Following an action-filled first race on the famous roads of Monte Carlo in 2015, the FIA Formula E Championship returns this weekend for Round 5 of the 2016/2017 season.
On that first visit it was Sebastien Buemi who dominated, securing pole position and taking the race win. Two years later and three rounds into the season, Buemi was once again on a roll having taken a hat-trick of victories in Hong Kong, Marrakesh and Buenos Aires. However, in Mexico last time out it was Lucas Di Grassi who grabbed the headlines with a fantastic victory at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, while a spin for Buemi means that the gap between them at the top of the table is now just five points.
Di Grassi’s win from down in 15th on the grid was the result of a carefully calculated strategic drive, and set a new record for the lowest position from which a Formula E race has been won. We can expect both drivers to be at the sharp end on the hallowed Monaco tarmac this weekend.
Behind the two front-runners, Season 3 is shaping up to be incredibly unpredictable in the mid-field. DS Virgin Racing, Techeetah, Mahindra Racing and NEXTEV NIO are all within a handful of points of one another, and on the challenging narrow roads of the principality, a lot could change this weekend.
Mexico was a breakthrough event for the Jaguar squad, which scored its first points with both drivers in the top ten and a standout performance from Mitch Evans in fourth place. This moved the team ahead of Venturi in the standings, and as Monaco is a home race for Venturi, its drivers Maro Engel and Stephane Sarrazin will be looking for points to reverse their fortunes.
The FIA Formula E Championship is also getting behind the first ever FIA Volunteers Day which takes place this weekend. On Friday 12 May, six headline events around the world, including the Monaco ePrix, are leading a collective ‘thank-you’ message to all the volunteers who freely give their time to make motor sport possible. To get involved wherever you are in the world, use #FIAVolunteersDay to share your experiences as a marshal, race official or anyone who volunteers at racing events.