The new-generation electric single-seaters series seen last year return to Monaco for the 8th round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, which promises a lot : all the previous winners of the event are back, and the battle at the top of the championship is more indecisive than ever, with two drivers tied in 1^st position, Pascal Wehrlein and reigning champion Jake Dennis.

Sébastien Buemi, Jean-Éric Vergne, Antonio Felix Da Costa, Stoffel Vandoorne and Nick Cassidy. Five of these drivers have shared 100% victories in the Principality since the very first edition in 2015. And they’re all keen to repeat the feat or add another prestigious line to their already impressive careers. Perhaps that will be on Saturday at 4:00 p.m., after a festival of overtaking and drama, as is often the case on the prestigious Monaco Circuit.

Judge for yourself: the 2023 edition saw spectators on the site or in front of their televisions witness 116 overtakes, until Nick Cassidy, who switched to Jaguar TCS Racing this winter, won the race from 9th place on the grid. As for Jean-Eric Vergne, he also made a sumptuous recovery from 22nd to 7th place, finishing in the points. Once again, this year, Cassidy and “JEV” – his official nickname – are among the favorites, but they’re not the only ones, judging by the results of this impressive start to the season.

Six winners in seven rounds…

In 7 rounds contested since the start of 2024, there have been six different winners: Wehrlein first, as the TAG Heuer Porsche driver won in Mexico City to open the season in style, his fifth in Formula E. Then Jake Dennis (Andretti), the reigning champion, shone under the sunlight of Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, and secured, by 13 seconds, the sixth victory of his career in the most innovative series in motorsport.

The following day, it was Jaguar TCS Racing’s new driver, Nick Cassidy, who took his first win for his new team on the same track. Then it was back to Brazil, in São Paulo, where a fourth driver, Sam Bird, scored a historic victory: the NEOM McLaren team’s first ever Formula E win. The Brit had not won since the New York E-Prix in 2021, taking part in 37 races without winning a single one.

Maserati wins in Tokyo, Nissan in Italy…

For Formula E’s first visit to Tokyo, and to make the scenario perfect, the front-running single-seater at the start bore the colors of a Japanese brand: Nissan, thanks to Oliver Rowland, podium finishers in Brazil and author of a superb pole position in the streets of Tokyo. Further proof that this Formula E Season 10 is even more open and exciting than previous ones, thanks also to the GEN3 cars introduced last year.

Nissan and Rowland didn’t win in Japan, as Maximilian Günther (Maserati MSG Racing) took victory on Japanese soil after a thrilling race. But Rowland got his revenge in the very next race, at Misano (Italy), when he won by forfeit in the 6th round of the season, following the disqualification of Antonio Felix da Costa, the other TAG Heuer Porsche driver, due to a technical problem (non-conformity of his throttle damper spring).

Two races were held at Misano, and in round 7, the day after the Portuguese driver’s disqualification, his TAG Heuer Porsche team-mate Pascal Wehrlein avenged the Stuttgart firm in style by becoming the first driver to win twice in 2024. He arrives in the Principality as co-leader of the World Championship, with 89 points, and thus on a par with reigning champion, Jake Dennis.

But it’s not all over yet, because at mid-season the chasing pack is particularly motivated: starting with Oliver Rowland (80 points) and Nick Cassidy (76), closely followed by Maximilian Günther (63), Jean-Eric Vergne (53) and Mitch Evans (52). Place your bets !

Start of the 7th Monaco E-Prix, round 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Saturday at 15h03 CET.

Tickets: www.monaco-eprix.com