Jérémy’s Notebook

After making its calendar debut in Season 7, the ExCeL Circuit lived up to expectations by delivering strategy-driven intrigue in its 2021 double-header. ROKiT Venturi Racing’s Chief Engineer, Jérémy Colançon, provides the inside line on every characteristic of this unique venue.‍

Layout Changes – The ExCeL Circuit has a slightly different configuration this year, with a pair of chicanes from Turns 10-13 replacing the previous double-hairpin section. This makes the circuit slightly faster which will impact us in terms of energy management, energy deployment over one lap and car setup because the track is more lateral. At this stage, we have a good understanding of this and will use our knowledge to maximise our weekend.

Energy Sensitivity – London ranks extremely low in terms of energy sensitivity and the ExCeL Circuit is very different to other tracks on the Season 8 calendar. In the 2021 London E-Prix, the FIA reduced the total amount of usable energy from 52kWh to 46kWh, in an attempt to make the circuit more normal for energy saving, although this did not impact management too much. The best places to recover energy are before Turns One, 10 and 16, which all lie at the end of a long straight.

Overtaking – Because there is very little energy saving, it’s very difficult to overtake in London, meaning that qualifying well will be very important. A large number of the ExCeL Circuit’s braking zones are also in the middle of corners which impede passing opportunities. Turns One and 10 are the best places to overtake and timing Attack Mode well will be crucial to optimise the race, with the additional temporary power maximising strategy.

Safety Cars – In London there is a very high chance of a Safety Car and/or Full Course Yellow because the walls are close to the circuit and drivers may take more risk when overtaking because of limited passing opportunities. Strangely, this will not impact strategy too heavily and will increase energy targets, meaning that there will be less saving to do for the remainder of the race,

Inside Out – The ExCeL Circuit is very unique in that drivers race both indoors and outdoors and although there are different levels of grip in each section, the transition doesn’t pose a problem. England is well known for unpredictable weather, however, and the transition between each section will become difficult if it rains. In this situation, it will be very important to anticipate setup and tyre pressure changes to maximise our performance.