The Notebook: Jakarta

Get the inside line on Jakarta with insights powered by Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Formula E is bringing the heat as Maserati MSG Racing returns to Jakarta for not one but two races at the World Championship’s most physically demanding venue.

The team left the Indonesian capital with a fond first trip in 2022, when Edoardo Mortara stormed to a fabulous third in an energy-driven, thermal-defined afternoon of racing.

Our Racing Director, Jérémy Colançon, was there to experience that day and has been present on the Formula E grid since its very first season in 2014.

He’s a paddock authority, and with four World Championship titles and two Engineer of the Year awards, is also one of its most decorated technical figures.

Using insights powered by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Jérémy looks ahead to the 2023 Jakarta E-Prix and identifies the inside line for Rounds 10 and 11.

Energy Sensitivity: Jakarta’s energy sensitivity is not as high in comparison to other circuits on the Season 9 calendar. For pure efficiency, the best places to save energy are in Turns One and Seven, while a technical final sector allows further saving opportunities.

Physical Demands: Jakarta is more physically demanding than any other race on the Season 9 calendar. The temperatures are high, and it is extremely humid, which will add an additional physical test to the drivers, mechanics, engineers, and everyone else in the team. Staying hydrated throughout the day and looking after one another will be crucial to optimise our performance on a human level.

Tyre Management: Because the circuit has nine corners to the right, and nine to the left, Jakarta has high lateral loads, but we expect tyre management and performance to closely align with thermal and surface temperatures. Keeping all four tyres in a good operating window will be a key challenge over the weekend, especially over long distances and race conditions.

High Temperatures: Although ambient temperatures will be high in Jakarta, it is unlikely that it will influence battery temperature like we saw in Season 8. Instead, we could see an impact on the front powertrain, which might limit the amount of energy we are able to regenerate. Monitoring and managing this will be crucial.

Race Length: Jakarta is the third double-header of the season, and we will compete over two different race distances. This will lead to a strategy variation across the weekend, with Saturday’s 36-lap race running close to flat out while Sunday 38-lap race will feature more intensive energy saving. With real-time insights from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, we will be able to adapt our strategy with versatility across the weekend to ensure that we extract our maximum pace and efficiency.