Jake Dennis aiming for five in a row as Formula E title fight heats up in Portland debut
A three-way fight for the title involving Pascal Wehlrein, Jake Dennis and Nick Cassidy
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The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship returns this weekend for the 2023 Southwire Portland E-Prix.
It’s another new race location for Formula E as the all-electric racing series heads to the state of Oregon, representing Formula E’s ninth visit to the United States of America.
A mouth-watering battle for the Season 9 crown is shaping up, with five drivers in the title race as it stands. Here are all the key talking points:
Wehrlein leads a tight title battle
With just five races remaining, the race for the Season 9 title is finely poised with Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche) and Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) the standout performers.
Wehrlein started the season in exceptional form to take an early lead in the standings but suffered a mid-season dip which saw him lose top spot in Monaco before victory in Jakarta saw the German regain his lead over the chasing pack.
A solitary point is all that separates Wehrlein and Dennis, with the latter registering four podiums on the bounce to keep in touching distance of the former as he looks to become the first British champion of Formula E.
In third spot, and just six points behind Wehrlein, is Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy. The Kiwi had been on top spot after back-to-back wins in Berlin and Monaco, but a disappointing double-header in Jakarta meant that he was leapfrogged by fellow title contenders Wehrlein and Dennis.
A little further behind – but still in the title hunt – are Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) and Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Penske). The pair have three podiums a piece this season to remain in contention but will need to pick up significant points in Portland if they’re to really challenge the top three.
With up to 29 points on offer this weekend, the title picture could look totally different come the chequered flag on Sunday morning.
Maserati’s Max the man in form
Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther is Formula E’s man in form after registering back-to-back podiums in Jakarta, following on from a pair of strong performances in Berlin.
The German was exceptional in qualifying and became the first driver in Season 9 to start on pole in consecutive E-Prix before going onto convert the second race of the double-header into his first victory of the season.
That win was Maserati’s first in a World Championship single seater race since Juan Manuel Fangio won at the Nurburgring in 1957 and suggests the iconic manufacturer are finally finding their feet in electric racing.
Is the curse of the polesitter over?
Formula E’s characteristic unpredictability has been on display throughout Season 9 as evidenced by the startling statistic that Guenther is the only driver to win from pole in the past 14 races.
Pre-Jakarta, there had been four wins from outside the top-eight on the grid, which is twice as many as from inside the top three. The polesitter had not even finished on the podium since Lucas di Grassi (Mahindra Racing) finished third in the opening race in Mexico City.
It remains to be seen whether Guenther’s victory from pole was an anomaly or will set a trend for the remainder of the season. If we are to see more polesitters winning towards the end of the season that could set up nicely a straight fight for the title amongst the leading pack.
Formula E breaks more boundaries with Portland debut
Formula E makes its debut in another new city this weekend with the all-electric racing series’ visit to Oregon representing the ninth time FE has visited the United States of America.
Portland is one of the United States’ most sustainable cities and becomes the fourth American city to host a race, following Long Beach, Miami, and New York City.
The Portland International Raceway will play host to the race and is a familiar stop for American motorsport series such as IndyCar.
The 3.190km track is one of the longest Formula E has ever raced on. With 12 turns and a series of challenging corners, expect another thrilling spectacle that pushes the drivers to their limits.
Andretti hoping for home advantage
The Southwire Portland E-Prix represents a home race for US-based Avalanche Andretti.
The Indiana-based team, owned by retired IndyCar legend Michael Andretti, features the Championship’s second-placed driver, Dennis, for whom it has been an exceptional season.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s race, the Andretti man outlined how excited he was to represent the iconic brand on home soil.
“To continue on in America with Portland as a new location, an IndyCar circuit, hopefully it can bring in really good fans and viewers. I think it’s just important that Formula E stays on the American soil.
“And I think it’ll just be a great event as a whole. I think the racing will allow a good, spectacular event with the amount of overtaking we’re about to see and with the amount of energy saving we have to do.”
Season 10 calendar announced
The Season 10 calendar has been published this week by Formula E and the FIA, with the addition of Tokyo being the main talking point.
The inaugural Tokyo E-Prix will take place on Saturday, 30 March 2024 and will be the first FIA-sanctioned World Championship motorsport event held in the Japanese capital. The circuit will see drivers take to the roads around the Tokyo Big Sight convention centre on the Tokyo Bay waterfront.
Season 10 will begin in Mexico City on Saturday, 13 January following the success of a sold-out opening race to begin the current season. The season will once again conclude in London with a double-header on July 20-21.
::Watch the 2023 Southwire Portland E-Prix on Sunday 25 June live on Channel 4, with coverage starting from 00:30 BST.
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