Current world champion says GEN4 machinery is ‘a huge step in the right direction for Formula E’
Jeddah,Gulf Tech News
Just seven races remain of the ABB FIA Formula E GEN3 era, with the new and improved GEN4 cars set to be taking center stage later this year. In the build-up to Season 13, Nissan Formula E Team’s Oliver Rowland recently had his first experience of the GEN4 machinery.
The new car will feature major jumps in performance compared to the current GEN3. Race power increases from 300kW to 450kW, while drivers will receive a huge 600kW while in Attack Mode, compared to the current 350kW. Active All-Wheel Drive gives the car more grip, allowing for impressive cornering speeds.
“The power the GEN4 car has is quite eye-opening,” the Season 11 World Champion said. “A lot of that extra power comes from the front, which is pretty unique and something we need to get used to as drivers. The performance of the car is a big step up from GEN3.
“Honestly, it’s really impressive. The high downforce offers lots of grip compared to what we’re used to and there’s so many new technical options, with the differential, four-wheel drive and more power on the front axle. We’ve got almost double the power, so the acceleration is incredible and everything happens a lot faster. The chassis has also been upgraded, which is a huge positive for us as drivers, because the GEN3 car is quite uncomfortable.”
Adjusting to new cars is something that racing drivers have to do countless times in their careers, but with the previous major update in Formula E coming into effect with the move to GEN3 ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, the adaptation to the GEN4 cars may take some time. Despite this, Rowland predicts that it will be a change that works for him.
“I got more and more familiar with the car throughout the test and got up to speed quickly. Power steering is the biggest thing to get used to; I’ve not used it too often in my career. I had to learn how to feel the limit of the car through the steering, trying to optimize it in terms of performance, power and driving style.
“The power and the downforce are other key differences, the top speed is higher, as are corner speeds. A lot will depend on how we set the car up from a technical perspective, but I definitely had to drive in a slightly different way. Though, to be honest, it felt quite natural to try and extract the maximum from it.
“The GEN3 car never suited me in terms of the braking, personally, so the GEN4 feels like a positive step. I think that from a qualifying perspective it may allow me to drive the car in a similar way to how I used to drive in GEN2, which is good for me.”
Formula E has also developed its own kind of racing in recent years, with the so-called ‘peloton’ races producing entertaining and unpredictable E-Prixs. But with bigger, more powerful GEN4 cars, the series may end up with a very different look. However, Rowland believes that we can’t yet be certain what shape that will take.
“The type of racing relies a lot on energy management. If Formula E can keep the traditional energy saving and Attack Mode races then it will still be interesting and unpredictable, which is a huge part of why people love the series. It really depends on the finer parts of the regulations, the increased speed could make it more like traditional single-seater racing with fewer overtakes, but I don’t think this would work in terms of putting on a show.
“There are a lot of unknowns, I haven’t followed a car yet to see what that’s like, but the tires are robust so there shouldn’t be too much degradation. There are several factors that may need to be tweaked during the early GEN4 races to find the right formula and continue to produce the great racing we’ve seen in recent years.
“It’s a huge step in the right direction for Formula E,” Rowland adds. “It will look impressive from the outside and all the drivers are really excited about it. I think it will give Formula E even more credibility and drivers from other categories will have even more respect for it. When we compare lap times, I’m sure we’ll see a big jump forward.”
Development of the GEN4 car will continue ahead of its first official outing later this year at pre-season testing in November. For now, the reigning champion’s focus is back on the current season and the upcoming E-Prix which will take place in Sanya, China, on 20 June.
