Success in both Formula 1 and Formula E impossible? 'Top drivers can'

The ePrix of Mexico will kick off the new Formula E season this Saturday. In the history of the electric class, only Jean-Éric Vergne has managed to become champion more than once (the Frenchman won two titles, ed.). Next season, there are plenty of candidates for a first championship. Nick Cassidy, the '23 vice-world champion, is one of them.

The New Zealander made the move from Envision Racing to Jaguar, a manufacturer that has had great ambitions for years. With Cassidy and teammate Mitch Evans, these should finally be realised. The omens are positive: at the only test in Valencia, Cassidy was the fastest in any case.

"It's going to be super interesting," says Cassidy talking to GPblog. "We had the test in Valencia. The times are so close. Other teams have found a lot of performance and really developed, so it will be super competitive in my opinion. You always can be better. The times were too close to have too much confidence. I take a lot of confidence from having the last pole of the season, having the last win of the season. Okay, topping the test, but it doesn’t mean I start the year with more points. It’s nice to have the feeling, but the hard work is still to come."

Formula E not for everyone?

It is precisely the unpredictability that makes Formula E an interesting class for the neutral fan: drivers who are highly rated - for example, because of a past in Formula 1 - can struggle in the electric class. Antonio Giovinazzi, for example, never managed to get comfortable in Formula E, even though he drove in Formula 1 for many years. Conversely, Nyck de Vries is an interesting example: the Dutchman became champion in Formula E, but couldn't make a go of it in Formula 1 last season.

It is sometimes said that Formula E is such a specific class that only drivers with a certain driving style can excel in it. "I don't believe that's totally true," Cassidy responds. "I think it's really also team-dependent, car-dependent. You've got to be in the right scenario. I'm very lucky now with the Jaguar powertrain. I think that I'm in a very good situation. I'm very lucky. I don't believe that you learn or you forget how to drive overnight. So all the things need to come together for sure.."

Would Verstappen or Vettel succeed in Formula E?

It will be interesting to find out one day whether (former) Formula 1 world champions, such as Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen, would do well in Formula E. In any case, according to Cassidy, the key to success, in whatever class the driver starts in, is the extent to which a driver knows how to adapt to changing conditions: "I think it's important. You've got to change your style. You've got to understand the circumstances, the racing. There are a lot of things to adapt. But honestly, I think that the top guys, they should be able to."

"We're used to driving different cars, and we're used to being at the limits and in different situations. So in my opinion, it should be expected that a driver should be able to adapt [to Formula E]," Cassidy believes.