Formula E is ready for Season 11, with the Gen3-Evo cars debuting on track during the pre-season test.
The Electric championship is getting ready for a new season, with the first race, the Sao Paulo E-Prix, scheduled for December 7th. Preparations for Season 11 start a month before the Brazilian race weekend.
Formula E will have a four-day testing session between November 4th and 7th – next week. The Ricardo Tormo circuit will host the pre-season testing in Valencia.
The Spanish Autodrome is a traditional venue for Formula E, which has hosted the pre-season tests during the past eight years. There will not be television coverage, but Formula E will make the session accessible on its website, posting not only the live timing but also the standings of every session and the interviews of the main characters of the testing.
Formula E test: Gen3-Evo cars
For the first time, teams and drivers will drive the new Gen3-Evo car. This model is a transitional machine between the Gen 3 single-seater and the Gen4 one, which will debut in Formula E in Season 13. This next generation will bring a feature of power steering. The new Gen3-Evo car has an acceleration of 0-60 mph which is 36% faster than the car used during Season 10. The pre-season testing will be an important test bench for the innovation path of the championship.
The main character of the tests will be the Attack Charge, the charging pitstop that was to debut in Season 10. The system provides a 10% power charge during a 30-second pit stop. The Attack Charge was studied during the pre-season test of Season 10. It was set to debut during the Misano E-Prix. Its introduction has been pushed forward due to the change of cars in Season 11.
The teams have worked on this new element during the summer. However, it’s not certain it will be used during the next season. In Valencia, teams and drivers will simulate an Attack Charge, to understand if it’s possible to use it during the race weekends.
A women’s dedicated session
Formula E testing will be open to the public during the last day of action, on November 7th. This last day of testing will mark an important date for motorsport and the FIA, with the category that introduced – for the first time in history – a women’s dedicated testing session, which will take place in the afternoon.
The teams have to select one or two female drivers to complete as many laps as possible with a Gen3-Evo car. Between the women on track, there will be important names, such as the F1 Academy 2024 protagonist Abbi Pulling and the F1 Academy 2023 winner Marta Garcia. All drivers taking part in the test will hold a press conference and will participate in the media duties.
To celebrate the women’s test, Formula E planned a special Girls on Track event, inviting 400 local girls to discover the track and the electric championship world. During the past years, FE has organized many Girls on Track events to introduce young women to the motorsport world.
In its ten seasons of existence, only three female drivers have competed in the category, with the organization trying to become more inclusive and bringing a new woman to the paddock. This all-female test is a massive step forward in the initiative.
