FIA Formula E World Championship kicks off in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY: Season 9 and a new era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship begins today with the "competitive debut of the fastest, lightest, powerful and most efficient electric race car ever built" - the GEN3 - in the 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit.

A capacity crowd of 40,000 spectators will fill the grandstands, with a carnival atmosphere in the famed Foro Sol stadium section welcoming the 22 drivers from 11 teams who will be competing in a race car performing at the very limit of innovation and pushing the boundaries of EV technology - the all-new GEN3.

Just one team has retained the same driver line-up that finished last season. DS Automobiles has partnered with Penske Autosport, signing two of the biggest names on the grid to launch their Season 9 campaign as read in a statement released by Mahindra Racing, a release said.

Reigning champion Stoffel Vandoorne and Formula E's only double champion Jean-Eric Vergne will drive for the DS Penske team. The pair was highly-competitive and registered "second and third fastest times respectively" during testing. Vandoorne will be looking to mount a strong title defence to match Vergne's unique double-title honour.

Two iconic names in world motorsport - McLaren and Maserati - line up on the Formula E grid for the first time this season. The former is among the greatest names in motorsport, with 20 Formula 1 World Championship titles, 180 Grand Prix wins and three Indianapolis 500 victories to its name, as well as a Le Mans 24 Hours win at the first attempt.

Rene Rast, multiple DTM champion and former Formula E racer, will compete in the distinctive papaya of the new NEOM McLaren Formula E Team alongside Jake Hughes, who impressed in testing on the way to recording the fourth-quickest time of the week. Maserati MSG Racing will see the return of Edoardo Mortara who will look to build on his most successful Formula E campaign yet of four wins among six podium finishes last season alongside new teammate Maximilian Guenther.

Jaguar TCS Racing is the only team on the grid to field an unchanged driver line-up. Mitch Evans was in the hunt for his first-ever Formula E world champion title until the final weekend of last season, ultimately finishing second. Andre Lotterer joins Jake Dennis at the now Porsche-powered Avalanche Andretti Formula E team, while Season 6 champion Antonio Felix Da Costa will partner with Pascal Wehrlein at TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team.

Nick Cassidy stays at Envision Racing, where he is joined by long-standing Nissan driver and Season 2 champion Sebastien Buemi. Mahindra Racing welcomes 'Mr 100' and Season 3 champion Lucas di Grassi to partner Oliver Rowland.

NIO 333 Racing retains Dan Ticktum, who will partner with Sergio Sette Camara, who put in some impressive performances last year for Dragon/Penske Autosport while Robins Frijns and Nico Mueller will race for the new ABT CUPRA Formula E Team.

The 11 teams and 22 drivers in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship have had private testing and three days together in Valencia to build up the mileage and acquaint themselves with their all-new GEN3 race car.

The release said GEN3 is a huge leap in technological development and innovation with engineers at the FIA and Formula E delivering the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built, pushing the boundaries of EV development.