It's like F1, but different: Understanding the basics of Formula E ahead of CT e-Prix

With the 2023 Formula E Cape Town e-Prix just days away, we thought it would be a good time to review the weekend schedule and what we can expect.

Like a Formula 1 race weekend, there are practice sessions and qualifying leading up to the race, but the way it happens is a bit different. Not a lot, but just enough to give Formula E its unique identity and not make it an all-electric version of F1.

Some cities, like we've seen in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, will sometimes host two races, each counting towards a round in the 2022/23 Formula E championship. When this happens, it alters the weekend schedule slightly.

But with Cape Town hosting just one round, this is what we can expect when the action takes place over the two days - Friday, 24 February, and Saturday, 25 February.

How it works

On Friday, there will only be one practice session for the Cape Town e-Prix at 16:55, followed by another the following morning at 09:05.

Once these are done, the drivers are split into two groups for qualifying based on an individual's championship position. The groups are divided into odd and even numbers, and each group will have 10 minutes to set the fastest possible lap.

After this, the top four drivers in each group advance to the "duels" stage, where they will race head-to-head against a competitor. This part of qualifying consists of a quarter-final, a semi-final, and a final. The winner of the final will start the race in pole position, and will bag an additional three championship points for doing so.

In each qualifying session - group sessions and duels - the Formula E cars' engines are tuned to deliver a certain amount of power. In the race, the maximum amount of power a Formula E car can deploy is also regulated.

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