How the Electric Championship’s race weekends work
Formula E has become better known in recent years, with new fans approaching the category every new season. Here, we discuss everything to know in regards to a typical FE race weekend. The electric championship has a different schedule compared to other motorsport categories, making Formula E a unique championship.
A traditional Formula E weekend
The electric championship usually starts the race weekend on Friday, with teams and drivers on track for the 30-minute long first free practice session. This first day is not open to the public, with only the staff, media, and – of course – the members of the teams having access to the track. The most challenging day is Saturday, which hosts the majority of the action. In the morning, the Formula E cars fly on the asphalt during a second 30-minute session of free practice, used for testing the track. Some hours later, usually during the late morning, it’s time for qualifying.
The Formula E qualifying format can be complex to understand at first, but it is one of the most engaging. The 22 drivers are divided into two groups, with the top four of each group conquering access to the ‘Duels’. The drivers compete against one another in duels until the final, which decides the poleman for the race. The qualifying session lasts one hour.
In the afternoon, drivers and teams are ready for the race, which begins with a standing start. The cars line up behind the actual slots on the grid, making a burnout before moving in place and waiting for the ‘lights out’. Each E-Prix has a previously decided number of laps, but each lap behind the Safety Car has to be added at the end. The longest Formula E race was the 2023 London E-Prix, which lasted 2 hours, 13 minutes, and 56.532 seconds, due to the bad weather conditions and the high number of laps behind the Safety Car.
Formula E chooses to schedule most of the action in one day for logistic and sustainability reasons. With all the action condensed in a single day, the electric championship reduces money and emissions. It keeps Formula E coherent with the message launched.
The double-headers
Formula E is characterized by the presence of the double-headers, two rounds hosted during the same weekend. On these occasions, drivers and teams have a third free practice session. The weekend starts on Friday with the first practice session, followed by the second one on Saturday morning. The second day of the weekend hosts qualifying 1 and race 1.
The following day, on Sunday, Formula E comes back to action for the second round. In the morning, the drivers try the track once again, during the third free practice session. In the late morning, it is time for the second qualifying session, while race 2 is hosted in the afternoon. During Season 11, there will be six double rounds, hosted by Diriyah, Monaco, Tokyo, Shanghai, Berlin, and London. The two races of the weekend are independent, with each round giving full points.
