The Formula E season returns in 2023 with a trip down South to Cape Town, South Africa.
Set your calendars as Gen3 cars will blast through the city streets at GreenPoint and Waterfront districts, on at February’s end.
Though just right after Valentines, this event might be a date night you’d like to spurge on (and schedule in an 11 hour flight from London). Round 5 of Season 9, marks history in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship schedule with the a debut in Cape Town, the first taste of racing in a sub-Saharan (about 25%) African city. It seems only fitting that the circuit will take the drivers on a journey around some of the most famous Cape Town locations and landmarks, no?
Formula E has gone through some big changes in 2022 New Car, new cities, new grid, new rules, more action.
Cape Town, also known as The Mother City, ie: one of the most beautiful cities in the world, is also home to the second largest nation in Africa. The country is rich with languages (11 official + others unofficial) that adds to the colourful mix of people to be nicknamed as a “rainbow nation”. Being the oldest city in South Africa, Cape Town boasts intricate and elaborate architecture from the fiftieth century. You might hear the term “Za” in the city, this abbreviation stands for the Dutch-term Zuid-Afrika.
Antonio Felix Da Costa in DS Penske Season 8 // Photo by Fueler Canada Magazine
The Gen3 has been taken out to track for testing in Valencia last week. The fastest Formula E car yet has top speeds of over 3 times the local speed limit (322km/hr). Yet is the most fuel-efficient engineered racing car made with more then 40% used energy produced by regenerative braking. Uncommon in fuel-efficient racing cars the Gen3 is equipped with both front and rear powertrains with Road-Runner charging capabilities of 600kW.
Formula E is good on firsts, boasting a formula car that will not feature rear hydraulic breaking with the addition of the front powertrain.
The track takes the drivers onto Helen Suzman Boulevard and Granger Bay Boulevard with a couple of exciting chicanes, before leading out onto Mouille Point’s Beach Road, which runs alongside the ocean. A final sharp left turn onto Fritz Sonnenberg Road and it will be a straight race to the finish line.
This street circuit is “expected to be one of the fastest” on the calendar for the entire season, making nice use of those Gen3 vehicles, which are known to be very powerful. The track, which has a total of 12 turns, starts on Vlei Road in the Green Point district, which has a lovely view of Signal Hill in the background.
This may be Formula E’s first visit to Cape Town, but if the race is as exciting as the track itself, you can expect them to return again in future seasons.
Cape Town is 10 hours ahead of Vancouver and seven hours difference in Toronto.
If you haven’t put Formula E in your calendar yet we urge you to do so! The environment is vibrant, good for the whole family (and safe for litties too!), not to mention interactive in their fan zone.
