Who to watch out for in the Seoul season finale

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Who to watch out for in the Seoul season finale

Who to watch out for in the Seoul season finale

It's time for the final, after 14 rounds we've seen the title challengers whittled down to just four contenders, but there are plenty of drivers who can make a difference in Seoul. Keep reading for some predictor pointers for the 2022 Hana Bank Seoul E-Prix, and the final chance to win some exclusive prizes.

With Formula E Predictor, put your prediction skills to the test and prove you can master the beautiful chaos that is all-electric street racing. It's free to play, and points are awarded for each correct prediction.

WAYS TO WATCH: Where and how to watch every minute of Season 8

Feeling confident already? Then jump right in and make your picks now, or keep scrolling for some pointers for this weekend's races.

Going for gold in Seoul...

Formula E is reaching South Korea for the first time, and it's a fitting locale with the Jamsil Sports Complex - that staged the 1988 Seoul Olympics and been the home to K-Pop megastars BTS - set to stage an historic curtain closer on Season 8, the 100th race and the end to the Gen2 era.

A new city circuit means no previous form sheets to look back on, but there's plenty that we've learnt across the 14 races that we've witnessed this season.

Vandoorne has been Mr Consistency all season long, the Belgian only has one win to his name but where he's made the most ground is in points finishes - only dropping one non-scoring race over the season - and of these, seven were stood on the podium.

ANALYSIS: Who has the upper hand heading into the Seoul season finale?

The Mercedes-EQ driver arrives into the final double-header with a 36 point lead, but with 58 points up for grabs and the top four within that bracket, he'll have to keep one eye on his title rivals.

Mitch Evans and Edoardo Mortara are sitting behind Vandoorne and are both rocking three wins apiece this season. Then there's Jean-Eric Vergne in fourth, the Frenchman's winless streak achingly continues and despite being just within reach he knows how to put it on the line in a season closing double-header to win take the big prize.

 

mortara-evans-marrakesh
Mortara and Evans are equal on wins with three apiece - both drivers need to score big in Seoul in a last stand

There's a lot of focus on the title four going into the Seoul showdown, and rightfully so, but there have also been eight others who have graced the podium, picked up Julius Baer Pole Positions and claimed TAG Heuer Fastest Laps.

They are a group of drivers fully capable of ruffling the the feathers of the top four, much like what we saw in qualifying in London. A quick lap from anybody in the group stages can find one of the leading quartet mired in the mid-pack - although we've seen them work their way through in examples including Vandoorne's run from 20th to the points in Marrakesh, there's still a risk they might come to grief.

WATCH: Drivers Eye view of Vandoorne's overtakes from 20th to eighth in Marrakesh

Qualifying is where there are some points up for grabs with three for securing the Julius Baer Pole Position. On average DS TECHEETAH's Antonio Felix da Costa has been the best qualifier in Season 8 with a mean grid position of 6.4.

Season 6 champion, da Costa, has made nine appearances in the Duels in 2022 - Vandoorne however holds the most Duel battles with making it out of the group stages on a whopping 11 occasions.

 

No driver has claimed more than two Julius Baer Pole Positions this campaign, Vandoorne and Mortara have two, and then it's over to the two Formula E sophomores Nick Cassidy and Jake Dennis. Who each took pole in both legs of the New York City and London races respectively.

Cassidy scored his debut win in New York City, in dramatic fashion, and could have followed that up with another run at the front had a technical infringement not sent the Envision Racing driver to the back.

Avalanche Andretti's Dennis scored a popular win in front of a home crowd in London and then followed this up with a second place finish in the second race behind Lucas di Grassi - we'll get to the veteran Formula E record breaker shortly.

The next top race winner this season is reigning champion Nyck de Vries. The Mercedes-EQ driver kicked off his title defence in winning style in Diriyah however a lull in form followed, but the Dutchman bounced back with an emotional victory in Berlin.

Team orders could come into play this weekend though, with de Vries working as a wingman to driver standings leader Vandoorne, but also a vital cog in the Silver Arrows' defence of the Teams' trophy. De Vries is also the next best qualifier this season also with a batting average of 6.6.

 

porsche-first-win-and-one-two-in-formula-e-mexico-city
With its long straights and a tricky stadium section does the Seoul circuit sound familiar? Could we be in store for another perfect race from the Porsche pair like Mexico City?

The circuit for the new Seoul E-Prix shares some characteristics with another memorable track on the calendar: the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Much like the Mexico City layout, we have a couple of long straights and a technical stadium section - could we see another Porsche manoeuvre at the front?

It's seems like so long ago when back in February the German marque's fast German pair were on rails in a calculated first win in Formula E. It was redemption for Pascal Wehrlein taking his debut victory at a circuit where he was pipped to the post in 2019 and team-mate Andre Lotterer followed right in his wheel tracks for a stunning one-two finish.

Next up is Lucas di Grassi, the experienced Brazilian won his 13th Formula E race last time out in London to become one of the most decorated drivers in the all-electric series. 

His name will forever be in Formula E's history book as the winner of the very first race in Beijing, he's now is set to start his 100th race in the very final round of 2022 and is on the cusp of scoring 1,000 points - it would be a fitting way to end this season, and in an apt fashion for the ROKiT Venturi Racing driver to do it on the top step of the podium.

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There are plenty of wildcards to watch out for this weekend, and one in particular to note is Norman Nato. The Frenchman could be the ideal super-sub in Sam Bird's Jaguar TCS Racing machine.

Stepping back to a test and reserve driver role for the British outfit, the driver from Cannes could be a surprise element on the grid. He's determined, quick and won the final race in Berlin last season.

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