Formula E may have taken a short break in its calendar, but the last few weeks have nevertheless been very busy for the Franco-American DS Penske team.
First, there was the return from Shanghai and the debriefing sessions, to analyse the performances recorded and ensure their sustainability. Then, the team moved on to the Gen 3 EVO tests on the Mallorca circuit (Spain), to prepare for next season.
For Jean-Éric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne, who are also competing with Peugeot in the World Endurance Championship, there was the Le Mans 24 Hours on 15 and 16 June, before it was back to the world of Formula E to prepare for the meeting in Portland.
On this permanent circuit in the north-west of the United States, Formula E is going from one to two races this year. The venue hosted IndyCar until 2010 and still hosts NASCAR, with the most recent event taking place in May.
With its 12 bends and a little over 3.3 km in length, the Portland circuit is considered by drivers to be one of the most difficult in terms of energy strategy.
Portland is a circuit apart
As we saw last season, much like São Paulo (Brazil), this track is the vector of high energy consumption. It is one of those circuits where leading the race can be detrimental to the standings, and where you have to adopt a strategy of alternating at the front.
The risk is that when you're in the pack, there's a lot of contact.
"It's the most complicated circuit we've come across from an energy point of view," said Vergne.
"In the simulator, we'd never worked on a track where you had to stay so far back in the pack to conserve energy. With the very high aerodynamic drag of these electric single-seaters, you can easily save 20 percent of energy on each lap by staying behind the leader, and it's clear that apart from pole position there's no point in being first until the last few laps."
What will happen this year, when the event is a double-header? The suspense remains, but it should be seen as a double opportunity to score big points for the most experienced teams, of which DS Penske is one.
