FACTS AND STATS: First-race records, an all-new venue and who reigns supreme in Asia?

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FACTS AND STATS: First-race records, an all-new venue and who reigns supreme in Asia?

Formula E is making its debut in India this weekend (11 February) with a first race in the city of Hyderabad. Who has reigned supreme in Asia up 'til now? Which driver is the latest to hit a century and who is best at a new event?

Bird wins in Pitrajaya

An all-new venue

- This week’s visit to Hyderabad and race 104 in the series' history will be Formula E’s first trip to India (the second most populated country on Earth). Formula E has now visited the top four most populated countries (China, India, USA and Indonesia)

- Hyderabad the 27th location we've visited. We'll have hit 30 by the time we leave Portland later this year

- Hyderabad will be the eighth different city Formula E has visited in Asia. Only Europe has seen E-Prix hosted in more cities (9)

- With a city population of 6.8 million and a metro area population of nearly 10 million, Hyderabad is the fourth most-populous city in India behind Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. India is projected to surpass China’s 1.45 billion population to become the most populous nation in the world during 2023

- Hyderabad is the capital of the state of Telangana and is at an average altitude of 1,778ft (542 metres), with a number of artificial lakes including the Hussain Sagar lake, around which the race track passes

- Hyderabad could be one of the hottest Formula E races on record, with an average February high temperature of over 32°C (90°F). It is usually very dry at this time of year, with an average monthly rainfall of just 9.2 mm (0.36 in.) in February, part of a dry season that lasts between December and March

- However, Europe has hosted 20 E-Prix more than any other continent (44). There have been 24 races in North America, along with 21 races in Asia. Formula E has raced nine times in South America and raced five times in Africa. Formula E is yet to visit Oceania

Sam Bird on top in Asia

Records in Asia, another centurion, standings leads

- Jaguar TCS Racing's Sam Bird comes into Hyderabad as the only driver to claim four wins in Asia (two in Diriyah, one in Putrajaya and one in Hong Kong). Maserati MSG Racing driver Edoardo Mortara is the only other driver with three wins on the continent

- Mahindra Racing's Lucas di Grassi holds the record of nine podiums in Asia, with Sam Bird having scored exactly 200 points in Asia (more than any other driver)

- Sebastien Buemi’s Julius Baer Pole Position for Envision Racing in Diriyah meant that he became the first Formula E driver to claim three poles in Asia. Seven drivers follow up having claimed two poles in Asian cities

- The Hyderabad E-Prix will be TAG Heuer Porsche driver Antonio Felix da Costa’s 100th E-Prix, making him Formula E’s fifth centurion (after Lucas di Grassi, Sam Bird, Sebastien Buemi and Jean-Eric Vergne)

S09_TOP_5s_16x9_6

- Jake Hughes is the best average qualifier so far this season, with Pascal Wehrlein the top average finisher with two wins in Diriyah and a second spot in the Mexico City season opener

- The four drivers who have reached 100 E-Prixs have had mixed success in their centurion race. In Seoul last season, Lucas di Grassi finished in 11th place (missing out on the points by less than three seconds). In Diriyah, all three drivers who reached their milestone race in the Saudi Arabian city scored points. Bird picked up a podium for third place, Sebastien Buemi took pole and finished fourth and Jean-Eric Vergne finished in seventh

- Currently the gap between second and third place in the Drivers’ World Championship is 31 points. This means, whatever the result is in Hyderabad, TAG Heuer Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein and Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) will still be in first and second in the championship (but in which order depends on what happens in the race)

Antonio Felix da Costa reaches 100 races in Formula E

- The polesitter has failed to win the last six Formula E races, only one short of the series record, set between the Marrakesh and Paris races in 2019 (Season 5). Additionally, the driver that has led the first lap has not got beyond lap 11 without losing the lead this season, and in the two races in Diriyah neither of the drivers who led Lap 1 even finished on the podium (Sebastian Buemi and Mitch Evans)

- The last six Julius Baer Pole Positions have been taken by six different drivers (Jake Dennis, Oliver Rowland, Antonio Felix da Costa, Lucas di Grassi, Sebastien Buemi and Jake Hughes)

- Diriyah races one and two marked the first time in Formula E history that same drivers finished 1-2 in the same order in consecutive races, with Pascal Wehrlein winning ahead of Jake Dennis both times, following on from the same drivers finishing 1-2 in the reverseorder at the opening race! Diriyah saw Wehrlein and Dennis finish 1-2 in consecutive races without either of them qualifying in the top four on the grid, something that had never previously occurred in consecutive Formula E events

- Porsche and Techeetah currently hold the record for having reached the Duels in ten different cities. Therefore, if either Porsche driver reaches the Duels in Hyderabad, the German manufacturer will take the record outright

- Stoffel Vandoorne (DS PENSKE), Antonio Felix da Costa and Pascal Wehrlein have all reached the Duels in nine different cities (the record). So, if any of the three drivers reach the Duels in Hyderabad, they will be the first drivers to reach the Duels in ten cities

- Pascal Wehrlein comes into Hyderabad as the first German driver to lead the Drivers’ running. 17 drivers have led the Drivers’ standings and 14 have come from Europe (apart from Lucas di Grassi, Nelson Piquet Jr. and Mitch Evans)

- Across the last 70 races a European driver has led the Drivers’ table for every race, apart from the one race that Mitch Evans led the championship for (after Mexico City Season 6)

Mitch Evans wins in Jakarta

- The previous “new” city that Formula E visited was the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, a race which saw Jean-Eric Vergne take pole position (his most recent in Formula E), but saw Jaguar TCS Racing driver Mitch Evans take the win, with less than a second covering the top three. Formula E will return to Jakarta in June for a double-header

- Six different drivers have taken the six bonus point opportunities this season, with three different polesitters (Lucas di Grassi, Sebastien Buemi and Jake Hughes), and three different drivers setting the fastest laps (Jake Dennis, Rene Rast and Sam Bird)

- There were 36 "competitive" overtakes in Diriyah across two races - discounting those moves made through the ATTACK MODE activation loop

- Pascal Wehrlein became just the fifth driver to win both races of a Formula E double header and the first of those five to win when starting both races outside of the top four

- Both races in Diriyah were won from outside the top four on the grid, the first time that has happened in consecutive Formula E races in over four and a half years (Zurich and New York City, Season 4)