The entry list for the 2017/18 season of the FIA Formula E Championship has been confirmed today, 3 November. Five new drivers will take to the grid, with 15 returning talents including all three former champions.

Lucas Di Grassi returns to defend his title for Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler and Renault e.dams’ Sébastien Buemi will also be looking to take a second championship after just missing out in the season three finale – both line up alongside their previous team-mates Daniel Abt and Nicolas Prost respectively.

The inaugural Formula E champion Nelson Piquet Jr will switch to the Panasonic Jaguar Racing squad in a bid to return to the top of the points table with Mitch Evans in the sister car.

New drivers for the fourth season of Formula E include Edoardo Mortara who joins Maro Engel at Venturi, Neel Jani who will partner Jérôme d'Ambrosio at DRAGON, André Lotterer lines up along Jean-Eric Vergne for TECHEETAH and Tom Blomqvist will join Antonio Felix da Costa at Andretti.

Finally Italian racer Luca Filippi completes the NIO Formula E Team with Oliver Turvey.

Alex Lynn will step up to a full-time drive for the DS Virgin Racing team after a one-off outing last season in New York City, with Sam Bird rounding out their all-British line-up. Mahindra Racing’s challengers remain unchanged, with 2016/17 top rookie Felix Rosenqvist partnering Nick Heidfeld.

The season is set to get underway in just one month’s time, with a double-header on the streets of Hong Kong on 2-3 December.

The penultimate day of the official pre-season test at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia saw former FIA Formula E Champion and Renault e.dams driver, Sebastien Buemi climb to the top of the timesheet with a time of 1m21.890s. 

The addition of a second chicane on the approach to the start/finish line gave drivers the chance to set new times on the modified course, adding three seconds to the best time from the previous day.

Two red flags were raised after NIO Formula E Team driver Oliver Turvey - yesterday’s fastest driver - and Venturi Formula E Team driver James Rossiter collided with the chicane on their approach to the start/finish line.

Another red flag was raised after Jean-Eric Vergne spun onto the gravel at turn five, just metres from his spin the previous day.

Both Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler drivers Lucas Di Grassi and Daniel Abt had a strong afternoon session, finishing second and third with times of 1m22.215s and 1m22.398s respectively.

Combined classification - Day 2 - Valencia Pre-Season Test

1   9 Sebastien Buemi Renault e.Dams 1:21.890
2   19 Felix Rosenqvist Mahindra Racing 1:21.934
3   2 Sam Bird DS Virgin Racing 1:21.950
4   16 Oliver Turvey NIO Formula E Team 1:22.135
5   8 Nicolas Prost Renault e.Dams 1:22.173
6   1 Lucas Di Grassi Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 1:22.215
7   66 Daniel Abt Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 1:22.256
8   7 Jerome D'Ambrosio Dragon Racing 1:22.422
9   20 Mitch Evans Panasonic Jaguar Racing 1:22.455
10  3 Nelson Piquet Jr. Panasonic Jaguar Racing 1:22.476
11  25 Jean Eric Vergne TECHEETAH 1:22.525
12  68 Luca Filippi NIO Formula E Team 1:22.649 
13  36 Alex Lynn DS Virgin Racing 1:22.990
14  23 Nick Heidfeld Mahindra Racing 1:23.065
15  27 Tom Blomqvist Andretti Formula E 1:23.195
16  18 Andre Lotterer TECHEETAH 1:23.312
17  28 Alexander Sims Andretti Formula E 1:23.321
18  6 Neel Jani Dragon Racing 1:23.654
19  4 Edoardo Mortara Venturi Formula E Team 1:24.176
20  5 James Rossiter Venturi Formula E Team 1:25.439
21  104 Michael Benyahia Venturi Formula E Team 1:26.122

NIO Formula E Team driver Oliver Turvey rounded off the week of official FIA Formula E Championship pre-season testing in Valencia by finishing top of the timesheet for two of the three days.

Following his performance on day one, Turvey posted a time of 1m21.822s, followed by Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s Daniel Abt with 1m21.946s, while Dragon Racing driver Jerome D’Ambrosio enjoyed some time at the top for the first time this week. Both DS Virgin Racing drivers Alex Lynn and Sam Bird had a strong morning, leading the way together before Turvey took the top spot.

The morning session ended with a total of two red flags for both Venturi Formula E Team driver Edoardo Mortara, who stopped on track, and TECHEETAH’s Jean-Eric Vergne after making contact with a barrier. Late in the afternoon, TECHEETAH’s Andre Lotterer raised another red flag after a spin at Turn 5.

The teams and drivers will undoubtedly spend the coming weeks analysing the data gathered over this busy Valencia testing week before they hit the track in earnest in Hong Kong for the double-header season-opener on 2-3 December.

Combined classification - Day 4 - Valencia Pre-Season Test

1    16 Oliver Turvey NIO Formula E Team 1:21.822
2    66 Daniel Abt Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 1:21.946
3    25 Jean-Eric Vergne TECHEETAH 1:22.078 
4    19 Felix Rosenqvist Mahindra Racing 1:22.120
5    9 Sebastien Buemi Renault e.Dams 1:22.247
6    7 Jerome D'Ambrosio Dragon Racing 1:22.252 
7    36 Alex Lynn DS Virgin Racing 1:22.267
8    1 Lucas Di Grassi Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 1:22.328
9    8 Nicolas Prost Renault e.Dams 1:22.383
10  20 Mitch Evans Panasonic Jaguar Racing 1:22.432
11  2 Sam Bird DS Virgin Racing 1:22.457
12  68 Luca Filippi NIO Formula E Team 1:22.487
13  3 Nelson Piquet Jr. Panasonic Jaguar Racing 1:22.645
14  28 Antonio Felix Da Costa Andretti Formula E 1:22.979
15  6 Neel Jani Dragon Racing 1:23.102
16  23 Daniel Juncadella Mahindra Racing 1:23.564
17  4 Edoardo Mortara Venturi Formula E Team 1:23.619
18  27 Tom Blomqvist Andretti Formula E 1:23.692
19  5 Maro Engel Venturi Formula E Team 1:24.100
20  18 Andre Lotterer TECHEETAH 1:24.172

Andre Lotterer will join the TECHEETAH Formula E Team in season four and make his competitive Formula E debut in Hong Kong on December 2 & 3, for the start of the 2017/18 FIA Formula E Championship.

Lotterer joins Formula E veteran Jean-Eric Vergne at the Chinese-owned team, as he gears up for his third season of Formula E.

The current Porsche factory driver is best known for his three victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The German driver is also a two-time Super GT champion and won the Formula Nippon title in 2011.

Lotterer is the second Porsche factory driver to make the switch to Formula E ahead of the 2017/18 FIA Formula E Championship, with Neel Jani joining Dragon Racing.

Lotterer, said: “I’m honoured and proud to join TECHEETAH to make my Formula E debut. Formula E has been the most exciting motor racing series in recent years. TECHEETAH made a very big impression last season beating a number of manufacturer teams, and I’m looking forward to working with Jean-Eric Vergne and everyone in TECHEETAH to start this new chapter in my racing career.”

Ivan Yim, Managing Director, TECHEETAH Formula E Team, said: “Jean-Eric Vergne and Andre Lotterer will form one of the strongest driver line-ups in Formula E. I'm sure our two drivers will push each other to new levels of performance. Andre’s track record and experience with some of motorsport’s most significant factory teams brings immense value as we push our own development in both the medium and long-term.

“With only three test days available to us as a private team, we'll be looking to Andre to adapt quickly to the format and car. The intent is clear; we're putting a quick driver together with the team's proven Renault Sport powertrain. With the all-new season five car on the horizon, we’re confident that season four will assist Andre in being well-prepared along with Jean-Eric to mount a solid challenge for the championship.

“TECHEETAH scored the most points of any team in the last four races in season three. We hope to continue this upward trajectory in the coming season with Andre and Jean-Eric. That's the plan. Finally, on behalf of the whole team, I want to thank Stephane Sarrazin for his outstanding performance last season. It was difficult for him to join the team in the middle of the season, but he adapted very quickly and achieved two podiums and one front-row start. We wish him luck with his future endeavours.”