Formula E announces pre-season testing schedule in Spain
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is preparing to launch Season 8 in January, and the all-electric racing series has announced plans for its annual pre-season testing.
For the sixth time, the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, will be the site of the three-day testing schedule beginning November 29. All teams and drivers set to participate in the 16-race 2022 schedule will take part in the test on each day except for December 1.
On November 29 and 30, there will be a pair of three-hour testing sessions, one each in the morning and afternoon. When action resumes on December 2, the fifth and final test will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. local time (3:00-9:00 a.m. Eastern).
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has not announced any plans to televise any of the testing sessions.
Formula E will open its eighth season with a doubleheader weekend in Ad Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, on January 28-29 and run through August 14, when it concludes with Rounds 15-16 in Seoul, South Korea. It will be the first time the series races in the Asian country.
It was announced at the end of October that Formula E would be returning to Mexico City.
When you know that Season 8 of @FIAFormulaE is just around the corner
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Fans of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will notice some revised regulations for the final season with the Gen 2 cars. Aside from adding up to 10 minutes of extra time when a Safety Car gets deployed — or in case of a full-course yellow — drivers will also have quicker cars owing to increased power.
There will be an increase of 20kW of power, up from 200kW in Season 7, and also a jump from 235 to 250kW in Attack Mode.
Formula E to have revised qualifying format for Julius Baer Pole Position
Last month, a new knockout qualifying format was ratified at the FIA World Motorsport Council.
As per the official website:
Qualifying will feature a first round of two groups with each driver able to make multiple attempts at fastest laps within their allocated time. The drivers that set the top-four lap times in each group will progress into head-to-head Duels on a knockout basis in quarter-finals and semi-finals. Pole position is decided in a final duel, with all grid positions based on success in Duels, or lap times, depending on which stage of the session drivers reach.
See the following graphic for more detail:
