The ABB FIA Formula E Championship heads to Mexico City this weekend for Round 5 of the 2017-18 campaign. The current season, the fourth of the Formula E championship, has seen three different winners - Sam Bird, Felix Rosenqvist, and Jean-Éric Vergne - in four races, with Vergne currently leading the championship standings on 71 points, five ahead of Rosenqvist.
Below are noteworthy storylines heading into Saturday’s Mexico City ePrix.
- Vergne’s victory at the last race, in Santiago, Chile, a 1-2 for Techeetah Formula E Team, with teammate André Lotterer finishing second after the two engaged in a hard-fought battle for the win. It was also the first 1-2 for any team in Formula E history.
- Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s Lucas di Grassi, the defending Formula E champion, enters Mexico City in somewhat of a slump, with a best finish of 14th in the 2017-18 season and with two consecutive DNFs to his name. However, di Grassi is also the defending Mexico City winner, so this weekend presents a strong opportunity for him to right the ship.
- Ten points separate championship leader Vergne from third-place Sam Bird. Fourth place Sébastien Buemi sits on 37 points, 24 behind Bird, meaning the early-season title picture looks to be a three-man fight. However, with seven rounds remaining, including Saturday’s Mexico City event, there remains plenty of time for a driver outside of the Top 3 to make a championship run.
- The Teams’ Championship is also a close fight at the front, with Techeetah leading the way on 89 points, but only two markers ahead of Mahindra Racing. DS Virgin Racing sits in third, on 69 points.
- While Formula E events are held on city streets, the Mexico City event does feature a permanent racing facility, utilizing parts of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, including the Peraltada, to make up the 17-turn track.
- DS Virgin Racing’s Alex Lynn is slated to receive a 10-spot grid penalty for taking a new gearbox after suffering a failure at the Santiago ePrix.
Saturday’s Mexico City ePrix rolls off at 4:30 p.m. EST.