Cars & Autos | Sunday 3 November, 2019 12:11 pm |

The 2019/20 ABB FIA Formula E championship season is the year that two German giants - TAG Heuer Porsche and Mercedes-Benz EQ  - complete a full grid of 24 cars for the very first time in Formula E’s history, creating one of the most eagerly anticipated showdowns in motorsport. In total 12 teams from around the world are now focused on lights going green at the Diriyah Circuit in Saudi Arabia on November 22 and 23. The track, created in the UNESCO World Heritage site that is known as the home of kings and heroes, is set for electrifying action, given that season six of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship kicks off with a doubleheader of back to back to back races.  Here we meet the teams that will be fighting for glory.

 

Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler - Germany

For Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler, the 2017/18 season of the Championship saw the team fight back from the brink of defeat to finish first overall, clinching the title by just two points in the final round. With a history in the series dating back to the very first Formula E race in Beijing in 2014, Audi Sport has competed in everything from the World Rally Championship and Pikes Peak, to Super Touring, DTM, GT racing and, most recently, Formula E. Completing the team's driver line up is Brazilian driver Lucas Di Grassi, the winner of the driver championship in the 16/17 season and his German teammate Daniel Abt. Both drivers have been with the team since the first season. With a title to defend, the battle's just begun for the German manufacturer.

BMW I Andretti Motorsport - Germany

BMW has been a mainstay of Formula E since the championship's inception. Alongside providing the entire fleet of safety and officials cars, the German car giant became a full manufacturer works team ahead of the 2018/19 season, when it partnered up with Andretti Autosport. Becoming a full manufacturer team ahead of the 2018/19 season, the team fielded da Costa and newcomer Alex Sims behind the wheel of its Gen2 challenger, the BMW iFE.18. Rounding off its first campaign as a works team with a fifth  place finish, the team signed former Dragon driver Max Guenther for the 2019/20 season while retaining Alex Sims for a second season.   

DS Techeetah - China

After clinching the teams' championship title at the end of a gruelling 2018/19 campaign, French manufacturer backed DS Techeetah looks to scoop its second title with reigning champion Jean-Eric Vergne and Antonio Felix da Costa in the 2019/20 season. First entering into the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in the 2016/17 season, after taking over the entry previously held by Team Aguri, reigning champions DS Techeetah face their third campaign in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship with frontman Jean-Eric Vergne and new recruit Antonio Felix da Costa behind the wheel of the DS E-Tense FE20.

Envision Virgin Racing – Great Britain

Envision Virgin Racing has been competing in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship since the inaugural season and is one of two British teams in (alongside Panasonic Jaguar Racing) in the series. Partnering with digital energy company Envision Group, Virgin Racing becomes Envision Virgin Racing for the 2018/19 season. Long-time Virgin driver Sam Bird and familiar Formula E face Robin Frijns complete the driver line up for the season. With a powertrain provided by the reigning champions, the team will be looking to make an impact in this new era of all-electric racing.

Geox Dragon Racing - USA

Geox Dragon has been a mainstay of Formula E since the inaugural season, competing in every race to date. Founded by Jay Penske in 2007, the outfit is the only all-American team on the grid,   headquartered in Los Angeles, California – the largest single metropolitan EV (electric vehicle) market in the world – with additional operations at Silverstone in the UK. For Geox Dragon's sixth season in the series, the team signed former Formula One and World Endurance Car Champion Brendon Hartley and former DTM runner-up and Formula E debutant Nico Muller. Together, the pair will take on one of the competitive line ups in motorsport history as they challenge for the team's title.

Mahindra Racing – India 

Mahindra Racing has competed in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship since 2014, representing the Indian car giant in single seater racing. The team scored its breakthrough maiden win in the 2016/17 season and in 2017/18, went on to score two more victories. For the 2018/19 season, the team was fronted by long-standing Formula E and former Dragon driver Jerome d’Ambrosio as well as rookie driver Pascal Wehrlein. After a strong season together, the pair remain in place for a second consecutive season, getting behind the wheel of the new M6Electro, which sports a powertrain developed in partnership with German engineering giant ZF.

Mercedes-Benz EQ – Germany

Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team joins the grid for the 2019/20 season after transitioning from HWA Racelab. With 125 years of motorsport experience, the entry marks the beginning of a radical new chapter for the marque as it works towards an all-electric future. Behind the wheel of its new Gen2 challenger, the Silver Arrow 01, is Dutchman reigning Formula 2 Champion Nyck de Vries and former Formula One driver, Stoffel Vandoorne.  With a strong racing pedigree outside of Formula E, such as five constructor’s titles in the hybrid era of Formula One and seven driver titles, the marque has also enjoyed success in the DTM and sportscar racing around the world. Few names can claim to be more successful on the racing circuit.

Nio 333 – Great Britain

The team is the racing arm of Chinese car maker NIO - makers of the record breaking EP9 hypercar, which set a new lap record of the Nurburgring in 2017. After winning the title, Nelson Piquet Jn. remained with the team for three seasons, partnered by Oliver Turvey for a second straight campaign. For the 2017/18 season, Italian IndyCar driver, Luca Filippi, replaced Nelson Piquet Jn, to partner Turvey for the team's fourth season. For the upcoming season, Oliver remains as one of the team drivers and Ma Qing Hua has taken as the first Asian to participate in Diriyah. They pilot NIOs striking green and white Gen2 challenger.

Nissan e.dams - Japan

After announcing its arrival into the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in 2017, Nissan partnered with seasoned Formula E outfit e.dams (formally racing partner of French manufacturer Renault) to become Nissan e.dams. After finishing runner-up in the teams' championship in its debut season, the team will challenge for the title in the 2019/20 season. Nissan is the first Japanese manufacturer to enter the series and is a world leader in the design and manufacture of all-electric cars. Racing for Nissan e.dams is Formula E veteran and former champion Sebastien Buemi alongside British driver Oliver Rowland behind the wheel in the team's new 'kimono-inspired' car.

Panasonic Jaguar Racing – Great Britain

After joining the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in Season 3, Panasonic Jaguar Racing head into its third season in the series with its new Gen2 Jaguar I-Type III. With one of the richest histories in motorsport of any manufacturer, dating back to 1948, the British manufacturer revived its motorsport programme to showcase its range of electric cars with its entry into Formula E in 2016. Now entering its fourth season in Formula E, the British team calls on Mitch Evans and British driver James Calado as they get behind the wheel of their Gen2 Jaguar I-Type 4 cars. Going up against the most competitive line up in motorsport, Jaguar will be looking to build on its first win and go for the all-important Championship title.  

Tag Heuer Porsche - Germany

After more than 30 years, Porsche returns to single-seater racing, making its debut in the 2019/20 season of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. They are represented by Andre Loterrer and Neel Jani  and going up against fellow German car giants Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the series will see them go head to head for the first time in history. With one of the longest-standing track records in motorsport dating back to the 1950s, Porsche's entry into Formula E is the latest step in the German manufacturer's history. After its most recent success in endurance racing, including multiple victories in both LMP1 and GT categories, the marque turns to the all-electric racing series to ready the next generation of electric Porsche road cars.  Now Porsche's 99X Electric will take the fight to 11 other teams in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.

Venturi Racing - Monaco

With a history in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship dating back to the very first race, the Monaco-based team clinched its first win in the 2019 Hong Kong E-Prix. The electric car maker also holds the electric land-speed record, set with the VBB-3 'bullet car' in 2016. Ahead of the 2018/19 season, the team drafted in former racing driver Susie Wolff as Team Principal and ex-Formula One driver Felipe Massa. The Brazilian driver joined Formula E veteran Edoardo Mortara to complete the team's driver line up which remains unchanged ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.  Now embarking on its sixth season in the all-electric racing series, Venturi revealed it would be partnering with Mercedes-Benz EQ to adopt its powertrain - the Silver Arrow 01 - alongside its cooling system, rear frame, rear suspension, dampers, software, onboard electronics and wiring looms.