NICK CASSIDY COMPLETES ENVISION VIRGIN RACING’S ROOKIE LINE UP

New Zealand born racer Nick Cassidy has been chosen by the Envision Virgin Racing team to drive alongside Briton Alice Powell at the forthcoming in-season Formula E test held on Sunday, 1 March.

Cassidy, 25, who is currently competing in the Super GT Championship, boasts an impressive 48.9% podium percentage with 66 race wins, proving from a young age that he’s a talented driver. Following in the footsteps of several other Kiwi drivers in the paddock [Mitch Evans and Brendan Hartley] he will now step into the all-electric Formula E car for the very first time.

Prior to the test, he has spent time in the team’s simulator where he has been reunited with Senior Race Engineer Stephen Lane (pictured below – front row, third from left), who engineered him to an impressive podium as a rookie in the 2014 Macau GP.

Nick Cassidy, said:

I’d like to thank the team for this incredible opportunity, I’ve spent a lot of time on the simulator and I’m now very keen to get out on track. I’ve not experienced anything like a Formula E car before and I’m excited to see how I perform. I’ll be joining the team throughout the weekend in Marrakesh and it’ll be great to go through all the race weekend rituals with them – especially as they got a double-podium there last year. It’s also been great working with Laney [Stephen Lane] again – he was my race engineer back in 2014 when I was a rookie and I’m looking forward to working with him again.

Sylvain Filippi, Envision Virgin Racing’s Managing Director, said: “Nick Cassidy is an incredible young talent and we’re looking forward to having him test our Formula E car. His race wins say it all really but he’s also worked incredibly hard in the team simulator ahead of the test to ensure that he’s ready to drive a Formula E car – the experience needed is very different to any other car and I’m confident that Nick will excel in Marrakesh. This is the only in-season test so it’s incredibly important that the team maximise the data gathered in Marrakesh – I believe that Nick will do a great job for us.”

ALICE POWELL TO TEST FORMULA E CAR

Leading British female racing driver Alice Powell has been chosen by the Envision Virgin Racing team to be one of its two rookie drivers to take part in the only in-season test of the current Formula E season on Sunday 1 March.

Powell, 27, who made a recent return to single-seater racing with the female-only W Series, will get her first taste of the all-electric Formula E car following the Marrakesh E-Prix.

The Oxford-born racer, who began karting aged just eight, became the first woman to win a Formula Renault championship at the age of 17, and in 2012 became the first woman to score points in the GP3 Series, competing against the likes of current Formula E drivers – Antonio Felix Da Costa, Daniel Abt and Mitch Evans.

When she’s not racing, Powell spends her time working as an ambassador for Dare To Be Different (D2BD), a non-profit organisation that inspires, connects and showcases women who work in every aspect of racing. She is also an established driver coach in motorsport and aims to use her experience in Formula E to continue to inspire other young female drivers.

Powell said: “Firstly, I’d like to thank the team for the opportunity to test their Formula E car – it’s an amazing experience and I can’t wait to jump into the car now, especially having spent time on the team’s simulator.

“My work as an ambassador for D2BD allows me to inspire young female drivers and this test will really help further that. I’m also looking forward to working with the team and helping them to extract as much data as possible from the test to help them this season.”

Sylvain Filippi, Envision Virgin Racing’s Managing Director, added: “It’s great to have Alice on-board for the Marrakesh test, as someone who has already driven in an electric championship, she’ll bring a great understanding of the technical elements of the car.

“She’s spent a lot of time getting to learn the car and the track on our simulator in Silverstone and as a team we’re looking forward to getting her out on track.

“As an ambassador for Dare To Be Different, Alice is a also great role model to aspiring young women in racing, something we as a team fully support.”

Envision Virgin Racing will announce their second driver for the Marrakesh test later this week.

IS MEXICO ON THE BRINK OF A REVOLUTION?

Mexico; the home of tacos, chocolate, Aztecs, sombreros and tequila. One of the world’s great civilizations, almost everyone on the planet knows something about Mexico but beyond these stereotypes there is something stirring on the horizon…

Change is coming to the world’s 10^th largest country and its 122 million inhabitants… and it’s not what you think. It’s not civil or political unrest, nor is it protests or a new rights movement. It’s in the air, it’s all around the country and many Mexicans don’t even realize it…

What is it? Well, it’s actually an energy revolution, or to be more precise a ‘second energy revolution’. More than 80 years after Mexico ousted foreign oil companies and nearly 60 years since it nationalized its power sector, the country is undergoing what some are calling a second energy revolution.

Ambitious energy reforms advanced under former President Enrique Peña Nieto until 2014 when the country’s restructured energy sector changed, exposing the state-owned oil company and electricity monopoly to competition.

Since then, new ruler – President Andrés Manuel López Obrador – has been drastically overhauling the power sector which has been reshaped by private investment. Private sector companies now own around 18,921 Megawatts (in case you’re wondering, one megawatt equates to 1,000 watts which is enough energy to supply around 2,000 homes) of operating capacity in Mexico, 25% of the country’s 75,685 MW of total installed base.

In fact, in 2017, Mexico was the country with the highest growth in the renewable energy sector and rose from 30th to sixth place on Ernst and Young’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index. In addition, 20.8% of electricity consumed in Mexico comes from clean energy, of which 15.5% comes from renewable sources, while Mexico City have announced they will ban diesel cars by 2025.

And this revolution is literally on the horizon, in the case of the Eólica del Golfo I wind farm, located in the Municipality of Dzilam Bravo, Yucatán, México. At a staggering 1,531 hectares, the project run by Vive Energía and Envision Energy generates around 258GWh of non-fossil-fuel energy every year. It’s Energía Renovable de la Península power plant – located in the Municipality of Progreso, Yucatán, a similar case by generating around 300GWh from its 1,215 hectares in geographical extension.

But it’s not all plain sailing (no, pun intended). Like any revolution, there are always challenges. For starters, the lack of clear reforms/policies in the energy sector have caused uncertainty, especially to potential investors both local and foreign. Economic growth has already started to slow with rates down 0.2% from previous forecasts and finally the rise of crime and corruption in this sector has played its part in slowing down progress.

Clearly the potential is high but, as ever, it’s a waiting game to see whether renewable energy will take its place amongst the likes of tacos and chocolate. After all, it’s only just started on its journey against Mexico’s 80-year oil dependency. But 75 years on from now may well be a different story. We certainly hope so.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR AT THE MEXICO CITY E-PRIX

It’s that time again. Race week is upon and the fourth round of the all-electric Formula E series sparks into life this Saturday (February, 15) at Mexico’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit. It’s the fourth consecutive time Formula E has raced at the venue and each year delivers in spades on wheel-to-wheel racing coupled with exuberant fans lining the Foro Sol. This year we have a new track configuration – more on that later – and we’re likely to see the fastest qualifying speeds ever recorded as the Gen2 cars push 150mph around the iconic Peraltada bend (where Aryton Senna famously rolled in case it doesn’t ring a bell). But before then, here’s our top five things to watch out for at the Mexico City E-Prix…

MEXICO’S REAL NAME IS NOT MEXICO

Ok, so this is a little ‘clickbaity’ but nonetheless true and worthy of a mention. Mexico’s actual real name is the United States of Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) and the capital itself wasn’t officially called Mexico City until very recently! For you fact fans out there, it’s the third largest country in Latin America and home to some 119 million people, making it the 11^th largest in the world, with oil remaining one of its biggest exports (sigh). Indeed, it’s a nation where affluence, poverty, natural splendour and urban blight rub shoulders.

In recent years, however, it has become more and more switched on from a sustainability viewpoint, shaking off it’s poor air pollution record and embracing renewable energy, so much so that in 2017 it became the country with the highest growth in the renewable energy sector. The capital has also announced that it will ban diesel cars by 2025.

AUTODROMO HERMANOS RODRIGUEZ, MEXICO – FEBRUARY 14: Sam Bird (GBR), Envision Virgin Racing meets children in the pit lane duting the community tour during the Mexico City E-prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on February 14, 2020 in Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico. (Photo by LAT Images)

MEXICO HAS [SOME OF] THE BEST MOTORSPORT FANS IN THE WORLD

For impartiality reasons we had to caveat this claim, but it goes without saying that the atmosphere in the Formula E paddock throughout the weekend is quite simply electrifying (pun intended). Fans are able to get super close to the action and with tickets just £12, together with a great fan zone and live music concert in the evening, it’s hard to see why they wouldn’t be so jubilant! The view from the Foro Sol is also pretty special and nowhere else quite like it in motorsport.

MEXICO RACES WITH ALTITUDE

No, this is not a typo but actually quite a talking point. At 2.2km above sea level it’s comfortably – or uncomfortably – the highest race-track Formula E will visit. And that creates a new set of challenges for cars, engineers and drivers. The air in Mexico City is approximately 25% less dense than that of sea-level or, in simple terms, it’s much thinner. Less air density means the air has correspondingly less cooling effect, which can affect battery temperatures, brake temperatures and not to mention driver temperatures making it even more of an induration test for the Envision Virgin Racing guys Sam Bird and Robin Frijns.

AUTODROMO HERMANOS RODRIGUEZ, MEXICO – FEBRUARY 14: Robin Frijns (NLD), Envision Virgin Racing during the Mexico City E-prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on February 14, 2020 in Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico. (Photo by LAT Images)

THERE’S A NEW TRACK TO LEARN

Despite this being the fourth visit to the Mexico circuit, Formula E and the FIA have once again changed things around meaning drivers have a revised layout to master. The 2.606km, 16-turn clockwise circuit promises a bit of everything but by far the biggest difference to previous years is the removal of the chicane at the Peraltada bend (often the source for a number of racing incidents). This means the Gen2 cars will be on full power for longer and likely to hit an impressive 150mph in qualifying – their fastest speed to date.

BE SURE NOT TO TYRE OUT

Being a smooth surface, tyre wear is not normally issue at the Mexico circuit, but this year could prove a little different. Afternoon high track temperatures come race day, coupled with the thinner air, could lead to higher tyre wear, but so will the long loading placed on the left-hand side of the tyres (due to the clockwise track). For sure, this is going to be one to manage as the drivers near the chequered flag.

AUTODROMO HERMANOS RODRIGUEZ, MEXICO – FEBRUARY 16: Mitch Evans (NZL), Panasonic Jaguar Racing, Jaguar I-Type 3 leads Robin Frijns (NLD), Envision Virgin Racing, Audi e-tron FE05 during the Mexico City E-prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on February 16, 2019 in Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico. (Photo by Sam Bloxham / LAT Images)

AND FINALLY…DID YOU KNOW?

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodrigues first built in 1959 and named after brothers and former racing drivers, Ricardo and Pedro Rodriguez. The circuit is a permanent racing facility located within the public park in the Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City.

TECH INSIGHTS: RACING WITH ALTITUDE

Anyone that has visited the top of London’s The Shard will know what breath-taking views it offers. Indeed, on a clear day, visitors to the tallest building in Europe (guess that statistic needs amending now?!), can see as far as 40 miles away.

So, imagine if you could climb to the top of The Shard more than seven times over; that would be a pretty impressive view, not to mention require an equally impressive lift. What about the world’s tallest building Dubai’s Burj Khalifa tower at 828 metres…what if you climbed that nearly three times over?

Where are we going with this? Well, that’s the height above sea-level that awaits all the Formula E teams and drivers this weekend when the fourth round of the series lands in Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit.

Mexico City sits at an altitude of 2,250 metres above sea level – that’s the equivalent of 433 Gen2 cars laid end to end – by far the highest of any circuit on the Formula E calendar. Why does this matter? It matters because this has very significant implications to the main performance parameters of the car, the track and also to our very own Sam Bird and Robin Frijns.

AUTODROMO HERMANOS RODRIGUEZ, MEXICO – FEBRUARY 16: Robin Frijns (NLD), Envision Virgin Racing and Sam Bird (GBR), Envision Virgin Racing at the drivers’ presentation during the Mexico City E-prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on February 16, 2019 in Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico. (Photo by Sam Bloxham / LAT Images)

Before that though, here’s the science bit… At the lower pressures of high altitudes, air molecules spread out more, so the air becomes less dense. The air in Mexico City will be approximately 25% less dense than that of sea-level and it will have around a quarter fewer air molecules in it. In short, the air begins to thin.

In motorsport terms, the biggest factor this would normally impact would be the car’s aerodynamics but, even though Formula E cars are not aero cars, the thinning air still plays a major factor in other aspects.

Less air density means the air has correspondingly less cooling effect. Key heat generators like the battery and the brakes will therefore need more consideration, especially when you factor in the track changes for this weekend. The removal of the previous chicane at the Peraltada Curve will see the championship’s Gen2 cars stay on full power for longer and, by our calculations, mean they’re likely to clock their fastest qualifying speeds to date of 240kph or 150mph.

AUTODROMO HERMANOS RODRIGUEZ, MEXICO – FEBRUARY 16: Robin Frijns (NLD), Envision Virgin Racing, Audi e-tron FE05 during the Mexico City E-prix at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on February 16, 2019 in Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico. (Photo by Joe Portlock / LAT Images)

Added to this, is the track temperature. The lower air density sees a more sensitive correlation of sunlight to track temperature. So, an ambient temperature of, say, 25 degrees Celsius (indeed, the forecast for Saturday’s race) can easily see a track temperature of up to 50 Celsius bringing problems, amongst other things, with the tyre degradation.

Next comes the affects on the driver. Decreased air pressure means that less oxygen is available for breathing. Combine this with the high levels of pollution in Mexico City (in May 2019 for example, levels exceeded those considered dangerous to human health) and your asking an awful lot from your driver’s fitness and concentration levels. One normal effect of altitude is shortness of breath, since the lungs have to work harder to deliver oxygen to the bloodstream. It can take days and even weeks for a body to adjust to high altitude and low air pressure…and these guys have just one day.

So, when you combine all these margins, you can see why the Mexico City E-Prix has the habit of mixing things up on track and why we’ve continually witnessed great race after great race here at this circuit…and why you should be sure to tune it this weekend.

The Formula E Mexico City E-Prix takes place on Saturday, 15 February with the race beginning at 16:00 local time (New York City = 17:00, London = 22:00, Beijing = 18:00 +1 day).

FORMULA E CARS TO BE ‘ON THE LIMIT’

Envision Virgin Racing driver Robin Frijns believes he and team-mate Sam Bird will be ‘on the limit’ during this weekend’s Mexico City E-Prix as their all-electric Formula E cars are set to record their fastest qualifying speeds to date approaching 240kph (150mph).

Returning to the city’s 2.606km circuit for the fourth consecutive year, drivers will compete on a modified 16-turn clockwise configuration, which sees the removal of the previous chicane on the iconic Peraltada bend that has witnessed several racing incidents in the past. That in-turn will see the championship’s Gen2 cars stay on full power for longer leading to higher speeds.

Dutchman Frijns, 28, said: “I think it’s extremely important and a wise decision to remove the chicane from this circuit layout as we’ve seen some bad incidents here in the past. It should also make the racing much more exciting and I believe there could be more overtaking opportunities this time round. From our time spent on our simulator, the data has shown that we could be approaching our fastest speeds around the Peraltada bend which means we’re going to be really on the limit. It’s going to be a great race and I think I could really capitalise on being in the later qualifying group.”

British racer Sam Bird, 33, said: “Last time out [in Santiago] was tough for us, but to come away with a few points was really important. You have to play the long game in this championship and every point counts. We’ve spent a lot of time in the simulator, as the track has seen some significant changes that could allow overtaking to be easier but we may also have to deal with tyre degradation as the track temperatures rise in the afternoon, so there’s a lot to manage come race day. Luck has not always been on our side in Mexico so I’m looking forward to changing that this time round.”

Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director for the Envision Virgin Racing team, added: “This race is always a great spectacle with capacity crowds and wheel-to-wheel racing, and this weekend’s event promises to be much of the same. After our win at the season opener in Diriyah, the team has endured a couple of frustrating races, but we’ve put these behind us now and are fully focused on getting a strong result in Mexico City.”

The Formula E Mexico City E-Prix takes place on Saturday, 15 February with the race beginning at 16:00 local time (New York City = 17:00, London = 22:00, Beijing = 18:00 +1 day). It will also mark the first event for the team’s new partner Teijin and will also be attended by the Chairman of the Board for Envision Virgin Racing, Franz Jung.

REVEALED: ENVISION VIRGIN RACING’S #GEN2EVO 20/21 CONCEPT LIVERY

Formula E digitally revealed the newly named Gen2 EVO, using a reimagined design that will make its debut in the 2020/21 season, when the electric racing series competes as a world championship for the first time.

The new design sees a range of structural design changes featuring a new front wing, dorsal fin, distinctive curved rear wing and updated championship livery. The modifications to the bodywork have been made midway through the current four-year cycle of the ‘Gen2’ era, to provide a fresh new look for Formula E.

Featuring a concept livery – based on its season six design – this is the first chance to catch a glimpse of the Envision Virgin Racing Gen2 EVO car in the team’s iconic purple, red and silver colour scheme.

“The big picture is a half-cycle refresh, but not just for the sake of it,” says the team’s Managing Director Sylvain Filippi. “It gives the car some new, fresh momentum to reflect the technical advancements.

“If you take a step back, the regulations and rules in Formula E are great because we [teams] don’t spend money and we don’t focus energy and resource on chassis dynamics, which means bodywork. They are not relevant to the road car industry. We want to focus our energy, our time and resource on the powertrain.”

Filippi adds: “What you are trying to achieve is this fine line. Formula E is two things: it’s a technical showcase, but also it has to have spectacular racing. A lot of motorsport series are the other way where there’s no contact at all and it’s very boring. There’s no overtaking and it’s just not fun.

“We are hoping that this new bodywork maybe makes the drivers a little bit more careful on contact. But we don’t want to take the hard racing away at all. Of course not. It’s part of our DNA and part of street racing in general. We definitely don’t want to become a contactless sport. That doesn’t seem to be realistic anyway.”

The covers will come off the Gen2 EVO for the first time on the FIA stand at the Geneva International Motor Show on March 3.

HOW DO I VOTE ON FANBOST?

What is FANBOOST?

Formula E is the only event in the world that lets fans play an active role in influencing the outcome of the race. FANBOOST gives fans the opportunity to vote for their favourite driver and award them an extra boost of power during the race.

How does FANBOOST work?

The five drivers with the most FANBOOST votes are awarded a significant burst of power, which they can deploy in a 5 second window during the second half of the race. You can vote to FANBOOST your favourite driver in the 6 days prior to, and leading up to 15 minutes into, each race.

How to vote on FANBOOST?

There are three ways to vote on FANBOOST:
Online at
fiaformulae.com/fanboost
On Twitter using hashtags
#FANBOOST + #SAMBIRD or #ROBINFRIJNS
Via the official
Formula E app

SANYA E-PRIX POSTPONED

In view of the continued spread of coronavirus and after close consultation
with the relevant departments of Hainan Province and Sanya Municipal
Government, Formula E – together with the FIA, the Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of People’s Republic of China (CAMF), and regional partner Enova Holdings – have jointly decided not to race in Sanya on the scheduled date of March 21, 2020.

Given the current growing health concerns and with the World Health
Organisation declaring the coronavirus an international emergency, Formula E has taken the necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of its travelling staff, championship participants and spectators, which remains of paramount importance.

Formula E are working closely with their regional partner and the local authorities in Hainan Province and Sanya Municipal Government, to continue monitoring the situation as it develops. All parties will take the appropriate amount of time to study the viability of potential alternative dates should the situation improve.

HOW TO WATCH THE SANTIAGO E-PRIX

After a break for Christmas, we return for the third round of Formula E in Santiago and here’s how Envision Virgin Racing fans can catch all the action!

Held in Santiago, this Saturday (18 January) fans will see the all-electric cars take to the streets of the Chilean capital for a third consecutive season. The race start at 4pm local time but to make that easier for fans across the world here’s what time it starts in your home city…

When it comes how to watch the race, fans can visit the Formula E website here for all broadcast options or UK fans can tune in via the below…

With 24 world class drivers, both races promise to be fantastic events so be sure to tune it!

And don’t forget to vote for Envision Virgin Racing drivers Sam Bird and Robin Frijns on FanBoost here