Two weeks after the stage in Saudi Arabia, the World Championship restarts after the Wehrlein-Dennis duo monopolized the first two steps of the podium in all the E-Prix held so far. Porsche and Andretti have signaled to be the teams that best of all are interpreting the third generation cars with set-ups and strategies, also making use of a highly competitive powertrain such as the German one and two pilots in full state of grace. The goal for both can only be to maximize the current superiority, converting the technical advantage into an extension in the standings. After Hyderabad and Cape Town, Formula E will in fact experience a break of almost two months before arriving in Europe, interrupted only by the trip to Brazil. This period will offer the teams the opportunity to metabolize what they have learned so far and start the software development of the powertrains, which could call into question the balance of power seen during the winter.
Porsche’s current superiority is no longer hidden even by the team members themselves. The preview press releases at race weekends are often full of meaningless sentences of circumstance, in which drivers and team principals most often stress the need to keep their heads down and work. And yet, Florian Modlinger, Porsche’s number one, does not hide the awareness that he has the best package on the grid in his hands and wants to make the most of this advantage: “In Mexico City and Diriyah we have demonstrated that our package is highly competitive in a variety of conditions. In Hyderabad we will attack again”.
Even more than the previous cars, the new Gen3s require compromise choices in the mechanical set-up between performance in qualifying, closely linked to the speed at which the tires warm up, and behavior in the race. The Porsche-powered ones have not yet managed to conquer the pole position, however expressing a disarming pace superiority in the race which has always allowed them to come back from the rear. The performance in qualifying is perhaps the main weakness of the Zuffenhausen cars at the moment. The comebacks have always ended with the maximum result, but Porsche and Andretti must still be careful not to sprint too far back on the grid, in order not to compromise their chances of recovering. The main hope for the pursuers on the eve of the Indian stage is precisely that the two protagonists of the championship become the protagonists of a subdued qualifying. “Obviously there are still some things we need to work on,” reflects Wehrlein. “We are not yet the strongest in qualifying. However, we have managed to put ourselves in a position from which we can climb up to the front of the group”.
Another variable is that of the Hyderabad circuit, an absolute first for Formula E, unlike Mexico City and Diriyah where teams and drivers already had experience from past seasons. Even more than in the first two rounds, the ability to interpret the new track in the best possible way both from the point of view of set-up and driving style will therefore be decisive. Porsche and Andretti hope that the superiority of their package will also facilitate this task, while the competition hopes that the sporting aspect can prevail over the technical one, subverting the hierarchies. The Indian track measures 2835 meters connected by eighteen curves. Several draw lengths are separated by a central sector that remotely recalls that of Diriyahwith a succession of fast and wide-ranging corners surrounded by walls, where the driver’s confidence in the car will be the basis of the lap time.
The most accredited to break the eggs in the basket to motorized Porsche are Jaguar and Envision Racing, both powered by Jaguar’s powertrain. Just as Porsche aims to build an important advantage before the break, in the same way it would be essential for the British manufacturer to limit the damage and then try to mend the gap with software development. Formula E is just in its fourth race out of sixteen, but the Hyderabad E-Prix already has the flavor of an important crossroads for the destinies of the championship.
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