Formula E Valencia Pre-Season Testing
Frijns tops Formula E simulation race in Valencia test
Envision’s Robin Frijns topped Formula E’s pre-season simulation race at Valencia, passing Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa in the final moments.
Stefan Mackley
Edited: Oct 27, 2023, 8:00 PM
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The 27-lap race was held on Friday morning and offered drivers, teams and race control the chance to run through procedures including Attack Mode activations, full course yellows and safety cars.
Jaguar’s Mitch Evans, who has topped both sessions to take place at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Spain so far, started at the front of the field as a safety car led the pack for two laps.
Once racing commenced, reigning champion Jake Dennis moved to the front of the field as team-mate Norman Nato followed through into second.
ERT’s Sergio Sette Camara was the first driver to suffer problems, pitting after only one lap, before being followed into the pits by Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz, although the latter was able to rejoin several tours in arrears.
A new dynamic for drivers and teams to adapt to during the race was the addition of fast-charging pitstops which are set to be introduced this season.
Given the battery fire which impacted the test earlier this week, the fast-charging was only simulated, with drivers stationary for approximately 30 seconds in the pits before being released back out onto the track.
Da Costa was one of the first to make this mandatory stop on lap 13 having moved to the head of the field over the proceeding laps, and he was followed in by Maserati MSG’s Maximilian Guenther and McLaren’s Sam Bird.
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Sebastien Buemi, Envision Racing, Jaguar I-TYPE 6 Lucas di Grassi, ABT CUPRA Formula E Team, M9Electro
The majority of leading runners pitted over the following laps, with Abt Cupra’s Nico Muller and Frijns the final two drivers to pull into the pits on lap 20 and 21 respectively.
Frijns managed to rejoin just in front of the chasing pack, which was headed by Evans, Envision’s Sebastien Buemi, Guenther and da Costa.
This was shortly after the McLarens of Bird and Jake Hughes were called into the pits to end their race simulations early.
A full course yellow was deployed just moments after Frijns activated Attack Mode, which dropped the Dutchman down to third behind the fast rising da Costa and Evans.
Once racing resumed at full speed both Andretti drivers went to activate Attack Mode but ended up in the Turn 8 gravel before rejoining safely and without damage.
At the front, Frijns had moved into second and went for the lead on lap 25 of 27 – the race extended by one lap due to the full course yellow – going to the outside of da Costa at Turn 8 which gave him the inside line into the following bend.
The move, which also allowed Evans to move into second, was completed just as a safety car was deployed after the Nissan of Oliver Rowland had come to a stop on track which ended the race under caution.
Testing is set to continue for the remainder of the day until 6:30pm local time, with only 30 minutes of running lost from the original schedule after the earlier battery fire.
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