Formula E returns to FOX Sports1 for 2nd ePrix
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| Formula E makes its return this weekend. American viewers can tune in to FOX Sports 1, Saturday at 1 a.m. ET |
This time next week we’ll be heading into Round 2 of the inaugural FIA Formula E series in Putrajaya, Malaysia on a 1.55-mile, 12-turn street circuit.
The second race of FIA’s first fully electric, single-seater, open-wheel racing series will air on FOX Sports 1 LIVE Saturday Nov. 22 at 1 a.m. ET and replay on Sunday, Nov. 23 on FOX, adjacent to NFL on FOX football coverage. The race will also be available LIVE on the FOX Sports GO app.
"Right now I expect the teams are trying to noodle out what it takes to be successful with these cars as they sit in terms of tire grip, power conservation and race planning," said FOX Sports’ Formula E host Bob Varsha. “In the long term, one of the key items in the Formula E mission statement that I think has been lost on the fans is that the series is meant to be a platform for advancing technology, with the rewards coming on the race track. Right now, all the cars are the same, but in the coming seasons teams will be expected to push the boundaries and bring new ideas to the track.
"It will be a true 'run what ya brung' type of competition, and that's something racing fans have been asking for on the internal-combustion side for a long time."
On the driver-side of things, Amlin Aguri’s Antonio Felix da Costa will replace Takuma Sato for the second race of the season. Sato scored two points in the series opener in Beijing after setting the fastest lap of the race.
The driver lineup for the Putrajaya ePrix is as follows:
Amlin Aguri: Antonio Felix da Costa and Katherine Legge
*Andretti: Frank Montagny and Charles Pic
Audi Sport ABT: Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi
China Racing: Nelson Piquet Jr. and Ho-Pin Tung
*Dragon Racing: Jerome d’Ambrosio and Oriol Servia
e.dams-Renault: Sebastien Buemi and Nicolas Prost
Mahindra Racing: Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna
Trulli: Michaela Cerruti and Jarno Trulli
Venturi: Nick Heidfeld and Stephane Sarrazin
Virgin Racing: Jaime Alguersuari and Sam Bird
*Teams representing the United States
Since the series last outing in Beijing, the schedule has dropped by one race but still features races on American soil in Miami on March 14 and Long Beach on April 4.
Another change is the abolition of the warm-up lap, which led to battery drainage issues towards the start of the Beijing ePrix.
Lucas di Grassi enters Round 2 with a seven-point lead over Franck Montagny, after taking the win in Beijing when Nick Heidfeld and Nicolas Prost infamously tangled in a battle entering the final turn on the final lap:
Points standings after one race:
1. Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT) – 25 points
2. Franck Montagny (Andretti) – 18 points
3. Sam Bird (Virgin Racing) – 15 points
4. Charles Pic (Andretti) – 12 points
5. Karun Chandhok (Mahindra Racing) – 10 points
6. Jerome d’Ambrosio (Dragon Racing) – 8 points
7. Oriol Servia (Dragon Racing) – 6 points
8. Nelson Piquet (China Racing) – 4 points
9. Nicolas Prost (e.dams-Renault) – 3 points*
10. Stephane Sarrazin (Venturi) – 2 points
11. Takuma Sato (Amlin Aguri) – 2 points
12. Daniel Abt (Audi Sport ABT) – 1 point
*Nicolas Prost was awarded 3 points for securing pole position in Beijing.
Visit FIAFormulaE.com for more information about the Formula E series.