In February 2023, Cape Town joined 11 other global cities for Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship to host the first ever race on African soil.
This month, a wave of triumph swept over the e-Formula.news Season Awards 2023 as the inaugural E-Prix event laid claim to the prestigious title of the much-coveted ‘Race of the Year’ accolade among various other awards presented at the ceremony.
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The massive event was the culmination of more than five years of work between local Formula E promoters E-Movement, its partners and the City of Cape Town.
22 third-generation cars, reaching top speeds of 320kph, raced their way through the Green Point and Waterfront precincts, with Table Mountain, Signal Hill and other famous Cape Town landmarks as the track backdrop.
Not only was the 2.94-kilometre, 12-turn track deemed the fastest on the Formula E calendar, Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz also fired to his first Julius Baer Pole Position in Formula E ahead of the event, beating the Maserati MSG Racing of Maximilian Günther by over four tenths of a second to set a stunning time of 1m07.848s, the fastest lap of the day, and with an average speed of 154.987kph, the fastest lap in Formula E history.
Beyond the electrifying race action that held global and local spectators on the edge of their seats throughout the race, the Cape Town E-Prix made a profound impact on both the local economy and the global motorsport arena.
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The E-Prix generated over R1 billion in economic activity, making it one of the City’s largest events over the past decade, according to the Nielsen Sports Study, which also found that the event raked in nearly R70 million in global media value during its economic evaluation of the event.
The awarding of this season’s accolades followed a meticulous voting process designed to encapsulate both the public’s perspectives as well as those of a panel of esteemed motorsport experts.
Building on the methodology that proved successful in the preceding year, the evaluation process integrated empirical data and seasoned judgement to result in a comprehensive verdict.
Other accolades awarded include:
- Driver of the Year – Jake Dennis
- Team of the Year – Envision Racing
- Qualifier of the Year – Mitch Evans
- Racer of the Year – Jake Dennis
- Mr. Consistency – Pascal Wehrlein
- Rookie of the Year – Jake Hughes
- Leader of the Year – Nick Cassidy
- Standout Performance of the Year – Maximilian Günther
- Recovery Drive of the Year – Mitch Evans
- Overtake of the Year – Antonio Felix da Costa (at Cape Town E-Prix)
- Livery of the Year – Maserati MSG Racing
This momentous victory shines a spotlight on the event’s exceptional combination of high-class racing, electrifying drama and energy, resonating with both global Formula E enthusiasts and seasoned motorsport lovers.
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Picture: Cape Town E-Prix / Facebook