Season 9 and a new era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship begins later today with the competitive debut of the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built – the GEN3 – in the 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit.
A capacity crowd of 40,000 spectators will fill the grandstands, with a carnival atmosphere in the famed Foro Sol stadium section welcoming the 22 drivers from 11 teams who will be competing in a race car performing at the very limit of innovation and pushing the boundaries of EV technology – the all-new GEN3.
Mexico has a rich history in auto racing, with a variety of different motorsports events taking place in the country throughout the year. Some of the most notable events include the Mexican Grand Prix, which is a Formula One race that takes place at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico City, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Autodromo Miguel E. Abed in Amozoc, Puebla.
The Mexican Grand Prix has a long history, the first race was held in 1963 at the Magdalena Mixhuca circuit, and it was part of the Formula One World Championship. It was discontinued for several years, but it returned to the calendar in 1986, and since then it has been held annually, except for 2020. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit, which is located in the heart of Mexico City, is known for its high altitude and its challenging layout, which can make for exciting and unpredictable racing.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series is a secondary series of the NASCAR, it is held at the Autodromo Miguel E. Abed in Amozoc, Puebla since 2005. The track is a 1.5 miles long oval, which is known for its high speeds and close racing.
In addition to these major events, there are also many other motorsports events that take place in Mexico, including touring car races, endurance events, and off-road competitions. Mexico also has a strong motorsports culture, with many talented drivers and teams competing in various motorsports disciplines.
Mexico has also produced some of the most successful drivers in the history of motorsports, like Pedro Rodriguez, Ricardo Rodriguez, Sergio Perez and Esteban Gutierrez, all of them have competed in Formula One.
Taking all that into account, the Formula E Hankook Mexico City E-Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit is without a doubt the most forward-looking motor sport event to hit the country. On top of that, the drivers will be piloting the latest model of the Formula E car, the GEN 3.
The 11 teams and 22 drivers in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship have had private testing and three days together in Valencia to build up the mileage and acquaint themselves with their all-new GEN3 race car.
The GEN3 is a huge leap in technological development and innovation with engineers at the FIA and Formula E delivering the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built, pushing the boundaries of EV development.
Capable of a 200mph (322kph) top speed, it is 53kg lighter with a smaller chassis optimised for street racing. An additional front powertrain adds 250kW to the 350kW at the rear, more than doubling the regenerative capacity of the current GEN2 car to 600kW, with more than 40% of the energy used in-race regenerated under braking.
IMAGE CREDIT: Sam Bloxham.
