The Formula E world championship arrives in the Rose City this weekend for a double-header of exciting races on Saturday and Sunday at Portland International Raceway. This is the only stop in the United States for the all-electric open wheel racing series this year.
After an energetic race in Portland last year, the drivers and teams have a better idea of how to manage their available energy and tires on PIR’s long straights and sweeping curves. Formula E racing is always close, but this year the drivers will be side-by-side or nose-to-tail for the entire contest.
“The level of the teams and the drivers in this championship are very, very high,” explains Maserati driver Jehan Daruvala. “You cannot make any mistakes. There’s really no margin for error.”
As an all-electric racing series, each driver starts the race with the same amount of energy in the car’s batteries. Through the race, each driver must manage the available energy through regeneration and drafting other drivers. The goal is to reach the end of the race with enough power to stay ahead of the competition, finishing the race with the last of the available electricity.