My Experience at the Formula E in Monaco
Having been to Monaco once before, it was a dream come true to return—this time to experience the thrill of Formula E racing through the iconic streets of the principality. Whatever stereotype you might have about Monaco, it certainly lives up to it: fast and expensive cars, a high-octane lifestyle, and an overwhelming sense of pride in a place that’s beyond your wildest dreams.
Saturday: Sunshine, Speed, and Spectacle
This weekend was a double-header, meaning there was racing action on both Saturday and Sunday, with practice and qualifying taking place each morning before the main event. We sat in the K3 Grandstand, which gave us a perfect view of the cars as they exited the famous tunnel, wound around the Nouvelle Chicane, attacked the left-hander at Tabac, and entered the exciting swimming pool section. To our left, we could also see them navigate Turn 1 (Sainte Devote) and head up the hill to Beau Rivage. It was the ideal place to soak in all the racing action—and there was plenty of it!
You might be wondering: racing action in Monaco? How? Unlike Formula One, Formula E cars can actually overtake on Monaco’s narrow streets for two main reasons. First, the cars are significantly smaller—about half a metre shorter in both length and width than F1 cars. Second, they feature Attack Mode, a strategic energy boost system that gives drivers extra power during certain parts of the race.
Attack Mode is mandatory in Formula E and is activated when drivers veer off the racing line to pass over a detection point. Each driver must use a total of eight minutes of Attack Mode per race, split into two bursts (e.g., 2 + 6 minutes, 4 + 4 minutes, or 6 + 2 minutes). During these periods, power output increases from 300 to 350 kW, making overtaking far more likely. On Saturday alone, there were over 190 overtakes in the 29-lap race—compared to just four in the 78-lap Formula 1 race at Monaco in 2024.
The weather was perfect, lap records fell in qualifying, and the action was electric. Taylor Barnard took pole position in the McLaren, ahead of championship leader Oliver Rowland. But it was Rowland, driving for Nissan and in imperious form, who stormed to victory ahead of Mahindra’s Nyck De Vries and Andretti’s Jake Dennis. For De Vries, the Season 8 champion, this was his first podium finish since Season 9—a sign of resurgence for the Mahindra team, with his teammate Mortara finishing a strong fourth.
For fan favourites Da Costa and Evans, fortune did not favour them. Evans, running inside the top five, suffered a technical issue that saw his Jaguar TCS Racing car grind to a halt heading into the tunnel. Da Costa, driving for Porsche, collided with the wall in the final corner after a dramatic three-wide battle, causing significant suspension damage that derailed his race.
Sunday: Rain, Chaos, and Redemption
Sunday brought an entirely different atmosphere. Scattered rain showers created an unpredictable and thrilling race environment. As someone who didn’t bring a coat, the downpour wasn’t exactly welcome—especially in a grandstand fully exposed to the elements!
The rain forced the cancellation of the shootout for pole position, but the excitement didn’t stop there. Sebastian Buemi, racing for Envision, delivered a stunning performance to take his first win since 2019—bringing joy to a team that has struggled all season. He crossed the line over four seconds ahead of Rowland and Cassidy.
Buemi was overwhelmed, stating, “I didn’t think this would happen for me again.” Cassidy, finishing third, was equally jubilant, achieving his biggest points haul of the season after struggling to adapt to the new Gen 3 Evo car.
Qualifying Drama: A First in Formula E
One of the biggest talking points of the weekend was the chaos in Sunday’s qualifying session. Formula E’s qualifying format is quite different from Formula 1’s. The grid is split into two groups (11 cars each), with the top four from each progressing to head-to-head duels—quarter-finals, semi-finals, and then a final.
On this particular Sunday, sporadic rain created treacherous and inconsistent track conditions. By the time the semi-finals came around, only two drivers managed to set lap times within track limits—ironically both from the same duel. As a result, there was no final for pole position for the first time in Formula E history. Rowland was awarded pole based on his semi-final performance—a slightly anticlimactic end to an otherwise thrilling session.
Championship Picture
Did this weekend tighten the championship fight? Not quite. With another strong performance, Rowland has now extended his lead to a whopping 48 points over Da Costa in second place. So while the title race might not be the closest, the on-track action remains fast, aggressive, and full of drama.
Final Thoughts
If this is your first time reading about Formula E—or even hearing about it—I highly recommend checking it out. The racing is tight, fast-paced, full of strategic decisions and daring overtakes. The drivers leave nothing on the table in their battle for victory.
But for me, the absolute highlight of the weekend had to be meeting one of my racing idols: Stoffel Vandoorne. It doesn’t get much better than that!
