Formula E: The unpredictable racing series where the driver makes the difference

Five races, five different winners.

The brilliantly unpredictable fifth Formula E season has the driver and team championships wide open with eight races still to go.

It’s good news for the sport’s main protagonists as its new rules, tight street circuits and tough one-day racing mean the car is no longer the star – it’s all about the driver.

Visit CNN.com/Sport for more news, features and videos

“Formula E is one of the last championships where the driver counts more than the car,” Nissan e.dams racer Sebastian Buemi tells CNN.

“In Formula One it is all about the car – if you put the best driver in the worst car he wouldn’t be able to win.

“Whereas in Formula E it’s not all down to the driver but they have a big impact on the performance, more than in any other championship.”

Formula E 2018/19 —

The 2018/19 Formula E season proved to be a thriller, with the exciting new Gen2 cars boasting top speeds of 280km/h. Eight different drivers won the first eight races in a season that went down to the wire.

Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne became the first double champion in the sport's history, defending the title he won last season thanks to three race victories.

Robin Frijns won his second E-Prix of the season, storming to victory in the final race of 2018/19 in New York.

Former world champion Sebastian Buemi claimed his first victory of 2018/19 at the first of a double-header in New York.

Jean-Eric Vergne strengthened his grip on the title with his third victory of the season in Bern, extending his lead to 38 points at the top of the championship.

Berlin, race 10 —

An ecstatic Lucas Di Grassi celebrated in style after dominating the Berlin E-Prix to close the gap at the top of the drivers' championship.

Formula E finally got its first repeat winner of the season in race nine, as Jean-Eric Vergne led from pole to finish to secure his second victory of the season.

Dutch driver Robin Frijns claimed victory in Paris on the day his country celebrated its national King's Day. The Envision Virgin Racing man was the eighth different driver to win the eight races so far this season.

Mitch Evans victory at the Rome ePrix was Jaguar's first in motorsport since 1991. The Kiwi is the only driver to score points in the seven races so far this season.

Sanya, race six —

Jean-Eric Vergne put an end to a miserable run of form that saw him go pointless for three straight races by taking victory in Sanya, the first time the championship had visited the south China city

Hong Kong, race five —

Edoardo Mortara backed up his third place in Mexico by claiming top spot in Hong Kong, Venturi's first ever victory in Formula E. Sam Bird had initially crossed the line in first place but after a four-hour investigation, was demoted for smashing into the back of race leader Andre Lotterer.

Mexico City, race four —

Former world champion Lucas Di Grassi celebrates his victory at the Mexico ePrix, arguably the most thrilling race in the sport's five seasons. Race leader Pascal Wehrlein's battery died just meters from the line, allowing Di Grassi to swoop past on the inside and snatch victory.

Santiago, race three —

On a sweltering afternoon in Santiago, Chile -- the hottest ePrix in history -- Sam Bird stormed to victory at the Parque O'Higgins Circuit. After finishing third overall last season, the Briton will have hopes of coming out on top this time around.

Marrakesh, race two —

Jerome d'Ambrosio followed up his podium finish in Saudi Arabia with victory in Marrakesh -- his third in Formula E -- to take an early lead at the top of the championship.

Ad Diriyah, race one —

The season got off to a thrilling start in Ad Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, as Portuguese driver Antonio Felix da Costa edged out Jean-Eric Vergne and Jerome d'Ambrosio to claim the second Formula E win of his career.

The 2018/19 Formula E season

Prev Next

Stoffel Vandoorne, who made the switch from F1 to Formula E for Season Five, agrees: “We don’t see the dominance, let’s say, that there is in F1.

“In Formula E it’s completely different – everyone has a shot at winning the race.”

READ: The ‘new futuristic championship’ aiming to connect with fans

Attack Mode

Formula E’s organizers are continually looking for ways to improve the spectacle and in Season Five the introduction of Attack Mode and a new race format are playing their part in this rollercoaster season.

Attack Mode rewards drivers with an extra 25kw of power when they drive off the racing line and through the activation zone. With limited battery power, an extra boost of juice can make a real difference to the final places and points scored.

“I was a bit skeptical about Attack Mode but the way they’ve positioned it on the track (means) it is very difficult to go and activate it,” explains Buemi.

“So that’s created a lot of overtaking possibilities because the guy that goes to activate it loses so much time that (they) even lose a position. The gain of power is also interesting. It’s been really good so far and it helps improve the show.”

A second Season Five innovation now sees each E-Prix last for 45 minutes plus one lap – rather than a set number of laps used in other series such as F1.

- Source: CNN " data-fave-thumbnails="{"big": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/181221155727-attack-mode-explained-supercharged.jpg?q=x_73,y_40,h_1536,w_2731,c_crop/h_540,w_960" }, "small": { "uri": "https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/181221155727-attack-mode-explained-supercharged.jpg?q=x_73,y_40,h_1536,w_2731,c_crop/h_540,w_960" } }" data-vr-video="false" data-show-html="" data-byline-html="

" data-timestamp-html="

Published 7:02 AM EDT, Thu March 21, 2019

" data-check-event-based-preview="" data-is-vertical-video-embed="false" data-network-id="" data-publish-date="2019-01-12T17:06:40Z" data-video-section="sport" data-canonical-url="https://www.cnn.com/videos/sports/2018/12/21/formula-e-attack-mode-season-five-explainer-supercharged-vision-spt-intl.cnn" data-branding-key="supercharged" data-video-slug="formula e attack mode season five explainer supercharged vision SPT INTL" data-first-publish-slug="formula e attack mode season five explainer supercharged vision SPT INTL" data-video-tags="alternative fuel vehicles,automotive fuels,automotive industry,automotive industry and environment,business and industry sectors,business, economy and trade,electric vehicles,formula e,motor sports organizations,motorsports,sports and recreation,sports organizations and teams" data-details="">

Video Ad Feedback

Formula E attack mode: All you need to know

00:51 - Source: CNN

The pace of the race leader dictates when the extra lap comes into play so his rivals must make sure they have enough battery power to finish the race.

The new ruling hit Pascal Wehrlein hard as he lost victory when he ran out of power before the line in Mexico.

READ: Photo finish in Mexico E Prix as race leader’s battery dies on the line

“You have to know what the leader is doing,” explains Buemi. “If the leader crosses the line at 44 minutes and 58 seconds you’re going to have to do an extra lap which was not planned.

“In terms of strategy that has made it a lot more difficult compared to the first few seasons.”

Mental juggling act

Vandoorne agrees that plotting how to use and save energy in the heat of a race is a unique mental juggling act for the driver.

“In Formula E we have an amount of energy that we have to manage over the whole race distance,” the HWA Racelab driver explains.

“You always need to constantly think ahead, think towards the end of the race when you’re in the moment of heat, when all the action happens. It’s not always an easy thing to do.

READ: ‘Just crazy’ – How it felt to win the Mexico ePrix on the line

“It might come back at you towards the end of the race so you’re always balancing things out.”

Adding the new rules into the mix has helped make the FIA’s electric racing series pleasingly unpredictable as it pushes the drivers to their limits.

The one-day race format means they have little time to learn the tracks and master the conditions – something that proved particularly testing in Formula E’s first wet race in Hong Kong.

The series races on tight city center circuits that, unlike purpose-built racetracks, do not allow the comfort of run-off areas, instead car-crunching barriers punish mistakes.

The cars also have less downforce than F1’s winged racing machines making it easier for the rival drivers to race nose-to-tail and change positions.

“In Formula E you can make a lot of difference,” adds Buemi, who won the Formula E title in 2016/2017.

“If you look at [the races in] Marrakesh or Saudi there are people who gained 20 positions in the race which is something you don’t see in Formula 1 – only the Mercedes can do that, no-one else.

“So the races are really unpredictable because of all this mix of things.”

The thrilling fight for the Season Five title continues on mainland China with the Sanya E-Prix on 23 March.