Just a Bunch of Instant Photos of the Formula E NYC E-Prix

For the fifth year, Formula E set up shop at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook, just across the river from lower Manhattan.

The site features a temporary track set up on the streets and parking lots around the cruise ship terminal. There, drivers navigated a 1.48-mile circuit that featured corners like The Dock Loop, the Manhattan Hairpin and Buttermilk Bend.

This year, Formula E uses a pair of Porsche Taycan EV sport sedans as its safety cars.

Despite the carnage during both Saturday and Sunday’s races in New York, neither safety car covered a lap at this year’s events. Instead, the cars were on hand for track inspections and to lead Formula E’s Gen 2 racers to the starting grid.

Friday on a Formula E weekend is all about meeting the media and getting in some practice laps. As such, the paddock was open for a wander through before any track time got underway.

I’ve been to Formula E races before, but never got as close to the cars and parts as I could this year. They truly are some of the coolest looking race cars out there.

And speaking of meeting the media, Jaguar team principal James Barclay was on hand for a chat about his team’s chances in New York.

Barclay has been with Jaguar since it joined the sport in 2016. This year, his driver Mitch Evans is fighting for his first Formula E world title. He currently sits 16 points off the lead after his third-place finish on Sunday.

In addition to the all-electric drivetrains, innovative qualifying format and city-center races, Formula E takes a different approach to tires than most other racing series.

Where Formula 1 offers specialized tires for dry or wet conditions and a plethora of compounds, Formula E is more restrictive. Teams have just two sets of tires per race weekend (three sets for double-headers). Every set is the same kind of Michelin road tire — no swapping to wet tires if it rains.

Over the years, Formula E has offered a home for several ex-Formula 1 racers. Double world champion Jean-Éric Vergne got his start in F1 with Red Bull and current championship leader Stoffel Vandoorne used to race for McLaren.

This year, ex-Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi has joined Formula E as one of three rookies on the grid. He drives for the red and white Dragon team, but failed to finish either race in New York this weekend.

Another rookie this year is Nio 333 driver Dan Ticktum. The British racer cut his teeth on the road to Formula 1, winning three races in Formula 2.

Ticktum told us he’s getting to grips with his switch to all-electric racing, before adding that this was the first time he’s visited New York.

Before the racing action kicked off, the paddock was buzzing with the sound of cars being assembled and tested. But once they were all built up and the FIA scrutineers began their inspections, it became a much calmer place.

There was no more whizzing of wheel guns, and instead the music blaring from each garage filled the air. Shout out to Dragon and Andretti for having the best in-garage playlists.

One thing I was a bit surprised by was the sheer volume of spare parts every team had piled up in front of, inside and behind their garages.

These Rokit Venturi front wing assemblies were racked up in front of the garage ready to go if either Edoardo Mortara or Lucas di Grassi needed to swap noses.

Here, I thought I was getting an arty shot of Mercedes driver Stoffel Vandoorne in his garage before the race. Sadly, I quickly discovered the limitations of an instant camera.

Instead, here’s a nice shot of the rear wing assembly of the Mercedes Formula E race car.

Before the start of the race, I was allowed onto the grid to walk amongst the cars, drivers and engineers getting ready for the five lights to go out.

Once the lights are out, a Formula E race lasts for 45 minutes plus one final lap.

While walking down the grid, there was a lot to take in. Here, Mercedes driver Nyck de Vries was taking a moment to hide from the sun and chat with his engineer ahead of the race. The Dutch driver finished 8th and 7th in the two races held this weekend.

The award for the best helmet design on the Formula E grid goes to Robin Frijns. The Dutch driver races for the Envision team and came away from his trip to New York with a fifth-place finish on Sunday and a third-place spot on the podium for Saturday’s E Prix.

Speaking of podiums, here’s Saturday’s top three finishers. After a torrential downpour flooded the track and saw four cars crash off the circuit, the E Prix was red-flagged.

After all that chaos, Envision driver Nick Cassidy came away with his first ever Formula E win, while Rokit Venturi Racing driver Lucas Di Grassi took second and Robin Frijns came third.