We are back to Formula E this weekend after 2 weeks! And we had an amazing season so far. From drama on the very first lap to heartbreaks on the final lap, we had a lot of racing and action in just 3 races of the season. We are now onto Mexico, one of the most exciting tracks on Formula E calendar and with a staggering amount of elevation from start to finish. So let's take a look at what to expect from the race.
Mahindra's Pace
Mahindra Racing looks one of the strongest teams so far, with consistency and regular podium positions. Both the drivers also performed at their best, with former F1 driver and Formula E rookie Pascal Wehrlein finishing on podium in only his 2nd race of the season after replacing Felix Rosenqvist in second place in Santiago.
The team's second ace, Jerome d'Ambrosio got a lot of praise from fans and Team Principal Dilbagh Gill when he won the Marrakesh ePrix, a long awaited victory for the team and giving them a chance to fight for the championship.
But nothing can be said just now, as we had 3 different winners in first three races (Antonio Felix da Costa, Jerome d'Ambrosio and Sam Bird). And surprisingly, Jean-Eric Vergne is the only Formula E champion to finish on the podium so far this season.
Will DS Techeetah emerge this time?
Although Techeetah didn't win a single race this season, they are still consistent and 'quietly' fighting for the championship. Vergne finished second in Saudi Arabia, before losing his charm by incident in Marrakesh when he spun at the very first lap. But reigning champion still put a great performance and finished 6th in the race after dropping down to back of the field.
Andre Lotterer also had good finishes, with his season-best performance being fifth position at Ad Diriyah.
The team is currently third in the standings, behind Envision Virgin and Mahindra.
Is Envision Virgin the best so far?
Virgin Racing had a disappointing start to the season with both the cars finishing out of the points. The team improved in the following races, getting double podium and a win in Santiago clinched by Sam Bird.
Both Envision Virgin and its driver Sam Bird lead their respective championships, with 71 points scored collectively by the team while Bird's win in Santiago means he is best of the rest with 43 points, ahead of d'Ambrosio in 2nd place with 41 points. Bird needs another victory or a podium position here in Mexico to extend his championship lead.
BMW's Mistakes
Everything has gone wrong for BMW since Marrakesh. The team had an astonishing start to the season with a win in Saudi Arabia scored by Da Costa but it was the last good thing by him, as the Portuguese driver retired in Marrakesh from lead after collision with his teammate Alexander Sims in last 10 minutes and then retiring with hydraulics problem in Santiago.
Alexander Sims didn't have a very good season either, his season-best being 4th position in Marrakesh when he collided with his teammate.
Reigning Champion's struggles
Although there is no retirement by any of its drivers in first three races, Audi doesn't seem in a state to defend its title. The team had a disastrous season so far, with only good performance being the podium from Daniel Abt in Santiago. The team looks to be improving but drivetrain issues are restricting the team from winning a race. The team is down in 5th position, with the team's best driver Daniel Abt in 7th place.
Venturi's bad luck
Both the Venturi powered cars are highly unreliable on the grid. The Venturi powered HWA Racelab team had a very disappointing season, with at least one of their cars retiring in every single race of the season and double-retirement in Marrakesh. The Formula E rookies and F1 stars had a very unfortunate season, with Stoffel Vandoorne getting multiple retirements in the race despite good performance in qualifying and practice. Former Ferrari Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa didn't have a good season either as a rookie, the Brazilian's best finish being 17th in Saudi Arabia due to engine problems. 3 out of 4 drivers driving the Venturi powered cars are down in last positions including 2018 DTM Champion Gary Paffett, Stoffel Vandoorne and Felipe Massa, all scoring no points so far.
Guenther out, Nasr in
There are changes in driver line-up this weekend for GEOX Dragon, as Maximilian Guenther is replaced by ex-Formula 1 driver and IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Champion Felipe Nasr. Guenther's contract with the team ended after Santiago, with the team refusing to renew his contract and replace him with Nasr. Nasr will make his Formula E debut this weekend, having tested the car earlier in the season.
Circuit Information
The race takes place at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, in the heart of Mexico City. The track is partly oval and is 2.093 km (1.301 miles) long with 17 corners, being 7 to the left and 10 to the right.
Sebastien Buemi set a lap record of 1:03.102 around the circuit in 2017 so it needs to be seen whether or not the Gen 2 cars are capable of beating the lap record.
The circuit is a great spectacle for fans as the circuit's stadium section has lots of overtaking and audience sitting near the track. And this year, to make it even better, the attack mode's activation zone is placed at Turns 8 and 9 which is a great way to improve overtaking.
There were 3 different winners since the race was first held in 2016, with Daniel Abt being the most recent. Audi is most successful constructor here, winning the race twice in 2017 and 2018.
Weather
After the hottest race in history of Formula E at Santiago, the season moves to a rather chilly region as weather is normal at Mexico. The maximum temperature is 28°C with minimum being 17°C. No rain is expected all day long.
Conclusion
The Mexican ePrix is going to a thriller if not the best race. Will we have a new race winner again? Or will the title title fight settle finally with a repeated winner? Only the time will tell.
2019 Mexico City ePrix kicks off with Practice 1 today on 6 pm Pakistan Time/8 am Eastern Time.
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