Where exactly is the Formula E race taking place?
Formula E is now racing in São Paulo for the third time. The megacity with a population of 12.4 million is the most populated in Brazil, but not the capital. São Paulo is the southernmost stop on the FE racing calendar this year. The circuit itself is located in the northern part of the city center. The highlight is the start-finish straight. It is located right on the Anhembi Sambadrome – an event venue particularly known for its carnival celebrations. Other racing series have also participated here. The IndyCar series visited the track in 2013, but in recent times only FE has been mentioned.
Quick Facts * São Paulo
- So far, Formula E has only held two races in Brazil, although Rio de Janeiro was already on the preliminary racing calendar before the first year of the championship. However, from the first season, there have always been at least two Brazilian drivers on the starting grid. Season 11 will be the first in which there is only one Brazilian in the lineup: Lucas di Grassi.
- Mitch Evans and Sam Bird have won the two previous races in Brazil. They are also the only two drivers who have finished on the podium in both years: in the last race, Evans finished second behind Bird, while in the penultimate race, Bird finished third.
- Di Grassi finished only 13th in both years and has yet to score points in his home country. His compatriot Sergio Sette Câmara also had an unfortunate experience: he first finished second to last and then was even disqualified.
Who is broadcasting the Formula E race in São Paulo live?
The São Paulo E-Prix will be one of the few individual races this season. The only racing day is Saturday, December 7, although the first practice will take place as usual on Friday. Due to the time difference with Brazil, the qualifying and second practice will start at noon, while the race and first practice will start in the evening in Europe.
DF1 and Servus TV will broadcast qualifying and the race live. Fans can also take advantage of offers from Discovery and Eurosport 1/2. As usual, Queen of Motorsport offers you free live streams of FE. All links to the broadcasts of qualifying and the race will be available on our website in the "online" section 10-15 minutes before the start.
Schedule for the São Paulo E-Prix:
Friday, December 6
First Practice – 22:00 (23:00)
Saturday, December 7
Second Practice – 12:30 (13:30)
Qualifying – 14:40 (15:40)
Race – 19:05 (20:05)
What distinguishes the race track in São Paulo?
São Paulo is one of the fast tracks on the calendar. The surface on the nearly three-kilometer circuit alternates between asphalt and concrete. The track is characterized primarily by several long straights, which along with the subsequent turns 1, 4, 7, and 10 provide good overtaking opportunities. However, the long straights also enhance the effect of the slipstream, so there will likely be tactical games and many position changes this year.
The start-finish straight, which is about 745 meters long, is the longest section in the current Formula E calendar. Last year, a new record for maximum speed was set here. The attack zone can still be found in turn three.
What happened after the finale of last season in London?
A lot happened in the offseason. The biggest innovation is the "Gen3 Evo" car, which, in addition to aerodynamic improvements, for the first time includes all-wheel drive. Besides the technical changes, there are three new permanent drivers: Taylor Barnard "McLaren," David Beckmann "Kiro," and Zane Maloney "Lola." There have also been changes in teams: "ERT" has become "Cupra Kiro" and is now working with "Porsche" engines; "ABT" is now working with the new manufacturer team "Lola Yamaha."
What will the weather be like in São Paulo?
This week in São Paulo is something special: quite rainy. In fact, as of now – with a good four days ahead – it seems that the FE sessions will remain surprisingly dry. However, conditions can change even faster, especially in the warm southern climate. It is still unknown whether rain will accompany temperatures above 20 degrees.
Who are the favorites?
It has probably never been so difficult, as at the beginning of the season, to guess who is the favorite for the most points. However, it can be assumed that "Jaguar" and "Porsche," in particular, will continue to set the pace. The track in São Paulo has so far brought some success, especially to Evans – considering him a favorite would certainly not be entirely wrong. But Wehrlein proved with his pole position last year that "Porsche" can compete.
Additionally, with "Cupra Kiro," there is another customer team of "Porsche" that might be able to fight for wins. And there are also "Nissan" cars: last year, Bird won with "McLaren," which was far from being in shape.
It will be interesting to see who has handled the task of closing the gap to "Porsche" and "Jaguar" the best. "DS Penske" was pleased with testing in Madrid, as was sister team "Maserati." On the other hand, the new drive from "Lola Yamaha ABT" is a completely blank slate and could be a surprise. "Mahindra" was also pleased with the break in the season – perhaps unexpected results will become even more common this season.