The Jakarta E-Prix has become the latest Formula E race to be postponed due to ongoing health concerns around the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Scheduled to be held on June 6, the inaugural event will no longer take place as organisers respond to the ongoing health issues there.

It now joins Rome and Sanya as races that have been forced to be postponed this season.

A statement released by organisers read, “As instructed by the Governor of Jakarta Anies Baswedan – and in consultation together with Formula E, the FIA, Ikatan Motor Indonesia (IMI) and the Organising Committee of the Jakarta E-Prix (OC) – it will no longer be possible to race in Jakarta on the scheduled date of June 6, 2020.

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the escalating number of cases in Indonesia and Jakarta, the decision has been taken as the most responsible course of action, to protect the health and safety of championship participants, staff and spectators. We will continue to monitor the situation closely with the relevant authorities and the Organising Committee of the Jakarta E-Prix, in order to assess the possibilities of rescheduling the race at a later date.

Following yesterday’s Marrakesh E-Prix, in which the Envision Virgin Racing team finished in the points, today has seen Nick Cassidy and Alice Powell take to the wheel of the team’s Gen2 car for the official Formula E rookie test.

As the only in-season test for the season, the team were looking to capitalise on the additional running as an independent team. New Zealander Cassidy showed strong pace in both sessions, placing third in the morning session and then topping the timing sheets in the afternoon and setting the fastest time of the weekend (1:16.467).

Meanwhile, Dare To Be Different Ambassador, Alice Powell drove consistently throughout the day but was hindered by traffic in her afternoon running and ended with a combined time of (1:18.301).

Cassidy said:

It’s been great to finally step into the car and I’ve learnt a huge amount from the test today in Marrakesh. It’s a lot different to my previous experience but I felt we had a great test programme and I hope that I’ve managed to help the team with what they were wanting to achieve. The car had great pace and to come away with the fastest time ever at the Marrakesh circuit is an awesome feeling too.

Briton, Powell said: “This whole weekend has been great, I’ve loved being embedded into the Envision Virgin Racing team and everyone has made me feel so welcome. The car felt good today and it’s been exciting getting to grips with it – it’s very different to everything I’ve driven before. My afternoon session was a bit frustrating, as I was caught up in traffic, and I feel like I could’ve been further up the timings sheet but it was a great experience none-the-less. I want to say a huge thanks to the team for the opportunity, it’s been incredible.”

Next up is the sixth round of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship which will be held in Rome on Saturday, 4 April.

Envision Virgin Racing finished in the points at today’s Formula E Marrakesh E-Prix – following a turbulent start to the season for the team – as Briton Sam Bird moved into a point scoring position during the closing lap of the race.

An incident-free opening lap saw both drivers make their way up the pack from their starting grid positions, with Bird beginning in P14 whilst team-mate Robin Frijns started in P22 – following a penalty for an over usage of power during an incident in qualifying.

Making up 10 places during the race Frijns showed, once again, his overtaking prowess and finished the race in P12. Meanwhile, team-mate Bird crossed the finish line in the points, having battled his way to 10^th place on the final lap of the race.

Ahead of the race, Bird met British singer Ellie Goulding in the Envision Virgin Racing garage to explain the importance of Formula E in electric vehicle development and the team’s Race Against Climate Change initiative before she headed out on a test lap of the Marrakesh circuit.

Sylvain Filippi, Envision Virgin Racing’s Managing Director, said:

“It’s been another difficult weekend, I can’t say I’m happy to come away with one point but it’s important that we have shown we have the pace and the ability to move forward in a race. After Robin’s incident in qualifying, the guys did a great job to get the car fixed and ready for the race – the penalty he received was unfortunate but not something that we could have controlled. Both drivers fought really hard today to make their way forward and there’s nothing more they could’ve done. I’m confident we can return to our true form next time out in Rome and we’ll be working hard in the meantime to make sure we’re in a really strong position ahead of that race.”

Bird, 33, said: “It’s good to be back in the points today but I think we could’ve been further up if I’m honest. We showed we had the pace but there were a few scrappy moments in the race that meant I dropped back a few places. The team have done a great job this weekend and the car has been fast, I just couldn’t get any more out of it for qualifying and ultimately starting group one means that you have to nail your flying lap. I hope the fans have enjoyed the race today – especially the UK fans who were able to watch live on the BBC – and we’ll be looking to come back stronger again in Rome.”

Dutchman Frijns, 27, added: “Today has been tough, I touched the wall in qualifying which compromised my lap and then I was penalised for an over-usage of power linked to the crash. It’s hard starting near the back and fighting your way forward, especially as we know we’ve got the pace to be out at the front, but I made up 10 places in the race and I’m happy with my performance today. I want to thank the team for putting in a huge effort to get my car fixed before the race started and supporting me throughout the weekend. We’ve got a bit of a gap until the next race now in Rome so I’ll spend some more time on the team’s Silverstone simulator and make sure I’m as prepared as I can be before the next race.”

The sixth round of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship will take place in Rome on Saturday, 4 April. Meanwhile, tomorrow, the team is back in action with the official Formula E rookie test with drivers Nick Cassidy and Alice Powell at the wheel.

RACE RESULTS
ABB FIA Formula E Championship, Round 5, Marrakesh E-Prix:
1. Antonio Felix Da Costa, DS Techeetah, 34 laps (28pts, P)
2. Maximilian Guenther, BMW i Andretti Motorsport, +11.427s (18pts, +1pt)
3. Jean-Eric Vergne, DS Techeetah, +12.034s (15pts)
4. Sebastien Buemi, Nissan e.dams, +12.282s (12pts)
5. Edoardo Mortara, ROKiT Venturi Racing, +15.657s (10pts)
6. Mitch Evans, Panasonic Jaguar Racing, +16.335s (9pts, FL)
7. Lucas Di Grassi, Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler Formula E Team, +18.706s (6pts)
8. Andre Lotterer, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, +19.498s (4pts)
9. Oliver Rowland, Nissan e.dams, +20.126s (2pts)
10. Sam Bird, Envision Virgin Racing, +20.295 (1pt)
12. Robin Frijns, Envision Virgin Racing, +22.373s

DRIVERS’ STANDINGS (after Rd 5)
1. Antonio Felix Da Costa, 67pts
2. Mitch Evans, 56pts
3. Alexander Sims, 46pts
4. Maximilian Guenther, 44pts
5. Lucas DiGrassi, 38pts
10. Sam Bird, 29pts
15. Robin Frijns, 10pts

TEAMS’ STANDINGS (after Rd 5)
1. DS Techeetah, 98pts
2. BMW i Andretti Motorsport, 90pts
3. Panasonic Jaguar Racing, 66pts
4. Nissan e.dams, 57pts
5. Mercedes Benz EQ Formula E Team, 56pts
7. Envision Virgin Racing, 39pts

Sam Bird and Robin Frijns endured a difficult qualifying session for today’s Formula E Marrakesh E-Prix.

The session began under colder conditions than the previous day, with track and air temperatures both under 20C. Briton Bird headed out in group one, whilst Dutchman Frijns, 28, was to set his qualifying lap in group three.

Track evolution played an important role in the group qualifying sessions, with the later groups managing to put in faster times. Bird set a competitive lap time – finishing fourth – but struggled during the first and third sector and couldn’t push further.

Frijns headed out in Group three – where all drivers except James Calado left as a pack. Track times had continued to drop as the circuit warmed but weren’t as low as expected, as the cloudy weather had affected the conditions. Looking fast, Frijns was on a push lap when he touched the wall, compromising the rest of his lap and  meaning he ended the session in P13, just ahead of teammate Bird.

After a difficult qualifying session for Envision Virgin Racing the team will start the race with Frijns in P14 and Bird just behind in P15.

British Formula E fans can catch the Marrakesh E-Prix live on BBC2 from 13:30 UK time, where you can see interviews with Brits Sam Bird and Alice Powell.

The Envision Virgin Racing team enjoyed a strong start to the opening two practice sessions for the Formula E Marrakesh E-Prix.

Held at the Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan, teams and drivers saw a change to the regular one-day format with FP1 taking place on Friday afternoon.

Conditions were world’s apart with track temperatures approaching 50C on Friday afternoon, in contrast to the cold, overcast conditions experienced on Saturday morning.

The first practice session saw the drivers heading out early on to a dirty track, where dust meant that grip was difficult for the beginning of the session. Both Sam Bird and Robin Frijns struggled with traffic during their flying laps and the session ended with Bird in P6 and Frijns in P10.

Race day morning started with a cold FP2 session, with both track and air temperatures below 20C. With just 30 minutes to play with, both  drivers headed out early with Frijns able to establish the third fastest time and Bird a little further down in P14.

Join us next on the team’s social channels for qualifying in Marrakesh at 11:00 local time.

Envision Virgin Racing suffered agony today during the Formula E Mexico City E-Prix in-front of a capacity crowd, as both drivers finished outside the points, despite looking set for at least a podium result.

Starting the day well, the team’s British driver Sam Bird topped the timings in the morning’s practice session and showed the strong pace the team had ahead of qualifying where, once again, the 33-year-old made it into the Superpole shootout.

Starting the race from fifth position, with team-mate Robin Frijns just behind in P6, the pair battled through a scrappy first lap but continued to stay near the front of the pack. Confident with the car and managing the energy, both drivers made their way forward with Bird moving into a podium position and Frijns looking likely to join him.

Frijns was the first to suffer heartbreak, being pushed out of the points following an unfortunate incident with fellow Dutchman Nyck De Vries. With just six minutes left on the clock, Bird – now in second place – was defending hard against Antonio Felix Da Costa but drove onto the dirty side of the track and lost control of his car, sending it into the wall at Turn 3 and dropping down to P9. Withstanding damage, the Brit struggled to continue, ending his race at Turn 13.

Meanwhile, Frijns coxed his damaged car home and ended the race in a disappointing P12 on track which, following a post-race investigation, later saw him disqualified due to overpower usage.

Sylvain Filippi, Envision Virgin Racing’s Managing Director, said: “Today’s race has been bitterly disappointing, to know we could’ve come away with at least one podium – possibly two – is truly agonising. We’ve shown throughout the weekend that we’ve had great pace and both drivers were making strong progress during the early stages. But, as we know, anything can happen in Formula E and we’ll now concentrate on getting a strong points finish at the next race.”

Bird said: “I’m beyond gutted with today, we’d shown just how quick the car was this morning and I was making great progress during the race – a podium finish was in our grasp. Losing it so close to the end of the race is heart breaking but it shows just how difficult this championship is, there’s just no room for error. The team have worked so hard throughout the weekend and it’s difficult to not be bringing the points home, but we’ll work hard over the next week to prepare for Marrakesh.”

Frijns added: “Once again luck was just not on my side here in Mexico. I’d made great progress during the race and believe I could’ve been up there on the podium today, but I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and the incident with Nyck ended any chance of me scoring points today. It’s a difficult day for the team but with Marrakesh just around the corner we’ve got to regroup and begin our preparation for the upcoming race.”

The next race takes place in Marrakesh at the end of the month on Saturday, 29 February.

RACE RESULTS
ABB FIA Formula E Championship, Round 4, Mexico City E-Prix:
1. Mitch Evans, Panasonic Jaguar Racing, 36 laps (25pts, plus 1pt)
2. Antonio Felix Da Costa, DS Techeetah, +4.271s (18pts)
3. Sebastien Buemi Nissan e.dams, +6.181s (15pts)
4. Jean-Eric Vergne, DS Techeetah, +14.331s (12pts)
5. Alexander Sims, BMW i Andretti Motorsport, +19.244s (10pts, 1pt FL)
6. Lucas Di Grassi, Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler Formula E Team, +28.346 (8pts)
7. Oliver Rowland, Panasonic Jaguar Racing, +29.750 (6pts)
8. Edoardo Mortara, ROKiT Venturi Racing, +30.204 (4pts)
9. Pascal Wehrlein Mahindra Racing, +31.132 (2pts)
10. Jerome D’Ambrosio Mahindra Racing, +32.818 (1pt)
DNF. Sam Bird, Envision Virgin Racing
DSQ. Robin Frijns, Envision Virgin Racing

DRIVERS’ STANDINGS (after Rd 4)
1. Mitch Evans, 47pts
2. Alexander Sims, 46pts
3. Antonio Felix Da Costa, 39pts
4. Stoffel Vandoorne, 38pts
5. Lucas Di Grassi, 32pts
6. Sam Bird, 28pts
16. Robin Frijns, 10pts

TEAMS’ STANDINGS (after Rd 4)
1. BMW i Andretti Motorsport, 71pts
2. Panasonic Jaguar Racing, 57pts
3. Mercedes Benz EQ Formula E Team, 56pts
4. DS Techeetah, 55pts
5. Nissan e.dams, 43pts
7. Envision Virgin Racing, 38pt

Sam Bird made his way through to the Superpole shootout during today’s closely fought Mexico City E-Prix, ending the session fifth, with team-mate Robin Frijns just behind in P6.

After setting the fastest time in practice, Bird, 33, was out first in group one for qualifying. Heading out as the last car, he continued to show his  strong pace on his push lap, topping his group, two and a half tenths ahead of the next driver [Vandoorne].

As the next group headed out, the track continued to evolve and Bird was pushed down to fifth place. Next up was Frijns who headed out in group three for qualifying. As the times continued to drop, Frijns put in a fast first sector but a mistake at Turn 10 meant that the Dutchman finished the group in P6.

With both drivers sat in a Superpole shootout position they waited to see what group four would offer. Only one driver was able to go faster and Frijns was pushed down to P7 whilst Bird remained in Superpole at the end of the group stages.

Heading out first for Superpole, Bird put in an impressive first and last sector but unfortunately lost time in the second sector. A sitting duck, Bird waited to see where the rest of the drivers in Superpole would come. Ending the session in P6 on the track, Bird will start fifth, following penalties to another driver, and Frijns will start just behind in sixth.

Envision Virgin Racing’s Sam Bird topped the timesheets during today’s second practice session for the  Mexico City E-Prix.

Following last night’s storm in Mexico City, the morning’s opening session began with a damp track for the first time in the event’s history. Envision Virgin Racing sent both their drivers out when the session turned green to ensure they could gather as much data as possible on the modified 2.606km, 16-turn circuit ahead of this afternoon’s race.

With changes to the track, and some areas having been resurfaced, traction was an issue for all drivers, especially in turn three where the tarmac had begun to breakdown. Conditions proved difficult throughout the session but the track began to evolve and lap times began to drop.

With just 12 minutes left on the clock Daniel Abt had an incident that caused him to take a precautionary visit to the hospital, this meant that a red flag ended the session.

As neither driver had completed full power laps, FP2 was critical for Envision Virgin Racing ahead of qualifying.

The duo headed out early, along with most the pack, to ensure that they utilised the entire session after a shorted FP1. The second session of the morning was incident-free with both drivers able to complete a qualifying (250kW) lap at the end of the session.

Finishing in P1 Bird, 33,  was able to put in the fastest lap of the morning (1:07.672) with  team-mate and Dutchman Robin Frijns just behind in sixth (1:08.148).

Next up, it’s qualifying with Bird out in Group one whilst Frijns will be heading out in Group three.