Season 8 of the all-electric ABB FIA Method E World Championship racing sequence is about to kick off this weekend in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. As ever, the sequence continues to behave as one thing of a proving floor for improvements to “enhance the present,” and this season isn’t any totally different due to a brand new, “knockout qualifying” format.
It’s hoped that the brand new qualifying format will deliver much more pleasure to the Method E race weekend by persevering with to permit one of the best groups and drivers to showcase their pace and ability whereas they jockey for observe place, but additionally enhance the probability that any driver may “get it proper,” pull a lap out of the bag, and discover themselves ranging from the sharp finish of the grid.
The brand new qualifying format splits the sector of twenty-two automobiles into two teams of 11 drivers every, decided utilizing their rating within the Method E Driver’s World Championship.
From there, every group of 11 “battles it out” at 220 kW to set quick lap instances in a 10-minute session. The 4 drivers from every group with the 4 quickest single laps then progress to the “Duels” stage.
The Duels are simply what they sound like, pitting the ultimate eight Method E qualifiers in opposition to one another, separately, till just one stays (as proven, under). That successful driver takes the Julius Baer-sponsored Pole Place award, whereas the runner-up strains up second. The semi-finalists will line up third and fourth and the quarter-finalists between fifth and eighth, in line with their finest lap instances.
To my eyes, it’s a little bit of a multitude – however my baseline is the old-school IMSA sports activities automotive days the place you’d exit one after the other and jam out your laps and that was it. You bought what you bought. This appears needlessly sophisticated, however the head-to-head side of the brand new format, ratified final Friday, ought to positively add to the present. And that, finally, is the objective.
“Our new qualifying format will showcase the groups and drivers head-to-head all through the season whereas nonetheless permitting any driver on their day to take pole place,” says Alberto Longo, the Chief Championship Officer and Co-founder of Method E, echoing that sentiment. “For our followers, the brand new qualifying format was designed to be intuitive, unpredictable, and entertaining.”
The groups appear into it
The Jaguar TCS Racing group – which narrowly missed out on successful the Season 7 Groups’ Championship, with 177 factors vs. Crew Mercedes-EQ at 181 – put out a press launch earlier at this time about being prepared and desperate to get Season 8 of Method E began, which appears to suggest that they really feel the qualifying format will serve their pursuits.
“At Jaguar TCS Racing there’s nice pleasure to be beginning season eight of the ABB FIA Method E World Championship. After such a aggressive season seven, we’ve been working exhausting as a group to place ourselves in a powerful place this season and we will’t wait to lastly go racing in our Jaguar I-TYPE 5 and begin the struggle for World Championship,” says Jaguar TCS Racing Crew Principal, James Barclay. “With a brand new qualifying format there are undoubtedly issues we’re going to study this weekend, however we’re trying ahead to the lights going inexperienced as soon as once more.”
The ABB FIA Method E World Championship returns to Diriyah, and the historic desert environment of the UNESCO World Heritage website for the fourth season, for a double-header weekend kickoff to Season 8. Click on right here to search out out how one can watch the races reside in your space.
Electrek’s Take
Season 8 is the final Method E season with the present automobiles, so subsequent season is all change, with new producers and new drivers coming in, and extra freedom to develop batteries among the many groups, which may result in a technical arms race. That stated, Method E has delivered constantly tight and thrilling races – particularly in season 7 – and season 8 seems to be like it would proceed that development.
Positively price watching.
Supply | Photos: Method E, Jaguar TCS.