Dan Ticktum got his first taste of Formula E’s brand new machinery at the Jarama Circuit in Madrid last week in pre-season testing.
The Gen3 Evo car will be making his debut in the all-electric series in the 2024/25 season, with it being the fastest car in the championship’s history with its four-wheel drive ability and being able to accelerate from 0-60 in 1.82 seconds.
Pre-season testing for Season 11 had been scheduled to take place in Valencia, but due to the tragic floods in the region, the sessions had to be relocated to the Jarama Circuit.
With it being the drivers’ first chance to get to grips with the Gen3 Evo machinery, Formula E also made history in Madrid with the all-female drivers’ test on Friday. After finishing second in the session behind Abbi Pulling, Jamie Chadwick wants to see more opportunities for women in motorsport.
Another key talking point from testing will no doubt be Kiro Race Co in what was their first outing in FE after their rebranding from ERT and their new ownership was confirmed.
Dan Ticktum left surprised by the new Hankook tyres on the Gen3 Evo car during pre-season testing
Ticktum – who has been with the team since the 2021/22 season – and David Beckmann took part in testing for the team, with the duo putting in some impressive times on the track.
In the final session, Ticktum went second for Kiro Race Co behind Jaguar’s Mitch Evans, with the Kiwi driver setting the fastest time of the week.
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A lot of discussion has come from the new tyres that will be used for Season 11, with Hankook introducing a softer compound for the upcoming campaign. For Ticktum, this has been the ‘most surprising thing’ he has noticed from the new machine.
He told the official Formula E YouTube channel: “To be honest, the most surprising thing is the difference in tyre to what we’re used to.
“The tyre we had last season, you could pretty much so anything to it and it doesn’t matter the mileage, it doesn’t matter how many heat cycles, it would pretty much do the same lap time.
“But the tyre we’ve got here, this is quite an abrasive track, so probably more load on a track like this that we’d see in our season.
“But still, I think the characteristic of the tyre will be similar throughout the season and it’s much better and new. It’s like a more conventional race tyre, like a typical Pirelli or Michelin, so it’s quite a clear peak.”
Dan Ticktum is set to stay at Kiro Race Co after their recent takeover
As the 2024/25 season fast approaches with the first ePrix in Sao Paulo coming next month, Kiro Race Co are still yet to officially confirm their drivers.
It is widely expected that the team are set to go with continuity with Ticktum, in what would be his fourth season with the team in FE.
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The Brit has endured a challenging time in the all-electric series as he has struggled with the team’s underperforming machinery. Ticktum has only managed 41 points across three seasons, with a best result of fourth at Misano in Season 10.
As Kiro Race Co move away from being a factory team to running year-old Porsche powertrains, early signs have been encouraging from testing. Only time will tell if they can keep up this momentum in the regular season.