Formula E is Back After an Electrifying Season Opener in Mexico City

The first race weekend of the 2023 Formula E season has come to a close, giving us an opportunity to see the new Gen 3 cars under race conditions for the very first time. We reflect on a solid opening weekend for Teijin’s partner, Envision Racing, with both drivers finishing in the top ten.?

The 2023 ABB #FormulaE season kicked off with an electric opening weekend in Mexico City, where we got a first look at the new #Gen3 racers in action. Our partner, Envision Racing Formula E Team, revealed their Gen3 challenger in December, and since then we have been very excited to see this new car in action this weekend.

It’s been a solid opening weekend for Envision Racing, with both drivers finishing the race in the top ten and netting points - Sébastian Buemi taking 6th place, and Nick Cassidy in 9th. At Teijin we endeavour to be at the forefront of what is possible when it comes to #sustainability and #innovation, and we are proud to support Envision Racing as they demonstrate the capabilities of #electricvehicles and the innovation that powers Formula E over the course of the 2023 season.

Round 1 was won by Jake Dennis of Avalanche Andretti, whose dominant drive from second to first only serves to affirm that speed and sustainability can go hand-in-hand. Pascal Wehrlein took second place for Porsche, with Mahindra Racing’s Lucas di Grassi joining them on the podium in third.

The early stages of the race saw the safety car deployed twice - first on Lap 2, when Robin Frijns retired after running into the back of Norman Nato, and again on Lap 6, when Sam Bird pulled over with a mechanical failure at Turn 1. It was after the second race restart on Lap 10 then Dennis was able to put pressure on di Grassi, claiming the lead from the Mahindra driver two laps later.

From there, Dennis was able to build a 3.6 second gap to di Grassi by Lap 18, when a third safety car closed up the pack after Edoardo Mortara lost the rear of his Maserati at the Turn 1 apex.

As the race recommenced on Lap 21, di Grassi’s greater energy consumption meant Dennis could build up a 4 second lead in the closing stages of the race, before Pascal Wehrlein caught di Grassi on Lap 29 to take second. Di Grassi was able to retain third place and secure a deserved podium finish after deploying some impressive defensive moves against Jake Hughes of McLaren.

Envision Racing’s Sebastian Buemi, who has previously stood on the podium 3 times at Mexico City, secured a respectable 6th place in his first race with the team, netting 8 points. His teammate Nick Cassidy also finished in the points, having started in 12th and taking the chequered flag in 9th.

After a stalwart season opener, we at Teijin look forward to supporting our partners, Envision Racing, in two weeks’ time, when Formula E heads to Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, for two night races on the 27th and 28th January.

?