What to expect from Formula E at a traditional racetrack

The 3.37km Circuit Ricardo Tormo is a regular haunt for Formula E as host of four of the series’ official pre-season tests – with the first taking place in Season 4 right at the end of the Gen1 era.

This weekend will, however, mark its first appearance on the calendar proper and there have been changes made to throw a spanner in the works for Formula E’s 12 teams and 24 drivers who like to have every eventuality simulated to the tee.

WAYS TO WATCH: Where and how to watch every minute of Season 7

After the left hander and ATTACK MODE activation zone at Turn 8, the cars will dive sharp right into Turn 9 and 10, through a long, sweeping left hander at Turn 11. After the final corner, there’ll be a chicane for the field to navigate before crossing the start/finish.

“Valencia is also a new experience for all the grid," said Ian James, Mercedes-EQ Team Principal. "As Formula E teams, we haven't had much exposure to permanent tracks like the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, so it's hard to know what to expect."

'One of the toughest circuits of the year'

"The Valencia circuit is very different to the one we raced on in Rome," adds Mercedes' Stoffel Vandoorne. "In fact, it's almost the complete opposite. Rome was a narrow, bumpy street circuit while Valencia is a permanent circuit that has been slightly modified to be a little more twisty and better-suited to Formula E.

"Its circuit characteristics are very different: the corners are actually pretty fast and long, making Valencia a major challenge in terms of energy management. In that respect, it's probably one of the toughest circuits of the year, so racing will be intense and strategy will play a key role.

"Overtaking should be fairly easy but will put you at a disadvantage in terms of energy management."

PREDICTOR: Our tips on who to look out for in Valencia

“Valencia is a track that we know well from pre-season testing but all in all. It’s very different to a typical street circuit. It’s a different challenge to set up the car for the race. It’ll mean more energy saving compared to usual Formula E events as the circuit is so quick," echoes BMW i Andretti Motorsport's Maximilian Guenther.

“It’s very fast with lots of straights,” adds DS TECHEETAH’s reigning champion Antonio Felix da Costa. “There’s a lot more high-speed sections and it’ll make for a very different type of racing.”

“We’ve seen from testing here that when the circuit is easier to drive, the gaps between drivers and teams are very small and it’s harder to make the difference,” says Porsche’s Andre Lotterer.