Season 8 rookies ranked and reviewed

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Season 8 rookies ranked and reviewed

Every season the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship welcomes fresh faces to the world of all-electric racing but, regardless of their background, its never easy. In the gruelling and packed schedule of a Formula E race weekend, even some the most experienced drivers struggle to keep focused, let alone the newcomers. Welcoming three new drivers in Season 8, we rank and review Formula E's most recent recruits.

Season 8 rookies ranked and reviewed

Oliver Askew, Avalanche Andretti Formula E - 16th, 24 points

Standing head and shoulders above his fellow Rookies - and a couple of Formula E veterans for that matter - was Avalanche Andretti's Oliver Askew. Fresh from the world of IndyCar and IMSA, the American driver tried his hand at all-electric racing, which proved a success. 

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Creating headlines with a point-scoring finish on his debut drive in Saudi Arabia, Askew finished ninth after starting the race in 17th. "I guess you could say everything went to plan," said the 25-year-old after the race, casually. From there, Askew's beginners luck ran dry, failing to score in the following 12 rounds. 

Admitting that the move to Formula E had been one of the most challenging moments of his career, it took Askew the best part of the season to level out the steep learning curve and find his feet. Despite that, the US driver suddenly found his form in London, making it through the Qualifying Duels to start the race in fifth before returning to the points with a fourth place finish in the first round in the UK capital - three places behind his teammate and home race victor Jake Dennis. 

The following two races saw Askew fail to finish despite a strong Qualifying performance in the second London race. Rounding off his Rookie season the way he started it, Askew wrapped up the season with 10 points for a fifth place finish, despite starting the race 11th.   

Dan Ticktum, NIO 333 - 21st, 1 point

For NIO 333 Rookie Dan Ticktum, the solitary point he managed to collect over the course of the season could be seen as a disastrous result. But, when compared with his long-serving teammate Oliver Turvey's season total of six points, it's a fairly respectable achievement for a Rookie racing with a team not without its challenges. 

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Ticktum's brief moment in the top ten came in Rome, when both NIO 333 cars crossed into point-scoring territory on the demanding streets of the Eternal City's EUR district. Ticktum finished 10th after a solid Qualifying performance saw him start the race in seventh. While it would be the only time he progressing from the first qualifying segment and his last time in the points, the small victory showcased Ticktum's ability to make his mark in a challenging and technically demanding series. 

Antonio Giovinazzi, DRAGON / PENSKE AUTOSPORT - 23rd, 0 points

Arriving fresh from Formula One, Antonio Giovinazzi faced a sizeable learning curve when entering the Formula E arena, just as any Rookie does. For the Italian, however, the beginners luck failed to make an appearance, not just at the start of the season but for the remainder. Despite not scoring a point over the 16 races, there were highlights to the Dragon driver's performance. 

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In the second race in Berlin, the Italian driver was fractionally quicker than his more Formula E experienced teammate Sergio Sette Camara, albeit Giovinazzi had the benefit of better track conditions being in Group B. Following on from Berlin, the Dragon Rookie's best performance came on a track familiar to him, as he managed to claw a 16th place finish in Monaco - his highest place finish of the season but still three places behind his teammate Sette Camara. 

Miraculously, Giovinazzi appeared to find his form in Qualifying in Round 14, London where he made his first appearance in the Duels, defeating then reigning champion Nyck de Vries (Mercedes-EQ) in the quarter-finals. Despite the performance resulting in a third place start, the Italian lost his lead and failed to finish the race.

From Round 11 to 15, the Italian's chances of securing any points were marred by consistent DNFs, before he was ruled out of the season final with a hand injury.