With crunch time approaching in the intriguing 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship title fight, it is somewhat appropriate that competitors should be Big Apple-bound this weekend (10/11 July), as New York – a city famous for entertainment – prepares to host the season’s next high-speed instalment.

With eight different winners and no fewer than 18 podium-finishers from the opening nine rounds of the campaign, nobody has been able to break away from the pack, setting the scene for a spectacular double-header in the North American metropolis. The unforgiving streets of Brooklyn’s Red Hook district have played host to the all-electric single-seater series on three occasions since first joining the calendar in 2016, and have never disappointed in the drama stakes.

Following his first victory of the season in Mexico last time out, ROKiT Venturi Racing’s Edoardo Mortara now leads the field but the Swiss star failed to finish either of his two previous races in New York, so he will have his sights solidly set on making it to the chequered flag as he strives to preserve his current advantage.

Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing) conceded the top spot to Mortara in Puebla, but the Dutchman has an ace up his sleeve. He claimed his most recent Formula E triumph in the shadow of Manhattan’s unmistakeable skyline just under two years ago, so he knows what it takes to conquer the Brooklyn Street Circuit.

Behind Mortara and Frijns, defending champion António Félix da Costa is continuing to stealthily climb his way up the classification, and the DS TECHEETAH driver arrives in New York – where he reached the rostrum in 2019 – occupying third position in the table, tied on points with Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s René Rast and Jaguar Racing’s Mitch Evans.

Rast has been the dark horse of the season so far, quietly going about his business and scoring consistently well in a campaign in which most of his rivals have found consistency hard to come by. The German posted fastest lap in both of the Mexican races last month, but will be discovering the Brooklyn Street Circuit for the first time.  Evans, conversely, sped to second place on Formula E’s latest visit to the track, and a similar result this weekend would certainly bolster his title aspirations.

The New Zealander’s Jaguar team-mate Sam Bird has slipped down the order somewhat after grabbing the championship lead back in April, with just one subsequent top ten finish to his name. The Briton, however, achieved a double victory on Formula E’s debut in New York in 2017, and at only 23 points adrift of the summit of the standings, an 11^th career triumph would vault him immediately back into contention.

Mercedes EQ’s Nyck de Vries is another to have conceded some ground since the early stages of the campaign, but the Dutchman is the sole multiple winner of the season to-date and on his day, is a match for anyone. Stablemate Stoffel Vandoorne has all too often found himself having to fight through the field from lowly grid slots of late, but the Belgian’s raw pace and racecraft are beyond doubt and if they can qualify well, he and de Vries will be surefire threats.

Jake Dennis is enjoying an impressive rookie campaign for BMW i Andretti Motorsport, while fellow Briton Oliver Rowland has not always seen his speed rewarded in 2020/21 – although a podium in Puebla perhaps hints at a change of fortunes for the Nissan e.dams ace.

Rowland’s team-mate, Sébastien Buemi, is the undisputed qualifying king in New York, grabbing pole position there in three of his four starts and winning in 2019. Indeed, the 2015/16 champion has never finished lower than fourth in the Big Apple – and if he can maintain that form in Season Seven, he will improve significantly upon the uncharacteristic 22^nd spot he presently occupies.

Fellow title-winner Jean-Éric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH) is another driver with happy memories of the event, having won in 2018 and clinched his second crown there 12 months later to become Formula E’s first and to-date only two-time champion.

TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein will be bidding to bounce back quickly from his Mexican disappointment, while rookie Nick Cassidy, by contrast, is aiming to build upon the momentum of his finest finish to-date after taking the flag second last time out for Envision Virgin Racing.

Lucas Di Grassi is another former New York winner for Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, and the Brazilian’s Puebla victory proved that he can never be discounted. Mahindra Racing’s British pairing of Alexander Sims and Alex Lynn are both previous pole-sitters in Brooklyn, but while the former converted that into the runner-up spoils in 2019, the latter has yet to trouble the scorers there. Joel Eriksson, meanwhile, remains on-board at Dragon/Penske Autosport, having initially stood in for Nico Müller in Mexico.

The first New York City E-Prix will begin at 16:34 local time (20:34 GMT) on Saturday, 10 July, with race two following at 13:34 local time (17:34 GMT