9]

Lotterer made a LOT of mistakes in the early going, but he clearly had pace even then. Günther also showed clear promise with the cards he was dealt at the time (Dragon). Jani meanwhile hasn't shown even a sliver of promise. There simply appear to be certain drivers that don't have a "knack" for Formula E type racing, and then there are others who seem to pick it up immediately.

Jani and Porsche have been disappointing. I get the feeling that Lotterer is driving above expectations, especially in qualifying. Jani does look a bit silly.

Although dropping underperforming drivers might seem tempting, swapping in someone from the rookie test is unlikely to gain better results. Muller and Calado both were impressive at last years tests but now are (according to posts above) in danger of losing their full time drives.

[Alex79]

There's always the problem of adapting to a car that fundamentally understeers and behaves like a heavy tintop, but has the looks of an open wheeler:

- Open wheel racers have the most difficulty of adapting to this type of car, Vergne, Vandoorne and Da Costa had one or more years to adapt, folks like Bird, Buemi, Di Grassi, De Vries or Gunther adapted like a duck to water and others look like they never get the hang of it. Calado did have his moments, just give him a year. 

- Touring car racers look to have a slight edge in adaptability as they are used hauling heavier cars around. Wehrlein is fast, Mortara is fast Lopez was fast and Frijns is fast. Problem with lopez is that he drove like he did WTCC and TC2000, where circuits are wider. His problem was the streetcircuits. The only exception might be Ma, but hey, he had the fastest car in WTCC when in Citroen and he had the lightest car when in Alfa Romeo. Now he's in the absolute worst car ánd he even disappointed when in a Techeeta. Muller is a harder case, but just give him a year.

- LMP racers are a bit middle of the road. Not good enough for one or the other at this point in Jani's case, I wonder what someone like Dumas (used to GT3 and rallying), Vanthoor or Kirchhöfer could do with that thing. Hartley's just the same as Calado or Muller. Give em time, and they'll learn.

[balage06]

Jani and Hartley are far from the best choices for this type of racing. I know everyone was happy, because 'woohoo, another world champion', but they've never had particularly great racecraft in single seaters, that's why they both lost their Red Bull scholarship.

[messy]

Hartley will do ok long term I think. Dragon aren't exactly the best team either - he'd have been a much better signing for Porsche than Jani, who just isn't suited at all. 

[thegamer23]

Brendon did 12th in quali last race wich was pretty good. 

The Penske powertrain + electronics just doesn't seem good in energy efficency in race trim.

Jani, with a very competitive package, looks hopeless.

Him & Ma should be the ones to be replaced imho. 

Edited by thegamer23, 02 March 2020 - 12:35.

[maximilian]

If I were Porsche, I'd put Cassidy in the car immediately.  But no idea whether they are more likely to dig around in their existing global driver pool, instead.