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A former Formula One test driver, the Briton is accustomed and acclimatised to every pre-season routine, and as all eyes look ahead to Valencia, James breaks down the importance of preparation before the start of a new campaign.
“There is a lot of new technology inside the Gen3 car which means that there’s a lot for every team to get to grips with this season. The front and rear powertrains, enhanced regenerative braking, increased power, and improved handling characteristics will transform hopefully Formula E’s sporting product,and should present a fresh challenge for competition when the season gets underway in Mexico in January. At the moment, understanding this new technology and how the car evolves, adapts, and reacts in different circumstances will be crucial to improving performance. That’s our main focus at the moment and with the way in which we’re working, I’m confident that we’ll have strong solutions in place for the start of the season.”
“Formula E pre-season testing requires a very methodical and structured approach. Because of the little track time we have before the season’s start, it’s vital for us to maximise every opportunity to collect data. The Gen3 is a brand-new car, and we’re working with a lot of new technology, so our immediate focus will be on reliability and optimising our processes in the garage. After some consistent and clean running, we’ll then be able to start to target performance, but throughout the test, we’ll be continually improving and refining the car.”
“For me, testing is one of the most intriguing periods of the season because it’s the first time we get a glimpse as to how the next 12 months might unfold. Valencia is Formula E’s first collective test of the season, and this is when we’ll start to find out where and how we stand in comparison to our competitors and begin to get a feel of how we are on track. Private testing makes up a key portion of our development cycle, but Valencia is our final opportunity to refine the car before the first race of the season. That’s when it starts to get exciting.”
“We have an immensely talented driver lineup this season, and both Edo and Max will be integral to our car development at testing. Season 9 will be Edo’s sixth in Formula E, and he knows both the World Championship, and the team, inside out and as always, his contribution will be beyond value. Although Max is still very young, he’s also very experienced in Formula E and since joining the team, he’s been settling in very nicely. He brings a variety of different experiences with Dragon, Andretti and Nissan, and with his background, he’ll be able to help us to continue our optimisation so we can make sure that we’re the best-equipped and most agile team on the grid.”
“There is a very special energy within the team. It’s a strong team culture, a family, and when you have this you want to do everything you can to protect and harness it in the right way so that each individual is working at their true potential. With regards to our on-track performance, at this stage of the season, and especially before testing, it’s impossible to make any predictions, but we’re not here to make up the numbers. We’re here to go racing, we’re here to challenge for wins, and ultimately, we’re here to fight for a World Championship.”
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