Earlier this year, Formula E unveiled its newest car: the Gen3 Evo. With the ability to go from 0-60mph in 1.82 seconds, it’s 30% faster than an F1 car. I was there to see its launch in Monaco, but the car was only going to start racing in the next season. Well, now Season 11 is upon us, with testing taking place in Madrid.
The Gen3 Evo is headed around the track for one of the first times, and here’s how it performs. But don’t just take my word for it. I’ve spoken to some of the Formula E drivers and Team Principals to see what they think of the new car.
Formula E has been testing the new Gen3 Evo car in Madrid this week. The next season of the motorsport starts in December with a race in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The testing was moved from Valencia after the devastating disaster. It’s a real feat to have reorganised the even in 72 hours, and an unfamiliar track posed an extra challenge for drivers.
Right off the bat, watching the Gen3 Evo cars around the track has been a delight. They’re fast. Really fast. These electric vehicles really spring off the start line, and deliver some exceptional tyre burn. Thanks to extra power (now at 350kW) and AWD, these cars are just begging to be hurtled around the track. The upcoming season is going to be a phenomenal watch.
This season’s new liveries are also fantastic to look at. Jaguar’s might be a personal favourite, with the design using multiple tracks the team has raced on. McLaren’s papaya colour is delightful as always, but has competition to be the brightest with Kiro. Others in Madrid had spotted Kiro’s neon livery from the plane! And Lola’s design is certainly a choice, reminding many of a certain Swedish furniture store.
What do the Formula E drivers and teams think about Gen3 Evo?
McLaren driver Sam Bird is enjoying the extra power, but can’t wait for more. He says “With the upcoming Gen4, 350kW and all-wheel drive could be your race mode. And then it could be 450 or 500kW in the qualifiers, which would just be scary quick.” But he is somewhat concerned about the new Hankook tyres, detailing that “they seem like they work for a couple of laps and then there’s a big drop off.”
Ian James, McLaren’s Team Principal, echoed these concerns. He describes that the ideal operating window for the tyres “is going to be narrower, and that’s going to play a significant role in the races as well.” He stresses the significance of tyres for the car, saying that “the tyre is that connection between the car and the road.”
Over at Jaguar, Team Principal James Barclay also expressed concern over the tyres. In particular, there’s a question around how much extra time will be spent in the pit. He describes a difference of up to 5 seconds between splits when using old tyres versus fresh ones, which stresses how important they are. But, Barclay is extremely keen to see the new 350kW of power in action. He thinks this will make a big difference in Attack Mode, which gives drivers an opportunity to put their foot down and get ahead.
This testing week also gave me the opportunity to speak to Alisha Palmowski and Alice Powell. Both are repping Andretti in the first Formula E women’s test. Neither have had the chance to drive the Gen3 Evo car, but Powell tested the Gen3 car in Berlin last season. Speaking about the newer car, she expresses how the extra power is going to make this a whole other challenge. The drivers are going to have to get used to the new developments before the season starts.
Finally, speaking to Pablo Morales from the FIA (the governing body behind all motorsports), he expressed how much of an impact the Gen3 Evo car will make. He reckons this season will be a lot more exciting, with the extra power really giving drivers the chance to use Attack Mode to their advantage.
We’ll see, of course, how the Gen3 Evo car performs across the next season of Formula E. With only a few weeks to go until the first race, it’s pretty certain that we’ll see some big changes.