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Formula E preview | Championship battle with four contenders
- Ludo van Denderen
While in Formula 1, at the halfway point of the year, it is already widely clear who will win the world title this season, in Formula E, it is anything but clear as we enter the final race weekend. A breathtaking final weekend awaits in London on Saturday and Sunday when as many as four drivers can still become champion. Jake Dennis, however, leads the way and has the best chance.
Dennis close to championship
The premier electric racing class always prides itself on being so competitive. There is no denying that, as the magnificent '22-'23 season proves. With two concluding ePrix's in London ahead, Dennis, Nick Cassidy, Mitch Evans and Pascal Wehrlein are in the race to take over the coveted world title from Stoffel Vandoorne.
The Avalanche Andretti driver partly owes this to the second race in Rome, over a week and a half ago. Dennis then took pole (earning three points), drove the fastest lap (one point) and won the race (25 points). His closest competitors Cassidy and Evans crashed into each other at the hands of the latter, gaining zero points.
This gave the Brit a 24-point lead over Cassidy and 44 over Evans. Since a driver can take a maximum of 29 points per ePrix and two races are held through the streets of London, anything is still possible. There is no denying that only major setbacks can keep Dennis from his first Formula E championship. The Avalanche Andretti driver has won twice before in London, so it is fair to say that this street circuit suits him.
First livery created by AI at McLaren
Behind the four championship contenders and their teams (Avalanche Andretti, Envision, Jaguar and Porsche), the main concern for many others is to bring the season to a good end. For instance, Mahindra and ABT Cupra (for which Robin Frijns is still currently racing) will be especially happy that the year full of setbacks is over. McLaren and Maserati had mixed results in their first season in Formula E and are already looking ahead to 2024.
McLaren is not letting the season go out like a candle. The team announced that it will drive in London with a livery that was created through Artificial Intelligence (AI). The livery was devised in collaboration with title partner NEOM, and four members of their training in Saudi Arabia. They and drivers René Rast and Jake Hughes all wrote down what their favourite livery would look like. These texts were then converted via AI into different designs, which were eventually combined on the McLaren.