Formula E has returned to action this weekend with FP1 at the Jeddah E-Prix. For the first time, FE races on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia after six years in Diriyah. Oliver Rowland leads the way in the first practice session.
Some new additions to the series have been introduced in Jeddah. First, there was a rookie free üractice session, where all eleven teams put rookies into their cars to drive around the circuit for 40 minutes. Kush Maini topped the charts. The other change is a huge one, as Pit Boost is now a permanent part of Formula E.
FP1 gets underway for FE Jeddah E-Prix
And the green light is on for the first practice session of the weekend. Reigning champion Pascal Wehrlein led all drivers out of the pit lane. As expected the track offered some good grip, as the track is mostly fully permanent and because of the rookie session earlier on.
Immediate full course yellow, the normal procedure In FP1 to let all teams to check every necessary detail on track. Back to green flag, as replays show a close call between Wehrlein and Mexico City E-Prix winner Oliver Rowland at Turn 13. Nick Cassidy reported a “brake slip”.
Brief yellow flag, but it was cleared quickly. No quick laps at this point. For reference, the fastest lap in the rookie session was a 1:17.184 by Maini.
Improvements in lap times
First slower lap times came in, as everyone prepared their tyres before the flying laps started. Then we started with 1:19’s, as drivers became quicker lap by lap. Track grip improved, as the first ten minutes of the full 40 minutes of FP1 were completed.
Cassidy struggled with drivability and reported changes he wants to be made before his next run. Wehrlein was in the garage for some time, as Porsche made some tweaks and put on a new set of tyres. No representative lap time but it was on its way.
Jack Hughes was the first with Attack Mode activated and he boosted himself up to P1 for the moment, with a 1:16 time. Meanwhile, teams practiced pit stops, using the Pit Boost. Andretti’s Jack Dennis abandoned his lap time after going too hard over the kerb at Turn 15.
Final part of the session
Final 20 minutes, and there was some confusion in the pit lane. Maximilian Günther was right next to the pit box, as his team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne delayed his Pit Boost stop. Stewards investigate the case. Mitch Evans reported some balance issues. Jaguar got some changes to do.
15 minutes to go, with most drivers now using Attack Mode for their qualifying runs. This session is pretty important, as teams and drivers will face similar conditions in qualifying tomorrow. So running on qualifying pace is the strategy to follow. A lot of quick lap times are incoming.
Da Costa reported a weird noise coming from the rear right of the car, which could possibly be powertrain related. He continued on to finish his quali run, like everyone else did. In the end Rowland set the fastest lap time with a 1:15.849, over a tenth to Norman Nato.
With FP1 completed, teams now go into debriefing, as FP2 awaits them on Friday morning. Qualifying follows and the first race of the weekend brings the day to a closure. On Saturday, Round 4 of Season 11 will take place in Jeddah.
