Preparations for Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will ramp up this week (5-8 November), as the Circuito del Jarama just north of the Spanish capital of Madrid plays host to both the official Pre-Season Test as well as the series’ inaugural Women’s Test.

Following the devastating floods that have affected the Valencia region in recent days, the decision was made to move the test from the Circuit Ricardo Tormo to Jarama. The four days of running will allow drivers and teams to put Formula E’s GEN3 Evo car through its paces ahead of its racing debut on the streets of São Paulo on 6-7 December, enabling competitors to explore and deploy its new technologies and finalise preparations for the season.

The GEN3 Evo features a new body kit that enhances aerodynamics, as well as optimised Hankook iON all-weather tyres, delivering superior grip and an increased percentage of recyclable materials (from 26 to 35 %), whilst the use of the front powertrain in traction in key race moments (qualifying duels, race starts, and ATTACK MODE), will give GEN3 Evo all-wheel drive capabilities. A race simulation and validation of the innovative ‘Pit Boost’ fast-charging pit-stop feature are also on the agenda.

Up and down the grid, there have as usual been a number of off-season changes, but for 2023/24 title protagonists TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team and Jaguar TCS Racing, consistency is very much the keyword. At Porsche, Pascal Wehrlein returns to defend his crown alongside fellow Formula E champion António Félix da Costa, while Jaguar has retained the services of New Zealand duo Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans in its quest to add the Drivers’ laurels to the Manufacturers’ trophy it clinched last season.

Robin Frijns and former title-winner Sébastien Buemi pair up again at Envision Racing, while Mahindra Racing fields an unaltered duo of 2020/21 champion Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara. Series stalwart Sam Bird similarly remains on-board at NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, where he will be joined on a full-time basis by young countryman Taylor Barnard, who contested three E-Prixs for the British outfit in Season 10, scoring points in two of them.

Elsewhere, there are several faces in new places, with Maserati MSG Racing going into Season 11 with a fresh line-up of 2021/22 champion Stoffel Vandoorne and Britain’s Jake Hughes. The Belgian’s DS Penske berth has been taken by Maximilian Günther – the pair effectively swapping seats – as the German teams up with two-time title-holder Jean-Éric Vergne, a mainstay at the Franco-American outfit.

Jake Dennis has committed to a fifth consecutive campaign with Andretti Formula E in his bid to reclaim the Drivers’ crown, and the Brit will be partnered by Nico Müller. The Swiss star has been replaced at ABT CUPRA – now rebaptised Lola Yamaha ABT Formula E Team – by newcomer Zane Maloney, who joins forces with Season 3 champion, Lucas Di Grassi.

Oliver Rowland is back for a title tilt with Nissan Formula E Team, as Norman Nato returns to the Japanese manufacturer following a season with Andretti. The official testing entry list is completed by Kiro Race Co – formerly known as ERT, and now equipped with Porsche powertrains for Dan Ticktum and series rookie David Beckmann, who made a one-off appearance in the championship in Jakarta in 2023.

In the Women’s Test – scheduled for Friday afternoon – each team will run at least one car for a talented female driver. The entry list is as follows: