For the first time ever, all-electric racing hits the streets of ancient Rome in less than a day's time. What was once home to chariot racing roughly 3000 years ago, will play host to the future of motorsport as all 20 cars and drivers kickstart the European leg of the series on the streets of Italy's quaint capital city. Now over the halfway point in the season, the competition is closer than ever as Techeetah's Jean-Eric Vergne leads the way with 109 points, followed closely by Mahindra Racing's Felix Rosenqvist and DS Virgin Racing's Sam Bird in second and third respectively. With six races to go until a new champion is crowned, it's all still to play for in the Eternal City.
The Circuito Cittadino Dell’EUR is the second longest on the calendar measuring 2.86km in length - with the cars lining up on the starting-grid on Via Cristoforo Colombo and navigating their way around the Obelisco di Marconi for 33 laps, against the backdrop of Colosseo Quadrato in the contemporary district of EUR. With an action-packed day ahead, here are three key storylines to look out for during the race in Rome.
It's Luca Filippi's home race
"Generally, the home race has always been a good one for me in the past - it's always brought good luck," said a hopeful Luca Filippi (NIO Formula E Team) ahead of the race here in Rome. The NIO driver hasn't had much luck this season, currently sitting bottom of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship with just one point but the Italian will be hoping much-needed points boost in front of a sold-out home crowd here at the Circuito Cittadino Dell’EUR. "I'm also very proud because the circuit is fantastic, especially as the fans have given us such a fantastic response. Motorsport in Italy has always been huge but not necessarily in Rome, as there haven't been many big races. But, as the capital city, Rome is the home of motorsport. This weekend has come at the right time - everyone has been waiting for it," added Filippi.
The battle for the top spot
The fight to the finish between Lucas di Grassi and championship-leader Jean-Eric Vergne in Punta del Este couldn’t have been closer. With both drivers battling in the final few laps, it looked like di Grassi might have been able to pass on a number of occasions. But it wasn't to be, with Jean-Eric Vergne's defence proving impenetrable, leaving the Brazillian in second place - an admirable finish considering his disastrous start to the season. But that's just Formula E - it has a habit of going down to the wire - with the title being decided in the final race for three consecutive seasons. The question is will it happen again? Vergne doubled the gap to his nearest rival Felix Rosenqvist in Uruguay, with the Swede in damage limitation mode. With 30-points between the two drivers - it certainly isn’t insurmountable. Just remember back to last year with Sebastien Buemi. It's Game on!
It's ALL about energy
Here in Rome, the driver's don't exactly have an easy ride on the energy management side of things. For starters, measuring 2.86km in length, it's the second longest track in the calendar. Added to that, is the undulation of the course with more than a few ups and downs that could cause trouble for those drivers who struggle to manage the car's energy. "I wasn't expecting it to be so long, or have the elevation change. The last section is very technical, so it's going to be very aggressive on energy. I think it's going to be tough for all of us," said Panasonic Jaguar Racing's Mitch Evans. "[the energy] changes a lot when you start to lift and coast. Most of the simulations you do can't really predict the elevation change, so there will be a lot of changes after Free Practice One tomorrow. In the simulator, it was quite tricky to put a lap together and in the last sector - it's so technical and tight, to get it all hooked up is not easy - it's definitely going to be one of the toughest circuits of the season.
With Free Practice 1 kicking off race day tomorrow (Saturday April 14) at 8:00 am, the drivers will get their first taste of driving the track under timed conditions. From there, it's on to Free Practice 2 and Qualifying ahead of the race. Click here to view our full guide to the 2018 CBMM Niobium Rome E-Prix presented by Mercedes EQ.