The format
The day before the E-Prix, a short functional test, or shakedown, takes place. On the day of the event, teams and drivers get two 30-minute free practices, followed by the qualifying and the race. For season 8, the qualifying format has been revised: in the first stage, drivers are divided into two groups of eleven drivers. For their attempt to qualify for the next level, they have 220 kW (299 PS) of electrical power at their disposal. The fastest four from each group progress into the quarter-finals. There, they pit themselves against each other in a duel-stage knockout with 250 kW (340 PS). The winners in the quarter-finals go into the semi-finals. With the same power, the two contenders go head-to-head in the final duel for pole position. The drivers who were eliminated from the initial session line up on the grid based on their fastest lap time in the group.
Each race runs over 45 minutes plus one lap – moreover, additional race time has been introduced for season 8. Like in other sports, the race director reserves the right to extend the race by up to 10 minutes to offset neutralisations during safety car and full course yellows. In Race Mode, drivers have a baseline output of 220 kW (299 PS) at their disposal. At the doubleheader events with two races per weekend, the programme on the second day is identical, albeit with only one 30-minute practice session.
