Preview Portland E-Prix | Will drivers avoid the lead again?

With the New York venue no longer available, the annual US E-Prix has moved to the opposite side of the country. In Portland, the intense battle for the Formula E world title continues on a track that is also used for IndyCar and NASCAR. Moreover, the Portland International Raceway is not a street circuit (as usual in FE) and holds its first FE Race. 

Surreal races occurred in Berlin and Sao Paulo. Where a racing driver normally does everything possible to take the lead of the race, the events in Germany and Brazil were the complete opposite. The teams and drivers actually wanted to use as little energy as possible during the first stage of the E-Prix, so nobody wanted the lead position. Without a slipstream, more energy is consumed when leading. Energy everyone wants precisely in the closing stages of the race.

Repetition in Portland expected

Given the characteristics of the track, maximum energy consumption combined with the race distance, a race like Berlin and Sao Paulo awaits in Portland too. It will be about saving as much energy as possible. That could just be the case for three-quarters of the ePrix. Not fun for the fans, even dangerous for the drivers. It has already been shown that pushing each other into the lead results in dangerous situations and even accidents. Just like that, drivers suddenly hit the brakes just to avoid getting into the lead. This encourages crashes.

Nevertheless, the race in the American city will be one to look forward to. With three race weekends (five races) to go, the battle for the title is fiercer than ever. Pascal Wehrlein leads the championship, with one point more than Jake Dennis (the most consistent man with seven podium finishes this season) of the American Andretti team. Nick Cassidy also has every chance of winning the championship, sitting six points behind Wehrlein.

Formula E is highly competitive this season - in the year when Gen3 cars were introduced. Already seven different drivers won a race. It is likely to be unpredictable in Portland too. After all, the teams have no reference point at the circuit on the west coast of the US. It will therefore come down to who can find the right set-up the fastest over the next few days.