Shanghai next stop in see-saw season 10 title fight

Sport news The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will return to China for the first time in more than five years this weekend (25-26 May), as Shanghai prepares to welcome the all-electric single-seater series for a potentially pivotal double-header duel.   Formula E’s story began in China back on 13 September, 2014, when the inaugural E-Prix was held on the streets of Beijing. Just under a decade on, competitors are preparing to tackle the Hermann Tilke-designed Shanghai International Circuit, which opened in 2004 and whose layout has been slightly modified for the championship’s visit.   Only three drivers on the grid for that maiden race in Beijing are still in action in Season 10, with Lucas Di Grassi taking the honours in the Chinese capital in 2014, Sam Bird joining the Brazilian inside the top three and Sébastien Buemi prevailing 13 months later. The trio now compete respectively for ABT CUPRA Formula E Team, NEOM McLaren Formula E Team and Envision Racing.   It is Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy, however, who tops the classification heading to Shanghai, after putting some breathing room between himself and his rivals in Berlin earlier this month courtesy of a pair of podium finishes including the seventh victory of his increasingly impressive career.   The New Zealander has reached the rostrum on all-bar three occasions from the opening ten rounds of the campaign, affording him a 16-point advantage at the summit of the standings with just six races left to run.   TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein is currently Cassidy’s closest threat – and a consistent front-runner and podium contender – while British duo Oliver Rowland (Nissan Formula E Team) and defending title-holder Jake Dennis (Andretti Formula E) are similarly in hot pursuit.   Rowland – who rejoined the fray in January following half-a-season on the sidelines – has been a revelation, and would likely be leading the way had it not been for a technical issue that denied him a double triumph at Misano in Italy. Dennis, for his part, is bidding to become just the series’ second two-time champion after Jean-Éric Vergne (DS Penske). The Frenchman, incidentally, is the only other driver to have previously triumphed in China in Formula E, pipping pole-sitter Rowland to glory in Sanya five years ago.   One spot above Vergne in the chase for the coveted crown in fifth, Mitch Evans – winner in Monaco last month for Jaguar – might be trailing stablemate and countryman Cassidy by 43 points, but the former championship runner-up is very much in the fight and can never be discounted.   Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Günther and 2019/20 champion António Félix da Costa (Porsche) have also sprayed victory champagne in Season 10 – the former producing an energy-saving masterclass in Japan and the latter ending a 20-race winless run in commanding fashion last time out in Germany. Both will have their sights set on conquering more silverware in Shanghai.   It is a home event, meanwhile, for ERT Formula E Team, who will be keen to mark the occasion with a suitably strong performance. Sérgio Sette Câmara has finished inside the points three times so far in 2024, with team-mate Dan Ticktum placing a career-high fourth at Misano. Rookie racer Jehan Daruvala (Maserati) will likewise be looking to build upon his best result to-date after taking the chequered flag seventh in race two in Berlin.   Round 11 of the campaign will get underway at 15:03 local time (09:03 CEST) on Saturday, 25 May, followed by round 12 at the same time on Sunday, 26 May. THE 2024 TRACK     MEDIA CENTRE   Opening Hours of the Media Centre Thursday 23 May: 0900 - 1800 Friday 24 May: 0730 - 1930 Saturday 25 May: 0600 - 2000 Sunday 26 May: 0600 - 2000 2024 SHANGHAI E-PRIX TIMETABLE   Friday 24 May       Starts Ends Length Activity   14 :30 17:00   14 :45 17:30   00:15 00:30   SHAKEDOWN FREE PRACTICE 1         Saturday 25 May       Starts Ends Length Activity 08:00 08:30 00:30 FREE PRACTICE 2 10:20 10:32 00:12 QUALIFYING Group A 10:37 10:49 00:12 QUALIFYING Group B 11:05 11:20 00:15 QUARTER FINAL 11:24 11:34 00:10 SEMI FINAL 11:38 11:43 00:05 FINAL ≈15:04     RACE (29 LAPS) Sunday 26 May       Starts Ends Length Activity 08:00 08:30 00:30 FREE PRACTICE 3 10:20 10:32 00:12 QUALIFYING Group A 10:37 10:49 00:12 QUALIFYING Group B 11:05 11:20 00:15 QUARTER FINAL 11:24 11:34 00:10 SEMI FINAL 11:38 11:43 00:05 FINAL ≈15:04     RACE (28 LAPS) MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES   Friday 24 May   12:30 - 12:45 Team Representatives FIA Press Conference   Alex Hui – ERT Formula E Team   Sylvain Filippi – Envision Racing   James Barclay – Jaguar TCS Racing 12:45 - 13:00 Drivers FIA Press Conference   Nick Cassidy – Jaguar TCS Racing   Dan Ticktum – ERT Formula E Team   Nyck De Vries – Mahindra Racing 13:00 - 13:20 Media Pen (All Drivers)   Saturday 25 May   16:35 - 16:50 FIA Press Conference (Top 3) 16:50 - 17:10 Media Pen (All drivers)     Sunday 26 May   16:35 - 16:50 FIA Press Conference (Top 3) 16:50 - 17:10 Media Pen (All drivers) 2024 SHANGHAI  E-PRIX ENTRIES   2024 ABB FIA FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS   The 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Standings are available here:  https://www.fia.com/events/abb-fia-formula-e-world-championship/season-2023-2024/standings ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Formula E FIA SEASON 2024 Sport Circuit 1SportABB FIA Formula E World ChampionshipCircuitFIASEASON 2024Formula E01 Thursday, May 23, 2024 - 1:38pm Thursday, May 23, 2024 - 1:38pm