Several Formula E drivers fear a succession of incidents due to the re-location of the attack mode zone at the Red Hook venue for the first of two New York City E-Prix this weekend.
The area where drivers activate and take their attack mode boost runs across a series of transponder loops in the track which have moved from the previous position on the exit of Turn 5 to the Turn 10 right-hand hairpin.
The exit of T10 sees the track wall slightly indented from the shore of the Buttermilk Channel area of New York Bay
The drivers are concerned about the directive which states that the car taking the attack mode has to give way to those not. This has previously created conflict at the Puebla E-Prix last month when both Jean-Eric Vergne and Sam Bird were forced into the wall and out of the race by Alexander Sims and Alex Lynn when re-joining from taking their 35kW boost via the unique ‘joker’ area of the Puebla track.
Both incidents were investigated but as Bird and Vergne (the retuning cars) were eliminated, no action was taken. However, had Lynn or Sims been eliminated or compromised significantly then Vergne and Bird would have faced a likely penalty.
In New York, the attack mode is off-line but filters back on to the exit of the hairpin on one of the narrowest parts of the circuit.
Several drivers have told The Race privately that they believe accidents are inevitable because the driver re-joining the track has no other option but to back-off when returning to the line.
One driver, who requested to The Race not to be identified, said that the placement and the directive for returning cars to defer to other cars was “basically just a blueprint for guaranteed contacts and safety cars.”
When asked to elaborate he said: “Scot was asked at the driver meeting where the returning cars were supposed to go when re-joining and the only answer was basically ‘it’s the same procedure as Puebla’.
“Now, we know that was marginal and there were shunts.
“But here you basically have the choice of stopping almost and losing 10 positions or getting driven into the wall.”
“So guess what will happen? Yes, there will be clashes and there will probably be safety cars and debris all over the track as usual.”
Other drivers are known to share the same concerns about the placement of the attack mode zone which was notified to teams two weeks ago when the track data was sent so teams could practice on driver-in-the-loop simulators.
The Race understands that Elkins declined to get into a debate about the potential issues at the drivers meeting which was held on Friday evening.
It is believed that he reiterated that the right of way rules would be enforced exactly as it had been since attack mode was used for the first time in 2018.
Coming from the attack mode is considered as re-entering the track, so cars on track have clear priority. This is explicitly outlined in the driver briefing notes which each driver and team manager receives at the official drivers meeting and briefing.
