10 things we learned from Valencia Formula E testing

After three-and-a-bit days of running in the Valencian sun - save for the downpour on Tuesday afternoon – the Formula E teams have reams of data to take into the Christmas break as they continue to understand the demands of the all-new Gen3 car.

It’s been a big undertaking for each of the manufacturers, particularly as private testing preparations have been rocky at best, but the very point of testing is to clear the pipes of reliability issues before the season kicks off. That gives those manufacturers and Formula E’s cast of standard parts suppliers areas to work on as the new generation of car is still very much in its infancy. After all, engineers talk about wanting to ‘break the car’ in testing to ensure they can patch up any gaping holes in their arsenal.

One thing that one cannot draw from testing at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo is some semblance of a pecking order. Firstly, the circuit is wholly unrepresentative of the circuits that will actually be used and, secondly, everyone has their own tailor-made run plans for their own hardware and software.

As exciting as testing can be, especially in a new era such as this, it’s a by-the-numbers pursuit. But there are conclusions that can be drawn from what can be seen on track. Without further ado, here’s the 10 biggest talking points that emerged from the week’s proceedings.

Stoffel Vandoorne, DS Penske

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

1. Vandoorne has chance to defend 2021-22 title

Without a doubt, Stoffel Vandoorne understood last year’s assignment the best. The change in qualifying system meant that the focus was no longer on grabbing the big results where possible and hoping that the off-days would reward a handful of points; instead, relentless consistency was key.

The game plan for 2022-23 might change slightly with format tweaks, but Vandoorne should remain a factor in the title hunt. The DS Penske package looks quick on the evidence of the tests, as his team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne headed the week’s penultimate session, while Vandoorne overcame the Frenchman’s best lap by the end of the Gen3’s first proper public running.

Equally, the team did not seem to suffer with as many reliability issues as its rivals, and thus must be surely one of the favourites to make an impact in Mexico’s season opener. The Belgian appears to have settled in well, and the overhaul of the ex-Dragon outfit with DS’s crack team of operators has pushed the American-owned team to the forefront.

If that form carries over into the season proper, then one cannot discount Vandoorne from defending his maiden title in the series.

Maximilian Günther, Maserati Racing Edoardo Mortara, Maserati Racing

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2. Maserati MSG tie-up off to a good start

While Edoardo Mortara has been the leading light for the ex-Venturi squad in the past few years, his new team-mate Maximilian Guenther took the headlines during testing having set the fastest time of the week – a 1m25.127s. The German was a late signing for the team as its preferred option Nyck de Vries makes a long-awaited move into Formula 1, but he repaid the team’s faith by topping the lion’s share of sessions throughout the three days in Valencia.

The Maserati powertrain has the same hardware as the DS unit in all but name owing to its common Stellantis ownership, and has been equally as impressive in the hands of the Monaco-based MSG outfit. Guenther, after a difficult year with Nissan, looks re-energised and at his rapid best; his determination and professionalism are characteristics that shine much more at the front end of the field.

Mortara set the ninth-best time overall, but the Swiss offers continuity to benchmark the new powertrain arrangement against the old customer deal with Mercedes. And, ultimately, he’s still quick. A street-circuit specialist, Mortara will come into his own when the season starts – but might have stern competition from within if Guenther can carry his testing form into the races.

Norman Nato, Nissan

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

3. Nissan hoping to overcome woe with strong Gen3 package

Fundamental issues with Nissan’s final Gen2 powertrain meant that the Japanese manufacturer had slipped from title contention into the midfield. But full credit must go to the higher-ups on Nissan’s board; instead of questioning its commitment, it has doubled down on making a success of Formula E and purchased the e.dams team that operated the racing operations outright.

Entering the year with a stunning red livery with cherry blossom accents, the team looks to be heading into the right direction; Norman Nato returns to racing after a year as Jaguar’s reserve, and has looked comfortable behind the wheel of the new car, while new team-mate Sacha Fenestraz is continuing to adapt after his time in Japan.

Crucially, the powertrain looks to be a much stronger prospect relative to the last two seasons, particularly with the McLaren team; Jake Hughes and Rene Rast have been consistent presences towards the front end of the timing screens throughout the week in Valencia and the relationship between the British squad and Nissan looks to be working well. There are a few reliability issues to address, as the McLarens bore the brunt of them on Tuesday and Fenestraz endured an early stoppage on Thursday, but there’s a lot for Nissan to be excited about in 2022-23.

Mitch Evans, Jaguar Racing

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

4. Braking worries legitimate, particularly at Jaguar

Formula E’s decision to get rid of rear brakes for the Gen3 car means that all the stopping power at the back of the car must come from the drive motor under regen. That’s been a significant challenge for the software gurus to get their teeth into, and thus there have been several teething problems to contend with.

Sam Bird endured a hefty crash in Jaguar’s private testing at Calafat, and the Jag-powered Envision of Sebastien Buemi also suffered a crash at Turn 4 at Valencia. That’s not to say that it’s a purely Jaguar specific problem, as it’s something everyone must get to grips with, but the British manufacturer seems to be having the worst time of it as it stands.

To alleviate the early concerns, Formula E will introduce emergency brakes in case the regenerative braking system fails, but that won’t be available for the opening rounds. It may force some teams into taking a risk-adverse approach for the first few races, which could compromise them massively, but that depends on whether a silver bullet can be fashioned in the software development to help cure any uncertainties on the brake pedal.

Lucas di Grassi, Mahindra Racing

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5. Mahindra has less to fear than it initially imagined

The off-season has not been particularly easy for Mahindra, particularly on Oliver Rowland’s side of the garage. The Briton lost track time when the team put a pin in testing at Calafat owing to high winds, and then suffered from COVID to miss more time behind the wheel. A catch-up run prior to Valencia got him partially acquainted with the new car, but Rowland still went into the week relatively blind.

But he admits to being surprised that the package is in better shape than he’d thought. New team principal Frederic Bertrand told Autosport that Mahindra had been “late on the development” and felt that aiming for the midfield in Mexico was a sensible target, but Rowland was optimistic about the car and felt that it had potential to do well.

“I'm quite excited to get going,” Rowland said to Autosport. “I think I was worried we'd be a long way behind here. But it seems we're actually better than we probably thought."

It’s been a more difficult route for Abt, as its late call-up to the grid has meant that it had turned up to Valencia with little running time; both Robin Frijns and Nico Muller spent a lot of time in the garage as the team had to get to grips with the new cars and any reliability issues, but at least displayed solid pace when they were out on track.

“The last six weeks were not easy for us,” confessed Abt principal Thomas Biermaier. “Because we are I guess two and a half months behind others in the late decision. Mahindra helped us, and big thanks to them to get the powertrain, but we are missing time, especially track time. It’s a little bit similar to Season 1 [2014-15]. A lot of work, and the guys are not sleeping a lot to be honest.”

Maximilian Günther, Maserati Racing

Photo by: Andreas Beil

6. Hankook tyres a fierce challenge to understand

While the new cars themselves have presented a steep challenge to each of the teams competing in Formula E, the new tyres from Hankook have yielded more obstacles to overcome. The overall consensus is that the Korean manufacturer has provided a tyre high on durability but low on overall grip – at least, at face value.

Once the teams define the best working window for the Hankooks, they’ll continue to find much more performance out of it – but in comparison to the Michelin, they’re definitely not as grippy. The all-weather construction remains, and Formula E has asked for the tyres to include more sustainable materials, while Hankook has also created a tyre that’s stiffer on the outside to offer different characteristics in the corners.

“The Michelins had their own tricks as well to understand,” said Antonio Felix da Costa, when asked by Autosport how he was adapting to Hankook’s new offering.

“We were all mastering them after many, many years with those tyres. I always tell to my tyre guy in the team that he has the hardest job in the whole because to understand tyres, it's such a difficult thing. We're going through that process; there's still a lot to discover. At the end, they're playing some tricks on us, sometimes in a good way. But it's part of the process - and it's a fun process.”

Once the teams begin to define more of the variables in their tyre models, they’ll get closer to the ultimate limits of performance. That development of understanding might initially offer some variation in results, depending on the steps that the teams and manufacturers make.

Dan Ticktum, NIO 333

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7. NIO 333 can surprise – if it finds reliability

After a difficult three years spent propping up the field with Dragon, NIO 333 is seeking to return to the realms of scoring points more regularly. It’s in the unique position of being the only manufacturer without a second team running its products (if we assume DS and Maserati have common hardware) and thus it has arguably a more difficult task without that second set of data for each round.

But the team’s ER9 car has offered glimpses of potential and, while it will be hard pressed to regularly take the fight to the bigger manufacturers, it should be able to deliver on its day. Helpfully, sophomore driver Dan Ticktum grabbed the 14th-best time of the test to show that NIO 333 can mix it with the other teams, but there are reliability concerns at play.

Sergio Sette Camara, new to the team after replacing Oliver Turvey, could not partake in the Wednesday race simulation and also got no laps in during Friday’s running. Ticktum also faced time in the garage as issues appeared to need ironing out.

"There's going to be a reliability side of it," Sette Camara said to Autosport. "So [on Wednesday], being definitely the only team with both car having issues, it was not a good sign. Because in Mexico in the first round, it's going to be a lot about who can finish the race, who doesn't have issues and who can have a clean weekend.

“Later on, after all the teams come to grips with reliability issues, and the championships as well the series as a whole, then it will be come down to performance. We had that issue, so not ideal, but it could be that we had it here, we learn from it and others have it in Mexico, when it really counts."

Jake Hughes, McLaren

Photo by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Images

8. McLaren rookie Hughes could be a dark horse

Although many considered that Jake Hughes was perhaps a left-field choice for McLaren as the British outfit purchased the Mercedes team, team principal Ian James didn’t see it that way.

“It was a reasonably straightforward decision,” James says of his new charge, formerly the reserve and simulator driver at Mercedes. “Once we knew that we had the second seat open, he’s been with the team throughout its development and success that we've had as well. That's been absolutely crucial to what we've been able to achieve. His input has been very valuable indeed, and I just think he is a driver of the calibre that deserves a chance at a top-flight racing championship.”

If we go by the testing results, then James is on the money with Hughes. The Birmingham-born driver has spent much of his career plying his trade in Formula 3 and Formula 2, waiting for a call-up to a top-level single-seater championship without the backing of many of his contemporaries. And he’s grasped his Formula E opportunity with both hands.

Overall, Hughes had the fourth-best time across the seven sessions of anyone, but it was his consistent presence at the top end of the timing boards that suggested that he’s already comfortable with the demands of Formula E. A race weekend is a very different prospect, but at no point has the 2013 BRDC F4 champion looked out of his depth so far.

"It's been very positive so far in terms of just jumping in and basically going about with my natural driving style, how I feel with the car,” says Hughes. “And it seems to come to me quite quickly so far.”

Could he surprise in the same way that his namesake Jake Dennis did in 2020-21? At this rate, it’s very possible.

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

9. Are quiet tests for Porsche and Jaguar causes for concern?

Of the manufacturers that threw their lot in for the Gen3 rules, Porsche and Jaguar were arguably two of the bigger-ticket automotive giants. Both marques now have ‘customer’ teams for the first time in 2022-23, with Andretti aligning with Porsche and Envision linking up with Jaguar, and the driving line-ups are some of the strongest combined forces on the grid.

But neither team really set the world alight at Valencia. In all likelihood, both were managing expectations and simply focused on sticking to their pre-defined run plans without the temptation to go for glory. Bird was only a quarter of a second off of Guenther’s cumulative benchmark, while three of the four Porsches were well within a second of the German’s fastest time, so there’s no reason for panic just yet.

However, one might have expected just to see a little more from them. Jaguar, as mentioned, has endured a few sticking points with its braking setup, while Porsche has also had to cancel tests and lose running due to supply chain issues with the common parts. The latter squad dominated at Mexico last year and thus a repeat performance would quell any early worries, but it’s difficult not to have a few lingering doubts as da Costa stated that he’d prefer not to spend testing sandbagging.

It's probably too early to draw many conclusions, but the big guns have been firing in sparing fashion throughout the three days.

“Inherently, the car seems fine - not too bad,” was Bird’s assessment of the Jaguar package. “It's not about being the quickest here. It's about making sure that the car is in the best window ready for Mexico.”

Sacha Fenestraz, Nissan, another car

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

10. Mexico E-Prix could be won by absolutely anyone

Ask any driver – and believe us, we did – about what they expect from Mexico, and they’ll give you the same answer. They puff out their cheeks and let the air escape as they ponder the question, and then lightly shrug, either physically or verbally. The bottom line is, they don’t know.

The above nine points could be completely redundant once the chequered flag goes out at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Winter epiphanies could result in reliability concerns being solved in time for Mexico, and the timing order in testing will likely be very different once the cars actually hit the road.

What we do know is this: anyone could win the 2022-23 season opener. In the cumulative times from testing, the top 18 cars were all within a second, and those outside of that either had to contend with reliability issues or could not do a representative time in the final day. As Sette Camara alluded to above, reliability will play its part in the early rounds, and the fastest runners could lose it all if the car isn’t sufficiently bulletproof.

“If you're a betting man, she's a dangerous game to play,” Mitch Evans says. “I’ve got absolutely no idea what to expect.”