Formula E’s Unplugged series is back – officially bigger and better than ever – taking fans behind the scenes of the most competitive and dramatic season to date in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Series Three of Unplugged goes live from Tuesday, 2 January, giving viewers an authentic and unfiltered account of Season 9. The latest series will feature the incredible title chase that was only decided on the final weekend, with driver rivalries that boiled over on and off the track, taking place against the backdrop of the fastest racing – and most devastating crash – in Formula E history.
Unplugged promises to serve up never-seen-before content of the record-breaking season, with more action and insider interviews that will entertain fans and give Formula E rookies an introduction to the personalities and storylines powering the growing popularity of the world’s most competitive motorsport.
Britain’s Jake Dennis (Andretti Formula E Team) won the Drivers’ world championship title in London on the final weekend of the season, which was the epic climax of a season-long tussle with rivals Pascal Wehrlein, (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team), Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) and Nick Cassidy, who would end up finishing second but not before powering his former team, Envision Racing, to the Teams’ World Championship title in the final race.
Seven different drivers from six different teams won races during the 16-race season which featured races in the centre of iconic world cities including Mexico City, Diriyah, Hyderabad, Cape Town, São Paulo, Berlin, Monaco, Jakarta, Portland, Rome and London.
Many of the biggest names in world motorsport appeared on the Formula E grid in Season 9, including Maserati, who returned to single-seater world championship motorsport for the first time in more than 60 years, together with McLaren, Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan and Mahindra.
While the story of Jake Dennis’s dramatic first world championship is a key storyline, fans will also see the incredible technological developments that are a hallmark of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. From the debut of the GEN3 race car – the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built – to NEOM McLaren driver, Jake Hughes, breaking the official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™, setting a new top speed achieved by a vehicle indoors – Unplugged has it all.
Tim Glass, Broadcast and Programming Director, Formula E, said:
“The Unplugged cameras captured every angle of what is officially our biggest and most dramatic season ever. There are clashes and crashes, high-speed action and intense rivalries, all playing out in iconic locations across the world from Cape Town to Hyderabad, São Paulo to London. Unplugged is the perfect way for new fans to catch-up on Formula E just as our new season begins, and for dedicated fans to get a whole new perspective on the entertainment from last season.”
Jake Dennis, driver for Andretti Formula E Team said:
“It took a momentous effort from the entire team last year to achieve what we did. So much happens behind the scenes that fans don’t usually get to see, and so to be able give fans an insight into all of the untold stories through Unplugged is fantastic. It’s also so much easier to connect with a sport when you feel like you know the people involved in it. Unplugged truly offers viewers a unique look at what it takes to compete in one of the world’s most competitive sports.”
The third season of Formula E: Unplugged will also be available in select territories via Formula E’s media partners across 8 episodes, while on YouTube the series will be available in 10 episodes optimised for the platform, featuring a mix of fifteen-minute and eight-minute episodes, allowing fans to immerse themselves in the drama and innovation that defines this pioneering sport.
Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship begins on Saturday, 13 January 2024 with the Hankook Mexico City E-Prix.
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*Notes to editors:
Where to watch Series 3 of Unplugged
- Global – YouTube
- Eurosport Player/Discovery + – Pan Europe
- TNT Sports – UK
- Roku – US
- Bandeirantes – Brazil
Episode synposis
Broadcast episode breakdown *Episodes vary in length but approx. 25-minutes
- EPISODE 1
- The American Dream, Avalanche Andretti
- The name Andretti is synonymous with American motorsport. With a team in FE, we’ll try to understand how their American values fit within a modern motorsport series. And how that effects Jake Dennis, their hotshot driver, when battling for the championship.
- EPISODE 2
- German Ambitions, Porsche, ABT
- With an introduction to the all-electric motorsport, we meet the two German teams with differing expectations for the season. The family-run racing outfit from Bavaria, ABT, just wants to be competitive, whilst the motorsport giant, Porsche, wants to win, win, win
- EPISODE 3
- The Rookies, NIO 333, Nissan, McLaren
- In a series like Formula E, experience counts – many have tried but few have succeeded. Two new faces join the paddock for Season 9: McLaren’s Jake Hughes and Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz. Both are young men trying to prove their worth as we explore their journey on track and in life. We also catch-up with Season 8’s only surviving rookie, Dan Ticktum, as he continues to prove his worth with NIO333.
- EPISODE 4
- Lucas Di Grassi – Legacy, Mahindra
- As the first driver to sign up to the series and the only driver to pass 1,000 points in the Championship, he is the epitome of what Formula E is about. For seven seasons he was a one-man band, Now, with his third team in as many years, what does the future hold for the man who helped build the sport?
- EPISODE 5
- A Matter of Principal, Maserati MSG
- Motorsport dynasty, Maserati, enter Formula E in Season 9, its first racing series in over 60 years. And the person
- in charge of the team is the youngest Team Principal on the grid. We follow James Rossiter in his very first year in the role. With six crashes in the first six race weekends, how will he deal with the pressure of managing such a huge name within the sport?
- EPISODE 6
- Sam Bird – Fight or Flight, Jaguar TCS Racing
- Time heals all wounds…
- Following Sam Bird’s forgettable Season 8 – his only season without a race win – he returns to Season 9 with a spring in his step. A podium finish in the second race of the season shows early signs that the old competitor is back, but disaster strikes, and the Englishman must fight for his season and his place in the sport.
- EPISODE 7
- The Customers
- Envision Racing
- In Formula E, teams are either manufacturers or customers. Whist the manufacturers have huge backing, the customers have to show nous and to think differently. Envision are the epitome of that. We look at how they’ll push for both the drivers and constructors Championships with their two very different drivers.
- EPISODE 8
- Showdown
- Various
- As we come to the climax of the season, the action ramps up. With four drivers in the hunt for the championship title heading into the penultimate race weekend, we see drama unfold with crashes and incidents as dreams will be broken but for one, immortality awaits
YouTube Episode Breakdown *Episodes optimized for 15 min episodes
- EPISODE 1
- The American Dream: Jake Dennis’ Quest for Formula E Glory
- Andretti
- EPISODE 2
- Track Titans: Porsche’s Chase for Formula E Prestige
- Porsche
- EPISODE 3
- ABT’s Turbulent Return: Triumph & Tradegy in Formula E
- ABT
- EPISODE 4
- New Blood: The Rookies Igniting Formula E
- NIO 333, Nissan, McLaren
- EPISODE 5
- 1000 Points and Beyond: The Lucas Di Grassi Saga
- Mahindra
- EPISODE 6
- A Matter of Principal: Maserati’s Return to Racing in Formula E
- Maserati MSG
- EPISODE 7
- From Tears to Triumph: Sam Bird’s Formula E Resurgence
- Sam Bird (Jaguar)
- EPISODE 8
- Power Play: Envision Racing’s Formula E Ambitions
- Envision
- EPISODE 9
- Edge of Glory: The Penultimate Formula E Battle in Rome
- Rome
- EPISODE 10
- Final Lap: Dreams & Drama in Formula E’s London Finale London
