Formula E: details of the two first races of the season

Published on Thursday, 16 February 2017

“The partnership between Formula E and Enel is of huge strategic importance: Enel shares our vision for the future of energy and the idea of making cities greener”

– Alejandro Agag, Formula E CEO

Until July, ten teams of two drivers each will compete in cities around the world. After Argentina, the next-generation cars will travel to Mexico, Monaco, France, Germany, Belgium, United States and Canada.

If you missed any detail, learn everything that happened in the first two races of this season!

In the heart of Hong Kong, Formula E was a technology storm

A technology storm hit Hong Kong on October 9th 2016. A track set in the heart of the Chinese metropolis hosted the first race of the 2016-17 Formula E season. The podium at the end of the race reaffirmed the favouritism and the stars of the previous season, with a Sebastién Buemi (Renault-e.dams) victory, ahead of Lucas Di Grassi (ABT-Audi), and Nick Heidfeld (Mahindra).

The Hong Kong ePrix marked the beginning of the partnership between Enel and the championship. In the pits, on the track and spread throughout all environments of the event, our infrastructure and network technicians assembled a special system to capture critical energy parameters. During the several phases of the event, while the drivers covered the 2km circuit at 200km/h, the energy consumption and flows were monitored in real time. Moreover, motoring fans were able to help the pilots through FanBoost - an online tool that allows you to direct extra power to your favourite driver.

Maximum speed under the sun of Marrakech, in North Africa

A butterfly-shaped circuit measuring 2.97km with three straights and 12 laps: the Marrakech ePrix, held on November 12th 2016, proved that technology is our greatest ally in the fight against environmental damage.

The fascinating Moroccan city, with almost 350 sunny days per year, was the perfect place to reflect on the meaning and prospects of renewable energy. After all, besides the race, in the same week,   the city hosted the COP22 meeting, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in which Enel was participating.

Even the drivers, including Sébastien Buemi (Renault e.Dams), understood how fundamental it is to manage your resources in an intelligent way. During the first laps of the Moulay El Hassan race, the current Formula E world champion almost risked his chances of winning the race by using too much power. His smart and furious driving, alongside a perfect pit stop, allowed the Swiss driver to cross the finish line first. Sébastien kept the leadership of the championship, finishing the race ahead of British driver Sam Bird (DS Virgin Racing), Swede Felix Rosenqvist (Mahindra Racing) and Brazilian Lucas di Grassi (ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport).

Very close by, motoring fans had the opportunity to feel the same emotion as the pilots with the new solar-powered racing simulator, developed in collaboration with Enel.

Alejandro Agag, Formula E CEO, and Francesco Venturini, Enel Green Power CEO, also gave the virtual car a whirl. At the end of the experiment, Venturini evaluated Enel's partnership with Formula E.

 

“We are engaged in raising the bar of innovation as much as possible, especially in those events raced on urban tracks that are harder to fuel with renewable energy ”

ENEL