Method E testing occurred final week in opposition to all the chances and regardless of enormous uncertainty within the days main as much as the occasion after a last-minute venue change.
Jaguar’s Mitch Evans set the tempo throughout 4 days of operating, posting a 1m27.461s in the course of the remaining session on Friday morning across the Jarama Circuit in Spain.
However at least 5 different groups and drivers completed quickest within the different periods, suggesting this can be one other tightly contested season within the all-electric championship.
The six periods equated to 21 hours of observe time, which would be the final groups and drivers expertise earlier than the season will get underway on 7 December in Sao Paulo.
As ever, a number of sub-plots bubbled away underneath the floor in Spain and listed below are 5 issues which had been realized from testing.
Final-minute venue change exhibits Method E at its greatest
Method E drivers joined sequence personnel in a minute silence in solidarity with these in Valencia forward of the take a look at
Picture by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Photographs
The devastating floods and deaths of greater than 200 folks within the Valencia area simply days earlier than the Method E Championship was resulting from descend on town’s Ricardo Tormo Circuit put pre-season testing, and even the primary race of the yr, underneath risk.
With the all-electric championship’s logistical base located on the circuit, tools very important for not solely any rearranged take a look at however the opening spherical in Sao Paulo wanted to be recovered from the ravaged space.
“We’ve got a really optimistic perspective in Method E, we’ve lots of people which are totally dedicated to the corporate and so they have labored 24/7 for 3 days, and the spirit was at all times very optimistic,” mentioned championship co-founder Alberto Longo.
“You could possibly simply watch the TV, and say, how on earth are these guys going to get all of the tools to Madrid and have sufficient time to offer companies to the extent that we’re offering companies right now.”
With no selection however to vary venue and at simply 72 hours’ discover, the sequence relocated to the Jarama Circuit as eight vehicles made roughly 40 journeys to maneuver 100 tonnes of kit between Valencia and Madrid.
The large enterprise paid off, and regardless of the lateness of the choice 4 days of operating went off with out a hitch as championship organiser’s pledged €50,000 to the aid effort in Valencia, whereas additionally making a fundraising web page for followers, companions and groups to contribute.
Jarama Circuit a welcome shock
Wehrlein and Dennis negotiate a makeshift chicane on the Jarama begin/end straight
Picture by: Andreas Beil
Dan Ticktum’s remark that “it’s the perfect circuit I’ve by no means heard of” completely encapsulated many drivers’ emotions in the direction of the Jarama Circuit, which welcomed Method E for the primary time.
The two.43-mile FIA Grade 2 listed observe situated simply outdoors Madrid was beforehand used to host grand prix racing 9 instances between 1968–1981 – the final of these the scene of Gilles Villeneuve’s well-known remaining F1 victory – and extra not too long ago it has held bike and truck motion.
An old-fashioned venue in each sense with the obstacles near the sting of the observe, little run-off, in addition to a mixture of cambered high-speed corners and elevation adjustments, it immediately grew to become a favorite in the course of the week.
Such was the enchantment and optimistic reception that the venue has been thought of a doable residence for a future race shifting ahead by championship CEO Jeff Dodds, with Spain final having held a Method E race in 2021.
Gen3 Evo vehicles impress as tyres grow to be speaking level
The brand new Gen3 Evo vehicles broke cowl in an official take a look at for the primary time as tyre degradation led to hypothesis over race weekend ways
Picture by: Andreas Beil
A lot of the eye forward of this season has been on the brand new Gen3 Evo machines, and specifically all-wheel-drive know-how, which can be activated in 350kW mode firstly of the race, throughout Assault Mode and within the qualifying duels.
The know-how, permitting for an acceleration time of 0-60mph in 1.82s which is quicker than present Method 1 vehicles, was not the technical focus from testing, although, with tyres being the phrase on everybody’s lips.
Hankook has provided a softer compound of tyre for the upcoming season after drivers complained in regards to the lack of grip with the earlier iteration of rubber.
Whereas providing a considerable efficiency benefit in contrast with its predecessor initially, the much less sturdy tyre loses appreciable grip throughout a stint which can affect race technique and weekend operating.
“The tyres have an enormous peak of efficiency for one lap after which lap two it’s already a small degradation after which lap three one other step in degradation,” mentioned Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa.
“Studying into the lap instances [here] it’s a must to be somewhat bit cautious as a result of in a race weekend you’ll by no means do a 350kW lap on new tyres [in practice]. You’ll possibly see the vehicles not driving a lot throughout free follow and saving units of tyres for certain.”
Jury nonetheless out on ‘pit enhance’ idea
The now-named pit enhance nonetheless hasn’t been formally applied, however took one step in the direction of such motion with a trial throughout testing
Groups and drivers had been capable of put themselves via a simulation race on Thursday afternoon, an annual custom of Method E pre-season testing which this yr featured a brand new side.
The now formally named pit enhance idea was trialled in the course of the 24-lap contest, with every driver required to come back into the pits and obtain the extra cost of energy, which equates to 10% of the battery’s capability through a 600kW recharge in roughly 30 seconds.
The idea was initially supposed for the beginning the Gen3 period in 2022, however issues with reliability meant the know-how has solely now been developed sufficient for use in a race scenario.
Pascal Wehrlein led residence a Porsche 1-2 within the race, however forward of any operating the reigning champion was apprehensive in regards to the pit enhance know-how resulting from it including an unpredictable variable that would drastically alter the result of races.
“There may very well be races and conditions the place it may very well be unfair for nearly half of the sector if there’s a security automotive on the fallacious second,” he mentioned. “In order that must be checked and found how we might make that fairer.”
The FIA and Method E have but to make a remaining choice on whether or not to implement the know-how this season, with knowledge from the simulation race set to be analysed and a remaining verdict made earlier than the season-opener subsequent month.
Even when the idea is adopted, although, it could solely be used throughout a double-header weekend, with one of many races in the course of the occasion operating pit enhance to supply different methods between the 2 races.
All-female take a look at an important alternative
The all-female take a look at supplied very important alternative the place it in any other case would not exist
Picture by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Photographs
The Friday afternoon session was solely for feminine drivers, a primary for an FIA world championship, with every workforce required to run not less than one driver as 18 in whole made the journey to Jarama.
This included the likes of three-time W Collection champion Jamie Chadwick for Jaguar and Simona de Silvestro, the starter of 12 Method E races within the Gen1 period and driving for Kiro final week. Whereas different drivers akin to F1 Academy star Bianca Bustamante (McLaren) and GB4 Championship runner-up Alisha Palmowski (Envision) had been experiencing the all-electric automobiles for the primary time.
Present F1 Academy factors chief Abbi Pulling topped the instances for Nissan after the three-hour session, posting a 1m30.889s having additionally by no means beforehand pushed a Method E automotive earlier than.
“I can’t thank Method E sufficient for the chance they’ve given, they’ve welcomed us with open arms,” mentioned the 21-year-old Briton, whose time left her lower than 3.5s slower than Evans’s greatest from the week.
“On the finish of the day they don’t should, so to be actually pushing for us is good and hopefully this isn’t the very last thing that they do.
“It’s a younger driver’s dream to get a chance in additional sophisticated equipment and develop your self as a driver, work with established groups and it’s an excellent alternative for us females on the finish of the day.”
Pulling was quickest within the all-female take a look at and praised the initiative
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Photographs