Formula E Stuns in Homestead

With a distinctly international flavor, FIA Formula E brought a new and unique form of facing to Homestead last weekend. The 22 drivers running represented 10 different nationalities.

Their open-wheeled electrically powered race cars typically run with 300 KW (408 HP) but can be boosted to 350 KW (476HP) for eight minutes in attack mode. Attack mode and the rules surrounding it would prove to be huge in the final results of this third South Florida race over the series’ 11 seasons.

After practice on Friday and early Saturday morning, qualifying began at 9:40 am. The last 14 starting positions are set based on lap times in 12-minute group sessions with 11 cars on track at a time. The top four cars in each group will contend for the eight top spots in a three-round-knockout format.

Nissan’s Norman Nato won the pole, with Andretti driver Jake Dennis in second. The afternoon race began with a standing start, which highlighted the acceleration of the Formula E cars.

The long straights of the HMS road course necessitated an energy conservation strategy, much like when NASCAR drivers are told to save fuel. That strategy made for slower lap times compared to practice and qualifying, but the long straights allowed many places to pass.

Toward mid-race, the TAG Heuer Porsche team drivers Antonio Felix da Costa, who had started near the front of the field, and Pascal Wehrlein, who had worked his way forward from the ninth starting position, began to dominate.

As drivers and teams shifted from conserving to going all out, the power-boosting attack mode came into play. Wehrlein passed da Costa for the lead on lap 16. A three-car incident at the chicane on the back straight caused a red flag to allow for an extensive cleanup. As the cars sat in the pits, some who had attack mode enabled ran out, and others found themselves unable to use up their required time in that mode.

The race restarted with four laps to go. The final lap saw pole sitter Norman Nato push his Nissan past leader Pascal Wehrlein at the finish line. Wehrlein had been told by his team that Nato would be penalized and to “not do anything silly.”

After 10-second penalties were assessed to those not using all of their attack modes, Wehrlein was declared the winner, and Nato dropped to sixth. Lola’s Lucas di Grassi and Antonio Felix da Costa, Wehrlein’s Porsche teammate, were elevated to second and third from sixth and seventh, respectively.

Formula E transformed the look and feel of the Speedway to resemble what we see in televised F-1 races. With lavish sponsor suites constructed around the track and 17,000 grandstand fans, Race Officials, Homestead-Miami Speedway Officials, and Homestead Vice Mayor Shawn Fletcher all termed it a success. We’ll have to wait and see if this unique race returns to Homestead next year.