• Formula E returns to Indonesia for expanded double-header race weekend with new leaders in Drivers’ and Teams’ standings
• Nick Cassidy and Envision Racing go into the 2023 GulaVit Jakarta E-Prix on top after overcoming Porsche’s early-season dominance
• Huge Indonesian fanbase will see the GEN3 race car in action for the first time
Dubai, Riyadh, 1 June 2023: Formula E returns to Jakarta this weekend with Nick Cassidy and his Envision Racing team both leading the ABB FIA Formula World Championship standings after powering past long-time leader Pascal Wehrlein and his TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team last time out in Monaco.
Following the championship’s debut in Indonesia last season and the huge welcome from fans who packed the area around the Jakarta International E-Prix Circuit in Ancol Beach, the 2023 Gulavit Jakarta E-Prix has expanded to a double-header with Rounds 10 and 11 taking place this weekend (Saturday, 3 June and Sunday, 4 June).
Indonesia is home to 273 million people and a huge contingent of motorsport fans who made last year’s debut the most-watched live race by a domestic audience in Formula E history.
This year, fans will see the Southeast Asia debut of the GEN3 – the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built. They will also be hoping for more twists in the storyline of this season’s gripping championship following Kiwi Cassidy’s storming drive from ninth on the grid in Monaco to win the race and go top of the standings.
Cassidy led home Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) and was under severe duress from his countryman and factory Jaguar driver until a late-race Safety Car made the win certain.
Like a 150mph game of chess, the race in Monaco ebbed and flowed as leaders vied for control and to set the pace but Cassidy's decisive early-race moves yielded the ultimate result, with the Kiwi placing his I-TYPE 6 perfectly around the outside of three rival cars at the Fairmont Hairpin on Lap 4 and managing to hit the front as early as Lap 7 through the first round of ATTACK MODE activations.
Once his engineer gave the green light for a six-lap sprint finish, Cassidy didn't look back, despite the close attention of Evans who finished in second.
That victory leaves Cassidy on 121 pts, 20 pts clear of TAG Heuer Porsche's long-time leader Wehrlein in the Drivers' table.
Wehrlein had led the way from Rounds 2 and 3 in Diriyah but a downturn in form for the German has opened the door to the Jaguar-powered Envision and the factory Jaguar TCS Racing outfit, spearheaded by Evans - last year's winner in Indonesia.
Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) is in third place in the standings on 96 pts following a return to form in Monaco with third place in the race. Evans is just two points back on 94 pts.
Jean-Éric Vergne in the DS PENSKE did enough to leave Monaco fifth in the running after a stunning recovery from the very back of the pack to finish seventh.
In the Teams’ standings, Envision Racing has leapt to the top on 182 pts, 14 pts ahead of TAG Heuer Porsche on 169 pts, while Jaguar TCS Racing sits third on 156 pts.
The Porsche 99X Electric still has the performance within but unlocking it consistently over a lap and in qualifying appears to be an ongoing and potentially costly issue, especially with new standings leader Cassidy sealing two wins and four further podiums in the last six rounds.
The GulaVit Jakarta E-Prix double-header offers plenty of points for all that to change. Everyone from Vergne upwards in the title race is in with a shot of heading into the final third of the inaugural GEN3 campaign on top.
Saturday’s race will be 36 laps and 38 laps on Sunday’s race, meaning teams and drivers will need to adjust their race strategies across the double-header weekend.
RETURN TO A NEW FORMULA E FAVOURITE:
Formula E’s 11 teams and 22 drivers faced a new challenge at the Jakarta International E-Prix Circuit last season. The purpose-built street track brings the best elements of street racing to picturesque Ancol Beach – Southeast Asia’s largest park, welcoming some 40,000 visitors a day.
Unique banked sections, undulations, bumps and a mix of technical and high-speed sections will provide a real test. A sellout crowd enjoyed the inaugural encounter in the city last year complete with a city festival.
The 2.37km, 18-turn circuit kicks off with a tight opening sector after a long run down the start/finish straight. There is plenty of room for manoeuvre into the right hander at Turn 1 before drivers head into a flowing series of turns that swoop by Ancol Beach City. The final sector is a tricky complex following a fast right-hander at Turn 12 and another long straight into what will be a busy Turn 13 hairpin. An awkward left-hander at Turn 18 rounds out the lap with a strong slingshot required down the long home straight.
The circuit's development is aimed at leaving a lasting legacy in the city, breathing new life into Ancol Beach and kickstarting the city’s post-pandemic tourism comeback. City authorities have also earmarked the location as a potential centre for innovation as Indonesia drives towards a complete EV transition by 2050.
The event will be 100% powered by sustainably-sourced HVO and as ever in the world’s first net zero sport, the 2023 GulaVit Jakarta E-Prix is a net zero carbon event. Formula E will measure, reduce, and offset all its unavoidable emissions by investing in renewable energy production.
WHEN TO WATCH:
Action gets underway with Free Practice 1 on Friday 2 June from 15:20 local time with Free Practice 2 from 09:10 local on Saturday 3 June. Qualifying follows at 10:40 local and Round 10 itself starts at 15:00 local.
Free Practice 3 starts at 08:10 local on Sunday 4 June. Qualifying comes next at 10:40 local with Round 11 at 15:00 local.
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
All qualifying sessions and both races will be live on Saudi Sport Company’s (SSC) linear channel SSC 2 as well as their digital platform shahid.net. Across the Middle East and North Africa, Dubai Sports 2 will be airing qualifying and races.
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