Andretti Formula E team seeks positive turnaround after promising season opener

Andretti Formula E team seeks positive turnaround after promising season opener

By Michael Anderson

January 10, 2025 at 03:10 AM

After a challenging Formula E season opener in São Paulo, the Andretti team sees promising signs despite scoring no points. Jake Dennis, the Season 9 champion, showed strong pace throughout the weekend, leading sessions and narrowly missing pole position by 0.001s before a technical failure ended his race.

Red and white IndyCar racing

Red and white IndyCar racing

The team maintains a positive outlook, with Dennis finding his "mojo" again after a difficult previous season. The technical failure that ended his race might be related to Formula E's new four-wheel-drive system for qualifying Duels, race starts, and Attack Mode.

Team Principal Roger Griffiths confirms their off-season development work has proven successful, particularly in understanding the new tire and four-wheel-drive mode. The Andretti-Porsche partnership continues with incremental improvements rather than major changes to their championship-winning package.

New driver Nico Mueller, replacing Norman Nato, brings valuable manufacturer experience from his Porsche connection. His integration into the team has been smooth, though his first race ended early due to a collision.

Looking ahead to Mexico City, where Dennis previously secured pole position, victory, and the lap record, the team is confident in their potential. Dennis aims for victory if they can qualify in the front rows, while Mueller focuses on putting together a clean weekend to maximize the car's demonstrated potential.

Key improvements for the season include:

  • Optimized powertrain performance
  • Enhanced software development
  • Better understanding of new tire compounds
  • Improved four-wheel-drive implementation

The team remains confident in their competitiveness, building on their Season 9 championship success with targeted improvements rather than wholesale changes.

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