Third Formula E season gets underway in Hong Kong
The FIA Formula E championship kicks off in Hong Kong this Sunday, 9 October. Ten teams and twenty drivers will battle it out for victory in the third edition of the championship for all-electric-powered cars
The first round of the FIA Formula E season gets underway on 9 October in one of the most fascinating cities of the world, on a circuit specially built up on the island of Hong Kong over a length of 1.86 kilometres. It features ten corners wending their way around the famous bay, which provides a truly unique backdrop. In fact, this third season of Formula E runs from now until July 2017, visiting some of the most beautiful cities in the world including Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Monaco, Paris and Berlin, with others, Marrakesh, Brussels, New York and Montreal making their debut as venues.
One of the main aims of the championship is indeed to bring motor sport into the heart of major cities, to introduce it to a whole new and younger audience, as well as promoting a new model of more sustainable mobility, linked to the increased use of electric vehicles.
“In its first two years, Formula E has managed to establish itself as one of the most dynamic forms of motor sport,” commented FIA President Jean Todt. “The concept is not just a new racing discipline, as the way the events are run is also based on a new model, with everything taking place on a single day, from 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon, all of it taking place in the heart of city. That way, it brings four-wheeled motor sport to a sector of the public who otherwise might never have had this opportunity.
“Watching a motor race in the heart of Paris was for me personally a dream come true and now I can’t wait to attend the event in Hong Kong, an amazing city which will provide an incomparable setting for the debut of motor sport on its streets.”
As a prologue to the Hong Kong ePrix, drivers will be able to give their cars a shake-down at 15:00 on Saturday 8 October. Then, as from 8 on Sunday morning, the official programme gets underway, as per the following timetable:
Start | Finish | Session |
8.00 | 8.45 | Non qualifying practice 1 |
10.30 | 11.00 | Non qualifying practice 2 |
12.00 | 12.06 | Qualifying Group 1 |
12.10 | 12.16 | Qualifying Group 2 |
12.20 | 12.26 | Qualifying Group 3 |
12.30 | 12.36 | Qualifying Group 4 |
12.45 | 13.00 | Super Pole |
16.04 |
| Race |
Circuit: Hong Kong Central Harbourfront
Length: 1.860 km
Start/finish line offset: 102 m
Number of laps: 45
Entry list
Team | Driver | Number |
ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport | Daniel Abt | 66 |
| Lucas di Grassi | 11 |
Andretti Formula E | Antonio Felix da Costa | 28 |
| Robin Frijns | 27 |
DS Virgin Racing | Sam Bird | 2 |
| José Maria Lopez | 37 |
Faraday Future Dragon Racing | Jerome D’Ambrosio | 7 |
| Loïc Duval | 6 |
Mahindra Racing | Nick Heidfeld | 23 |
| Felix Rosenqvist | 19 |
NEXTEV NIO | Nelson Piquet Jr. | 3 |
| Oliver Turvey | 88 |
Panasonic Jaguar Racing | Adam Carroll | 47 |
| Mitch Evans | 20 |
Renault eDAMS | Sebastien Buemi | 9 |
| Nicolas Prost | 8 |
Techeetah | Qing Hua Ma | 33 |
| Jean-Eric Vergne | 25 |
Venturi Formula E Team | Maro Engel | 5 |
| Stephane Sarrazin | 4 |