Skip advert
Advertisement
Partnership

Action-packed Putrajaya ePrix shows how exciting Formula E can be

Malaysia had all the makings of a great motor race

Round two of the 2015-2016 Formula E championship took place in Malaysia at the Putrajaya ePrix. The race provided fans with plenty of wheel-to-wheel racing, late lunges, accidents, mechanical failures, drama, winners and losers – pretty much all the ingredients of a great motor race were included.

The race was an immense challenge for both car and driver, and it reminded us of just how exciting single-seater racing can be. Below, we look back on the eventful ePrix and consider its effects on the championship.

The race 

Malaysia was probably the toughest running the teams’ new electric motors had faced yet. Sweltering heat meant that ambient temperatures were well above 30 degree Celsius, and track temperatures were in excess of 50 degree Celsius – a massive challenge for the cars’ Michelin tyres. So influential was the heat that Di Grassi conceded his win was largely down to effective temperature management.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Malaysia also offered other unique challenges, which affected both motors and tyres. Serge Grisin, Michelin’s Formula E programme manager, explained: ‘We faced a challenging combination of difficult weather, a dirty track and asphalt which offered little grip in places. But thanks to the information we brought back from Malaysia last year, we knew that the Michelin Pilot Sport EV would be a match for this cocktail.’ 

The tyres might have performed consistently, but the slippery track conditions certainly caught drivers out. Nick Heidfeld held on to what had to be one of the biggest slides ever attempted in a Formula E car. His heart-in-mouth moment ended with a light brush of the barriers – he lost a place but survived to race on.

Others weren’t so lucky in the race, with early leader Sébastien Buemi suffering a mechanical gremlin; António Félix da Costa suffered a similar fate towards the race’s end. But between the breakdowns, slides and occasional crashes, there was also genuine, wheel-to-wheel racing. 

The strength of the Michelin tyre ensured that drivers could focus on racing rather than management, and the results were lots of late braking manoeuvres, lunges into hairpins and high-speed place changes. Like race one of the season, entertainment was certainly not lacking at the Putrajaya ePrix. 

The championship 

The Formula E circus next heads to Punta Del Este in Uruguay for round three of the 2015/2016 series on the 19th December. Di Grassi leads the championship with 43 points, eight clear of second placed Buemi and 19 ahead of Sam Bird in third. Last year’s title winner, Nelson Piquet Jr, currently lies twelfth in the standings. Don't write him off just yet - if the Malaysian race is anything to go by, the 2015-2016 Formula E championship is wide open.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Indy 500: behind the scenes of the iconic 240mph oval race
Indy 500 2024 McLaren
Features

Indy 500: behind the scenes of the iconic 240mph oval race

The Indy 500 is an event like no other. evo experiences it at first hand and goes inside the McLaren team as it comes achingly close to victory
19 Sep 2024
Penske PC23: the anatomy of a 253mph IndyCar icon
Penske PC23 Indycar
Features

Penske PC23: the anatomy of a 253mph IndyCar icon

For a while in the ’90s, IndyCar challenged Formula 1 as the premier form of motorsport; we look under the skin of a Penske PC23 from the series’ gold…
4 Aug 2024
Carlos Sainz signs for Ford: rally champ set for 2025 Dakar challenge 
Ford Ranger Raptor Dakar rally
News

Carlos Sainz signs for Ford: rally champ set for 2025 Dakar challenge 

Two-time World Rally Champion and four-time Dakar winner joins Ford Performance’s 2025 Dakar team
10 May 2024
Sir Stirling Moss remembered at Westminster Abbey memorial
Sir Stirling Moss
News

Sir Stirling Moss remembered at Westminster Abbey memorial

Racing hero honoured with packed memorial service
8 May 2024
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

BMW Skytop V8 roadster to go into limited production
BMW Skytop front
News

BMW Skytop V8 roadster to go into limited production

Just 50 examples of the M8-based Skytop are expected to be made, priced at over £400,000 each
11 Oct 2024
Skoda Superb Fast Fleet test – 16,000 miles in the GTI-powered estate
evo Fast Fleet Skoda Superb
Long term tests

Skoda Superb Fast Fleet test – 16,000 miles in the GTI-powered estate

After 11 months and over 16,000 miles, did the Superb estate prove to be the best Skoda long-termer we’ve run so far?
10 Oct 2024
Used car deals of the week
Main used car deals
Advice

Used car deals of the week

In this week’s used car deals, we’ve sourced everything from a Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 to a McLaren P1
10 Oct 2024