This weekend ten teams – twenty international drivers, including one American – will take to the streets of Long Beach for the 2015 Long Beach Formula E Race, the sixth of ten international FIA Formula E races and the second of two in the United States. This unique series, conceived by FIA President, Jean Todt, features purpose built single seater open wheel cars. The difference with this series is that the cars are fully electric. Basically, the only sound is that of the tires and transmission.
Among other differences of this new FIA series: all the circuits are street courses; the race meetings are one-day events with three morning practice sessions, four rounds of afternoon qualifying, and a fifty-minute race at 4pm, televised live in the United States on Fox Sports One. The F1-style Point system is used, with 25 points for first, down to one point for tenth. Additionally, three points are given for pole position, and two bonus points for fastest race lap.
And … the races are free.
The spec series cars, built by Spark Racing Technologies and integrated by Renault, have Dallara chassis, batteries built by Williams Advanced Engineering, McLaren motors, and Michelin treaded tires.
The race at Long Beach will run thirty-nine laps, with a mid-way pit stop of a determined minimum length for the drivers to change cars.
The 2.131 km/1.324 mile Formula E circuit is part of the 1.968 mile IndyCar circuit used by the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, this year in its 41st year.
The Long Beach round of the Formula E series is unique in another way – it’s the first race to have the same driver line-up as the previous round. And there have been five different winners in five races. Twenty-nine drivers have participated, with ten teams.
Leading the Driver’s Standings is Nicolas Prost of France with 67 points earned over all five races. American Scott Speed, driving for Andretti Formula E, is eleventh with 18 points with one race, earned in Round Five at Miami. The only other American driver, Marco Andretti, ran one race with no earned points. The e-dams-Renault Team leads the Team Standings with 110 points over the five rounds.
Saturday’s schedule starts at 8:15am PDT with the first 25-minute practice. The day ends after the 5pm Podium ceremony.