November 6, 2024 New York

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This Week In Motors > Blog > Formula E > FACTS AND STATS: Formula E’s First Race And China’s Record Holders

FACTS AND STATS: Formula E’s First Race And China’s Record Holders

Formula E’s Return to China: Shanghai in Numbers

  • Shanghai Debut: Formula E is set to return to China with a double-header event in Shanghai. This makes Shanghai the fourth Chinese city to host a Formula E race, following Beijing, Hong Kong, and Sanya.
  • Chinese Drivers: Two Chinese drivers, Ho-Ping Tung and Ma Qing Hua, have competed in Formula E. Tung participated in three races during Season 1, while Ma raced for Team Aguri, Techeetah, and NIO across 14 races between Seasons 2 and 6. Both achieved a best finish of 11th place.
  • Historic First Race: Beijing hosted the inaugural Formula E race in 2014. Three drivers from that race—Lucas di Grassi, Sebastien Buemi, and Sam Bird—are still competing in Season 10.
  • Consistent Competitors: Daniel Abt, Jerome d’Ambrosio, and Nelson Piquet, along with di Grassi, Buemi, and Bird, are the only drivers to have competed in all three previous Formula E races in China.
  • Teammate Qualifying: No driver has outqualified their teammate in all three Chinese races. Only Robin Frijns, Antonio Felix da Costa, and Jean-Eric Vergne have done so in the last two visits to China.
  • Recent Podium Finishers: The podium finishers from the last Chinese race in Sanya (Jean-Eric Vergne, Oliver Rowland, and Antonio Felix da Costa) also appeared on the podium during the most recent race weekend in Berlin.
  • Asian Milestone: Shanghai will be the tenth Asian city to host a Formula E race, tying Europe for the continent with the most host cities.
  • Top Performer: Lucas di Grassi is the only driver to have secured two podium finishes in China, winning the Season 1 Beijing E-Prix and finishing second in Season 2. He is also the highest-scoring driver in China with 43 points.
  • Notable Wins: The Season 2 Beijing E-Prix featured the first Formula E hat-trick, with Sebastien Buemi securing pole position, the fastest lap, and the race win. This race was also the first to be won by over 10 seconds, a feat achieved six more times since.
  • Jaguar TCS Racing: Since the last visit to China, Jaguar TCS Racing has amassed 1,097 points, making them the only team to surpass 1,000 points since the Sanya race.
  • Winning Trends: Historically, winners in China have started from the front row. However, recent trends in Season 10 show the last five winners starting outside the front row, potentially indicating a shift.
  • Track Length: The Shanghai E-Prix circuit is 3.051 kilometers long, making it the seventh Formula E circuit exceeding 3 kilometers.
  • Remarkable Comeback: In the Season 5 Sanya E-Prix, Sebastien Buemi started from the pit lane but finished eighth, marking the most positions gained in a Chinese race.
  • Consistent Finisher: Jean-Eric Vergne is the only driver to have finished in the top 10 in each of the last five races in Season 10.
  • Qualifying Streak: Pascal Wehrlein has qualified in the top ten for every race in Season 10 and has outqualified teammate Antonio Felix da Costa for the last 12 races. If Wehrlein outqualifies his teammate in the first race in Shanghai, he will tie the record for the longest outqualifying streak, currently held by Buemi and Dennis.

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