Who to watch out for in the 2022 Jakarta E-Prix

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Who to watch out for in the 2022 Jakarta E-Prix

Who to watch out for in the 2022 Jakarta E-Prix

It's going to be a scorching one, the weather is hot and humid and the title fight is heating up as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship gets set for the inaugural Jakarta E-Prix. Get a head start with some tips to complete your Predictor line-up and be in the running for the chance to win exclusive VIP 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.

Make your picks for five race outcomes - selecting from the 22 Formula E drivers that you think will win the E-Prix, clinch Julius Baer Pole Position, set the TAG Heuer Fastest Lap, be the first to use ATTACK MODE and be the driver to make up the most places in the race.

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

Don't forget you can set up leagues and put the challenge to your Formula E peers, and prove your prediction prowess in the process.

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

Who to watch out for in Jakarta...

It's a new race location, a new circuit and a new challenge for the drivers this weekend. While we've never raced in the Indonesian capital before, there have been 16 races across Asia from the very first E-Prix in Beijing, to Putrajaya, Hong Kong, Diriyah, and Sanya. Throughout these appearances Lucas di Grassi has gone well.

The 2016/17 champion and current ROKiT Venturi Racing driver has stood on the podium on seven occasions - more than 50% of all the Formula E rounds in Asia. All these came when the Brazilian drove for Audi and ABT, a highlight being a dominant victory in Putrajaya where di Grassi's record for the longest win margin stills stands at 13.884 seconds.

Now in the all-black Venturi with its Mercedes-EQ power, he's had some decent showings so far this season. After a debut podium for the squad in the second round in Diriyah, di Grassi has been relatively quiet with two point-scoring finishes in Rome and Monaco but got stuck in last time out in Berlin with a fourth-placed finish.

 

digrass-hk
/Di Grassi has had the most success in Asia with seven rostrum finishes - can he revisit this form in Jakarta?

Venturi are having their best season to date, currently holding second in both the Drivers' and Teams' standings. With Edoardo Mortara racking up the bulk of the points with three podium finishes.

The French-Swiss-Italian has also been performing well in the new Duels qualifying format having won 10 face-to-face battles, the most of any driver.

After two retirements and looking like he was out of title contention heading to Berlin, Mortara took off at Tempelhof with two Julius Baer Pole Positions, a win and a second-placed finish, so he'll be brimming with confidence on Saturday as he lands in Jakarta only 12 points off the lead.

Another driver who'll be full of self-belief right now is the championship-leader Stoffel Vandoorne. The Mercedes-EQ driver is on a podium run having collected four from the last five races including an emotional victory around the legendary Monaco circuit.

READ MORE: 'I love discovering new tracks, it's always exciting,' says Vandoorne.

Vandoorne was arguably one of the unluckiest drivers in Season 7, he had the most poles of anyone but was unable to convert these strong starting positions into victories or even strong point-scoring finishes - falling foul to team errors or getting caught up in other driver's accidents.

The Belgian's fortunes have massively improved this season, having stood on every step of the rostrum and is the only driver to have finished in first, second or third.

 

Season 8 - Mid Season Revew

One outsider to consider is Jaguar TCS Racing's Sam Bird. Moving to the legendary British marque last season, Bird has yet to build on the success he experienced with the squad.

The Brit has only made it through to the Duels in one race so far and as a result of this keeps finding himself marred in the scrappy mid-pack of the field. Currently 12th in the standings, Bird can take some comfort from his past finishes having taken a quarter of all victories in Asia - a feat he'll be looking to further here.

Ultimately the big deciding factor will be on which team and driver can handle the heat. The forecast for Saturday sees a high of 32 degrees celsius and a 74% humidity, this will play havoc with a high risk to thermal battery management, with balancing tyre wear and the fitness levels of the drivers - and this is all before considering that it's currently storm season in Indonesia.