Formula E Season 10 Preview Pt.2
Image Source: ABB Media
January 9th, 2024
Formula E returns for its tenth installment in 2024 with the championship set to be close as ever. After Jake Dennis claimed his maiden with the Andretti team, the likes of Nick Cassidy, Jean-Eric Verne and many others are chasing the reigning Formula E World Champion with 16 races ahead across three continents. 22 Drivers and 11 Teams will line up for the opening round in Mexico City this upcoming weekend to start the championship in the best way possible.
Here’s the second and final preview of teams and drivers for the season ahead:
Image Source: Formula E Media
Andretti Global
2023 Standings: 3rd (252 Points)
Andretti aims to go back-to-back in the driver’s championship in Season 10 and improve on their third place in the Teams standings as they retain defending champion Jake Dennis and Norman Nato who has moved from Nissan over the off-season. Andretti is set to fight once again for the championships, but ultimately the larger manufacturers will be too much and they'll slip in both the driver’s and team’s championships.
2024 Prediction (Teams): 5th
Jake Dennis #1
2023 Season: 1st (229 Points)
After the perfect start to Season nine, Jake Dennis fought off all his competitors to secure his maiden Formula E Championship, but his title defence in Season 10 will be a tough challenge with a variety of new tracks that have replaced locations he performed exceptionally well, claiming podiums including Rome and Jakarta. After 10 podiums last season, Dennis will need to replicate his consistency during Season 10 to be the first driver since Jean-Eric Vergne to claim his second straight championship but will face a wave of new and returning threats at the top of the standings.
2024 Prediction: 4th
Norman Nato #17
2023 Season: 10th (63 Points)
After a quiet but strong Season 9 including a podium in Rome, Norman Nato over the off-season signed with Andretti for his third team in as many seasons for the Frenchman. Nato can outperform Dennis on his best day but must aim to be a strong rear gunner alongside his British teammate.
2024 Prediction: 15th
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ABT Cupra Formula E Team
2023 Standings: 11th (21 Points)
Season 10 can’t get any worse than Season 9 was in terms of race pace for ABT Cupra after finishing the championship last of all teams with only 21 points. Despite a shock pole in Berlin which saw the team Lockout the front row in the wet conditions, the team failed to show any dry weather speed finishing 17th and 9th, reflecting their overall performance throughout the season with Robin Frijns, Nico Muller and Kelvin Van Der Linde. In 2024, ABT Cupra must step up with Champion Lucas Di Grassi joining the team after Robin Frijns moved back to Envision, as Nico Muller continues for his second season with the team. We see ABT Cupra performing better this season as NIO 333 transitions to ERT and the acquisition of Di Grassi to bring greater pace and more consistency moving forward.
2024 Prediction (Teams): 10th
Lucas Di Grassi #11
2023 Season: 15th (32 Points)
After a disappointing Season 9, Di Grassi moves to his fourth team in as many years after leaving Audi Sport in Season .. for Venturi before moving to Mahindra last season. Despite the successful signs in Mexico City to start the season last year with a Pole Position and third place, Di Grassi only managed two further points finishes. Although the Brazilian might perform well in Mexico with ABT Cupra, being the most successful driver at the track, the remaining rounds might fail to provide much success, similar to Season 9.
2024 Prediction: 16th
Nico Muller #51
2023 Season: 19th (15 Points)
After claiming a front-row start in the wet of Berlin, Muller comfortably managed to beat his teammate Robin Frijns once the Dutchman returned from his injury. Whether Muller can improve in Season 10 is dependent on the machinery ABT Cupra can provide the Swiss driver, but if he can consistently stick with teammate Di Grassi, Muller can provide some surprise performances.
2024 Prediction: 19th
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DS Penske
2023 Standings: 4th (163 Points)
Season 9 was a mediocre start for the DS and Penske partnership that saw only three podiums, all from Jean-Eric Vergne as Stoffel Vandoorne failed to break the top 10 in the standings in his championship defence seeing only a pole position to his name, but can rise into a championship threat again in Season 10. The partnership between DS and Penske will step to the next level in the upcoming season but the team must aim to challenge the top teams or Envision, Jaguar, and Andretti or serious questions must be asked about the team throughout and into next season.
2024 Prediction (Teams): 2nd
Stoffel Vandoorne #2
2023 Season: 11th (56 Points)
Stoffel Vandoorne failed to live up to his Season 8 championship pace after the departure of Mercedes. The Belgian will aim to return to the podium in Season 10 and improve on his small 56-point total of last season. Although Vandoorne on his best day can place the DS Penske at the front of the field, we do see the three-time race winner returning as a championship challenger.
2024 Prediction: 7th
Jean-Eric Vergne #25
2023 Season: 5th (107 Points)
Jean-Eric Vergne led the PS Penske charge in Season 9 with a victory in the sole Hyderabad E-prix helping the Frenchman to 5th in the standings. The 33-year-old will have an experience advantage as he starts his 10th season in the championship as Formula E expands to new tracks in Italy, China and Tokyo. We expect Vergne to challenge for his third Formula E championship in Season 10 alongside the range of rival young talent.
2024 Prediction: 3rd
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NEOM McLaren Formula E Team
2023 Standings: 8th (88 Points)
McLaren failed to break the 100-point barrier in Season 9 despite the Rookie speed of Jake Hughes and the Experience of Rene Rast. The Team only managed to claim three points finishes in the final half of the season and must start Season 10 better with the experience of Sam Bird after the Brit’s three seasons with Jaguar. Hughes had a great Rookie pace to begin the season with two pole positions and eight-points finishes. We see the McLaren team rising again with a genuine raw speed lineup, but must ensure every point is captured.
2024 Prediction (Teams): 6th
Sam Bird #8
2023 Season: 8th (95 Points)
Sam Bird in Season 9 went his second straight year without a victory with Jaguar after the previous seven-year streak of claiming at least one victory a season, but Bird still managed to outscore the Mclaren team on his own with a 95-point haul. Bird must aim with new teammate Hughes to avoid contact after various collisions last season with Mitch Evans, which cost the Kiwi the championship. The Brit managed to stand on the podium four times in Season 9 and must improve on McLaren’s sole podium last year. Similar to the lack of Development in other Electric series, Bird will slide down the standings due to McLaren’s lack of speed.
2024 Prediction: 14th
Jake Hughes #5
2023 Season: 12th (48 Points)
Jake Hughes impressed in his rookie season as he led the British team throughout the season over former teammate Renee Rast. Hughes will have a tough task alongside Sam Bird in Season 10 but showed the flashes of speed that can see him once again lead the team in 2024 in not only qualifying but race pace.
2024 Prediction: 9th
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Maserati MSG Racing
2023 Standings: 6th (140 Points)
Maserati managed to claw a respectable sixth in the standings last season with the end-of-season performances from Maximilian Gunther in Jakarta and Rome. Sadly for the Italian outfit, those two rounds have fallen off the calendar in Season 10 and must improve elsewhere to stay competitive. With the acquisition of rookie Jehan Daruvala, Gunther will be lifting the team in the standings as Daruvala gets accompanied with the Gen3 machinery and could see them drop if teams around them can jump forward in performance.
2024 Prediction (Teams): 7th
Maximilian Gunther #7
2023 Season: 7th (101 Points)
Maserati’s shining light of Season 9 was without a doubt Maxi Gunther who claimed four podiums, back-to-back pole positions and the team's first victory after the change from Rokit Venturi. Gunther was able to unlock the speed of the Gen3 chassis in the second half of the season finishing 7th in the standings despite a slow start to the year in scoring his first points of the season in the seventh round of the championship. The Young German has been set the task of leading the Italian team forward in Season 10 with a new rookie teammate but will be a contender in numerous qualifying sessions this year and an outsider for the championship.
2024 Prediction: 6th
Jehan Daruvala #18
2023 Season: (Formula 2: 12th, 59 Points)
Jehan Daruvala will be the sole rookie of the 2023-2024 season of the Formula E Championship after spending the last four years racing in the Formula 2 championship, winning four races and a best standings finish of 7th in 2021 and 2022. Formula E will present a new driving experience that has historically taken drivers multiple races to reach their potential.
2024 Prediction: 20th
TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team
2023 Standings: 4th (242 Points)
Despite three wins in the opening five races in Season 9, Porsche failed to capitalise on its early speed to secure its first championships as Andretti stole top honours. Pascal Wherlein’s performance throughout the season was phenomenal to only miss points once all season, but fell over 75 points short of the championship as the team stumbled to the lower end of the top 10 for the remainder of the season. Expectations in Season 10 for the illustrious German outfit will be to claim their first titles, but consistency at the front of the field must be achieved from Antonio Felix Da Costa and Wherlein. With the potential rise of DS Penske and powerhouse Jaguar, we see Porsche retaining their Top four status.
2024 Prediction (Teams): 4th
Antonio Felix da Costa #13
2023 Season: 9th (93 Points)
Antonio Felix Da Costa stitched up his sole victory of Season 9 after a daring pass on Jean-Eric Vergne to claim victory in Cape Town but wasn't able to capitalise on the speed teammate Wherlein was able to unlock in the Gen3 machinery. After finishing half the season outside points-paying positions, Da Costa will need to rediscover his championship-winning consistency to take him back to the front and support the team. The Portuguese driver faces the uphill battle in Season 10 with Wherlein as fast as ever and rival teams learn more in the second season of Gen3.
2024 Prediction: 11th
Pascal Wehrlein #94
2023 Season: 4th (149 Points)
Pascal Wherlein was the championship favourite in the opening half of Season 9 but was able to stay with the likes of Dennis, Cassidy or Evans as the championship progressed. Despite a win in Jakarta, Wherlein’s hopes of a maiden Formula E Championship had been dashed despite the German’s raw speed and consistency. Wherlein will be an early-season contender in Mexico and Diriyah with historically top-of-the-field speed but needs to take it to Evans and Cassidy to challenge for the championship. We see him as another Top 5 contender, but won't be able to improve on his 4th in the standings during season 9.
2024 Prediction: 5th
