This week, the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team will be heading to São Paulo for the opening round of Season 11.

Sam, Taylor and Team Principal Ian James are here to help us prepare for the event. As well as hearing from the team, we’ll also be explaining some key FE terminology, recapping the season so far, and catching up with a team member on their priorities this weekend.

Key info

“I’m looking forward to racing in São Paulo this weekend, the first race of my rookie season with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team. We’ve had a very productive off-season, and I feel I have developed as a driver over the break; I’ve learnt quite a lot off Sam and the team – and the car is looking pretty good as well.

“I'm feeling confident and comfortable within the team. It’s hard to tell how we will finish at this point, but I’m hoping both cars can score points. I can’t wait to get the season underway!”

“We’re only days away from getting out to São Paulo as the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team. I’m super excited to get the season going, coming from the off-season where we have learnt a lot. Our GEN3 Evo car has a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to showcasing what we can do as a team over this season, especially this weekend in São Paulo.

“This race and circuit brings back fond memories for me from Season 10, where I secured NEOM McLaren’s first win. The plan is to try and do the same thing, but a decent points finish at the beginning of the year would be a great start. Bring it on!”

“This week, the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team takes to the streets in São Paulo for the first race of Season 11. We, as a team, have much to look forward to going into this weekend. Last time we raced here, Sam secured NEOM McLaren’s maiden victory in Formula E in spectacular fashion on the last lap.

“After a busy off-season, during which the team worked hard to prepare for the upcoming season, we have a better understanding of the new GEN3 Evo machinery and relish the opportunity to put our preparation into practice. No doubt, the competition will be fierce as it’s all to play for in Brazil. I, for one, cannot wait.”

What to watch out for in São Paulo

Each weekend, we’ll catch up with a different member of the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team and ask them what their priorities are for the upcoming E-Prix. This weekend, with the help of Jorge Salvador Gutierrez Linares, we’re looking at Formula E’s new Hankook tyres.

“Hankook has developed a new compound for Season 11, the GEN3 Evo iON race tyre, designed especially for the new cars,” says Jorge Salvador Gutierrez Linares, Specialist, Tyre Modelling Engineer. “Compared to last season’s tyre, this is a more conventional single-compound tyre. This compound is highly sensitive to the thermal window, meaning it will bring a new challenge in regards to how we get the best grip from it.

“In cold or wet conditions, it will be difficult for drivers to get the tyre up to temperature, but in dry conditions - which we are hoping for in Brazil - the step up in lap time should be quite high.

“In Qualifying, it will be a balancing act because you want the tyre to be in the best operating window possible, which means the drivers need to have the right amount of track time to extract the best grip when it matters. Finding that balance at each track will be a major differentiator this year. In races, the new compound - along with the new AWD (All Wheel Drive) capability during 350kW laps - will also make Attack Mode more of a differentiator once again, because drivers will have a tyre more capable of using all of the extra power. We’ll see track filling up with rubber quite quickly!

“With tyres, we’re continuously learning, but the first events will be more focused on applying all of the learning we’ve gathered so far and operating at a high standard. Moving forwards, we’ll need to gather more data from different tracks, without compromising our Quali performances. The new tyres will bring some surprises for sure, especially in the first few races, but hopefully, we’re starting from a strong position.”

FEducation: Batteries

Our aim is to ensure everyone is as equipped as possible to follow Season 11, so whether you’re new to following Formula E or a long-time fan, we’ll be explaining some of the series’ most complicated terminology, jargon, acronyms, and technical terms to aid your understanding. This week, it’s batteries.

Formula E is the world’s highest class of competition for electrically powered single-seater racing cars. Instead of the traditional combustion engine used in most forms of motorsport, Formula E’s Gen3 EVO car runs on a  47kWh lithium-ion battery, produced by Williams Advanced Engineering, which can accept up to 600kW of charge.

The environmentally-friendly batteries can be recharged by electricity between races, and are produced with minerals from ethical and sustainable sources. They’re also recyclable after their useful life is over, too.

Sam Bird, his new teammate Taylor Barnard, and the team spent four days in Jarama, Madrid testing Formula E’s new GEN3 Evo car. Sam and Taylor enjoyed three full-on days on track, before working with rookie drivers Bianca Bustamante and Ella Lloyd on the final day, as part of FE’s groundbreaking Women’s Test.

Don’t miss out on any of the action and follow the team on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.