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      Formula E – 2021 season seven guide: Everything you need to know – Driver changes, race calendar and rule changes

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      FORMULA E is planning to dazzle in the dark as the series kicks off season seven with their first night race.
      Set on the streets of Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, the 2.49km track will be illuminated by energy-saving LED bulbs.

      Mercedes’ FE enter their second season in the all-electric seasonCredit: Formula E

      Friday evening’s race will be the first in a double-header in Diriyah, which promises the most competitive line-up in motor racing.
      With 12 teams, including 10 manufacturers, there are a total of 24 drivers looking to take the title, currently held by Antonio Felix Da Costa.
      What is new for 2021?
      There are three new drivers as 25-year-old British racing driver, Jake Dennis has joined BMW i Andretti Motorsport swelling the UK’s representation to seven.
      New Zealand’s Nick Cassidy has joined British team Envision Virgin Racing while Frenchman Norman Nato has signed for Monaco-based ROKiT Venturi Racing.

      Any other moves?
      Brit Sam Bird has joined Jaguar from Virgin while former F1 driver Felipe Massa has left Venturi.
      René Rast has been promoted to permanent driver for Audi, replacing axed Daniel Abt.
      Pascal Wehrlein has joined TAG Heuer Porsche and Alexander Sims is now driving for Mahindra Racing and has been joined by fellow Brit Alex Lynn.
      Sérgio Sette Câmara was signed by Dragon / Penske Autosport on a permanent basis while Tom Blomqvist has replaced Ma Qinghua at NIO 333.

      Two-time FE champion Jean-Eric Vergne during testing under the lights in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Formula E
      Any new races?
      Two new destinations are expected to host ePrixs this season, although the calendar is still subject to change.
      Nonetheless, there is another first in that FE are poised to race on a permanent track for the first time – as opposed to a temporary street circuit.
      The Valencia ePrix is scheduled for April 24th and will take place at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
      The Seoul ePrix is also due to make its debut on the calendar after the race was postponed last year.
      So there are two new races, but there will be no French ePrix, as that has already been cancelled.

      Formula E calendar – next season

      1) Diriyah Saudi Arabia February 26, 2021
      2) Diriyah Saudi Arabia February 27, 2021
      3) Rome* Italy April 10, 2021
      4) Valencia* Spain April 24, 2021
      5) Monaco* Monaco May 8, 2021
      6) Marrakesh Morocco May 22, 2021
      7) Santiago Chile June 5, 2021
      8) Santiago Chile June 6, 2021
      *Subject to circuit homologation

      Anything else?
      Powertrains – battery and motors to everyone else – have also seen a tweak to the rules.
      To help team’s financially, they have been offered one of two solutions.
      The cheaper option of sticking with their powertrain from the 2019/2020 season and bringing a new package later in the season.

      Or choose a new powertrain and stick stick with the design for two years.
      Audi, Virgin, Porsche, Jaguar, BMW i Andretti, Mahindra, Mercedes, Venturi and NIO have all taken the second option to bring new powertrains.
      DS TECHEETAH, Nissan and Dragon meanwhile have decided to start the season with their current equipment and play their hand later this season.
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      Brit Sam Bird hopes to continue Formula E record as he eyes first world title

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      SAM BIRD is looking to extend his wins record in the hope of becoming Formula E’s first, proper world champion.
      The Brit has won a race in all six of the previous season in Formula E and he can now take that record into season seven, which kicks off in Saudi Arabia today.

      Sam Bird joined Jaguar in the off season after six years with VirginCredit: Formula E

      Until this year, Formula E had been failed to be classified as a world championship by motorsport’s governing body, but that ruling has now been overturned.
      He said: “The goal is to become the first official Formula E world champion and in order to do that you have to win multiple races.
      “So that would mean keeping that record up. I am the only person in FE who has won a race in every year, so let’s see how we do.
      “We have not even turned a wheel yet, so it is too early to speak about performances but so far I have been impressed by what we have been able to achieve in such a short space of time.”

      Bird, 34, will be racing for Jaguar this season after cutting his ties with Virgin.
      And he says it was time for a change after being with his former team since the start of the series in 2014.

      Sam Bird has won a race in every single Formula E seasonCredit: Formula E
      He added: “Virgin were amazing for me for six years. I have some great memories but in motorsport, to stay anywhere for six years is quite a long time.
      “There comes a point where you feel like you need a new challenge. A change of scenery.

      “I have watched Jaguar improve over the last three or four years and I have been impressed by what they do and I thought, British brand, British driver, so I am glad to be here.
      “We are all pretty close as drivers but if a driver picks the right team at the right time, he can go on and win a lot of things.
      “I believe in what we are doing at Jaguar and in the package we have brought to the table.”
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      Formula E: Stoffel Vandoorne is relishing pressure of racing for serial winners Mercedes

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      STOFFEL VANDOORNE understands he must step up and deliver for serial winners Mercedes in Formula E this season.
      The F1 powerhouse ended the final race of last season in FE with a strong one-two finish but ultimately finished a whopping 97 points behind Constructors’ Champions Techeetah.

      Stoffel Vandoorne is eyeing Formula E glory with Mercedes this seasonCredit: Formula E

      Ex-F1 star Vandoorne will aim to win this year’s title as FE begins its first season as an official FIA world championship under the lights in Saudi Arabia.
      Vandoorne, 28,  said: “I would say there’s big ambitions for the whole team, partly because of the success we had last season.
      “And obviously that win in the last race has put a bit of additional pressure on us to perform.
      “I see that as a positive and I like being in a position where I have to perform.

      “I have to deliver and hopefully we can carry forward the momentum we’ve had from last year and start the same way.”

      FE’s first race of the season is on Friday in Riyadh on Friday
      FE’s new season gets underway this Friday in the all-electric series’ first night race. 
      And Vandoorne is hopeful after securing back-to-back podiums in the double header in Riyadh last season.
      The 28-year-old added: “It’s going to be an interesting weekend of racing.

      “It’s one of the trickiest circuits in the world and will test the drivers even more given it’s the first night race format we will have experienced. 

      “We’ve had success in Saudi in the past and will look to build on the two podiums we secured during last season’s double-header.”
      Vandoorne was pictured driving his FE Mercedes race car on coastline of the Red Sea, in NEOM. 
      Where they are building a new development called ‘The Line’ which aims to be a carbon-positive urban settlement powered by 100% renewable energy.
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      Unemployed F1 star Lewis Hamilton considering switch to Formula E as all-electric sport is the ‘future’

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      UNEMPLOYED Lewis Hamilton has previously revealed he’s thinking about racing in Formula E – but only once his F1 career is over.
      The joint-record seven-time F1 champion is out of contract at Mercedes and is yet to agree terms over an expected two-year deal worth £40million a season.

      Lewis Hamilton is considering driving in Formula-ECredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The Brit racing legend is currently a free agent after celebrating a joint-record seventh championship

      But the star has already said he is thinking about what series he races in next.
      Speaking at an event two years ago at Silverstone to mark Mercedes-Benz’s 125th year in motorsport he was quizzed about his future in racing.
      And the 36-year-old,who is spending his time during his ’embarrassing’ Merc stand-off in his wilderness hideout in the United States, hinted he could follow in the footsteps of fellow Englishman Gary Paffett in to all-electric series, which Mercedes will join next season.
      He said: “That is something I have kind of been debating. Up until now it has always been about Formula One.

      “But I just drove an old DTM car today, which I really loved. I rarely get to a track these days and have some fun, so that experience was extraordinary.
      “It was so cool driving my 2015 car and then the 196. It was a unique experience.
      “Being that I have been racing since I was eight years old, I am going to have massive withdrawal symptoms, like every driver has when they stop racing, when Formula One stops for me.
      “There are other things to do. I guess there are other series I could do. Fernando Alonso is doing Indycar and you see Kimi Raikkonen still pushing the boundaries.

      “I actually grew up in the same era as Gary Paffett.
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      “He is a little bit older than me and he is now racing in Formula E and that is now going to be the future.
      “So, who knows, in the future that’s maybe an area where I can use my skills but as you get older, it is more challenging to find the motivation to stay focused and you have to find something you love.
      “I am pretty sure I will always love cars, and for now I am going to try and stay in Formula One, so long as I stay focused and fit, I will carry on driving the best that I can.”

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      F1 season boost as Monaco Grand Prix organisers confirm race WILL go ahead despite coronavirus pandemic after axe

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      F1 chiefs have received a boost from the organisers of the Monaco Grand Prix – who say this year’s race WILL go ahead as planned.
      There was growing speculation street races would be forced to be scrapped for the 2021 season due to the ongoing pandemic.

      The Monaco GP WILL go ahead despite the coronavirus pandemicCredit: AFP – Getty

      That would rule out races in Melbourne, Baku, Singapore and Sochi as well as the principality.
      However, the Automobile Club de Monaco have rubbished suggestions their race on May 23 will be canned.
      A statement said: “Despite the latest rumors circulating on certain websites and social media, the Automobile Club de Monaco can confirm that the 78th Formula One Monaco Grand Prix will take place from May 20-23, 2021.
      “The ACM also confirms the 12th Grand Prix de Monaco Historique and the 4th Monaco E-Prix.”

      The season opener in Melbourne plus the Chinese GP have been bumped from their original date as F1 plan to host the races later in the year.
      An F1 spokesman said: “We have set out the details of the revised 2021 calendar and there are no other changes.
      “The suggestion street races will not take place is completely wrong.”
      On Thursday, Charles LeClerc became the fifth F1 driver to test positive for Covid-19.

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      The Ferrari ace had been on holiday in Dubai and upon his return to his Monaco home discovered that he had come into contact with a positive case.
      A subsequent test returned a positive result and the 23-year-old confirmed he was suffering with ‘mild symptoms’.
      He said on his Instagram: “I want to let you know that I have tested positive for Covid-19.
      “I am regularly checked according to my team’s protocols.
      “Unfortunately, I learned that I have been in contact with a positive case and immediately went into self-isolation, notifying anyone I had contact with.
      “A subsequent test I took has come back positive. I am feeling ok and have mild symptoms.
      “I will remain in isolation in my home in Monaco in compliance with the regulations set by the local health authorities. Stay safe and take care.”
      Lando Norris and F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton both also picked up the disease when in Covid-ravaged Dubai.

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      McLaren sign option to race in Formula E for 2022/23 season but insist they are still committed to Formula One

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      McLAREN have signed an option to race in Formula E for the 2022/23 season – but say they are still committed to Formula One.
      The Woking-based team are one of F1’s stalwarts and have signed up to the Concorde Agreement, which binds the team to the sport until 2025.

      McLaren chief Zak Brown outlined plans for F2Credit: Alamy Live News

      However, they are also weighing up whether to join the popular all-electric series in its ninth season.
      A statement from McLaren said: “McLaren Racing announced today it has signed an option to enter the FIA Formula E World Championship in Season Nine, as part of its ongoing evaluation of potential new motorsport platforms.
      “The option provides McLaren with the choice to enter the championship as one of a maximum 12 entries for the 2022/23 season.”
      The team are currently prevented from competing aS they are the exclusive battery supplier to the series.

      However, that deal ends next year, paving the way for them to start their own FE team.
      Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing said: “We’ve been closely observing Formula E for some time and monitoring the series’ progress and future direction.
      “The opportunity to take an option on an entry, together with the completion of the McLaren Applied supplier contract with the FIA at the end of Gen 2, gives us the necessary time to decide if Formula E is right for McLaren as a future competition platform.”
      McLaren-Renault came third in last season’s contructors’ championship, behind Red Bull and Mercedes.

      Ricciardo finished fifth in last season’s drivers’ championshipCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Daniel Ricciardo managed to take fifth place in the drivers’ championship.
      Meanwhile, Cyril Abiteboul has left his role as boss of the Renault F1 team, which has been rebranded as Alpine for 2021.
      It follows the arrival of former Suzuki MotoGP team boss Davide Brivio, who has joined as CEO.

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      Champion Antonio Felix Da Costa hungrier than ever as FE becomes an official world championship

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      FORMULA E champion Antonio Felix Da Costa is hungrier than ever before as he looks to defend his crown.
      Next season will be Formula E’s first season as an official FIA World Championship – bringing the all-electric series up a gear.

      Antonio Felix Da Costa is the reigning FE champion

      Da Costa joined serial-winners Techeetah last season and went on to win his first ever FE title in his debut season with the Paris-based team.
      But in doing so he prevented his teammate and ex-F1 star Jean-Eric Vergne from winning a hat-trick of titles after Vergne’s back-to-back championships.
      Vergne and Da Costa will be flat out again next season to ensure Techeetah win their third consecutive title as the tension between the two hots up.
      Da Costa said: “This team is a champion’s making machine.

      “The hard work they put in, how much they want to win, how clever all these guys are.
      “Hopefully we have the recipe to do it again next season.
      “I am really looking forward to kicking off season seven as a champion which has given me extra motivation.
      “I feel confident and I feel better in this team than I did a year ago.”

      Techeetah have won back to back constructors champions
      Da Costa hit the ground running at testing, after finishing in the top three of the timesheets on the first two days in Valencia.
      The Portuguese driver will be one of four champions on the grid next season, joining Vergne, Audi’s Lucas Di Grassi and ex-F1 star Sebastian Buemi.
      After being crowned champion in Berlin, after an intense run of six races in just nine days, Da Costa received a hero’s welcome at Lisbon Airport.

      The President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also gave Da Costa, the Order of Merit, one of the country’s most recognised honours.
      He added: “The President hosted me in the palace, which I was not expecting at all, so for sure it was a very proud moment.
      “Going back to Portugal after winning the championship was unbelievable, the people really get behind their athletes, but the highlight was definitely winning the Order of Merit.”

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