Alexander Sims geared up for Formula E season with Mahindra Racing
AFTER a relatively long-off season due to Covid-19, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship finally gets under way this weekend – and Alexander Sims says he’s itching to get into some competitive action with Mahindra Racing.
Since the concluding rounds of the previous season in Berlin in August, Coughton-based Sims has had plenty of time to get to know his new surroundings at Mahindra prior to the Diriyah E-Prix, Saudi Arabia, taking place in a night-time double-header this Friday and Saturday.
The season had been due to get under way with the Santiago E-Prix on 16th and 17th January, however, with Chile closing their borders due to the new UK variant of Covid-19, the race was postponed.
Despite the enforced extra break, Sims told the Herald he’s looking forward to putting the latest Mahindra challenger through its paces.
“I’m very excited to get going as it’s been a reasonably long off-season since the August races in Berlin,” he said.
“However, it’s totally understandable given the circumstances right now. It feels like there’s been a lot of preparation and I’m itching to get going and see how the new car is in a race situation as well as getting that competitive feeling back.”
Sims has joined Banbury-based Mahindra for the seventh season of Formula E from BMW i Andretti Motorsport and the 32-year-old paid tribute to his former employers BMW for all that they had done for him during their time working together over the past seven years across various disciplines.
“I look back on my time with BMW very fondly,” he said. “We ended on good terms. I’ve been a part of BMW’s motorsport activities in one form or another for the past seven years and I know the whole team very well.
“In terms of Formula E, I learned everything I know in the professional world of motorsport from them and I am really grateful for the experience.”
However, as Sims says, times change and now the former McLaren Autosport Award winner is looking forward to his new adventure with Banbury-based Mahindra.
“With all the travel restrictions right now, it’s actually a bit of a blessing to be with a team that’s based in the UK,” he said.
“Everything feels familiar to me already and what’s really nice is that I’ve had plenty of time to work with my engineers.
“Thankfully the lockdown has not been a show-stopper as such.
"The fact I live only half-an-hour away means it’s possible to continue some level of normality in terms of how we operate.
“With all the restrictions there’s limits on who you can mix with and how much face-to-face communication you can have, but in the circumstances, it’s the best we can do.
“Everything’s been good so far, though, even down to the private gym in the factory which I’ve been making the most of because all the local ones around Alcester and Stratford are shut.”
Pre-season testing in Valencia in December went well for Sims in the brand new M7Electro race car, which features a new powertrain that’s supported by an e-transmission fluid developed by Shell.
Sims and his-team mate Alex Lynn managed to do some slipstream testing and had a few runs chasing lap times to simulate qualifying, and it’s safe to say the former has been impressed with the package, but stressed it’s too early to start making predictions over what can be achieved this season.
“Expectations and predictions are a little bit difficult to get accurate because Formula E, as a championship in terms of the rules, is just so difficult to have a consistent run,” said Sims.
“Even if you have a get good performance from the car at the start, it’s likely to get more difficult later in the year with how qualifying works in terms of where you are in the championship.
"However, if you have a difficult start, you’re likely to have more chances to score big points in the latter stages of the season.”
For those who don’t follow Formula E, the qualifying session lasts one hour with drivers divided up into four groups of six cars, all of which is defined by their position in the championship standings.
With the Diriyah E-Prix being the first of the season, the qualifying groups will be decided by where they finished overall in the previous season’s standings.
Each driver then has just six minutes to set their best time, with the top six drivers proceeding to the Super Pole shoot-out to secure pole position and an additional three points.
During the shoot-out, the drivers go out one-by-one, with the sixth fastest driver from the group stages going out first.
When they cross the line to start their flying lap, the fifth fastest driver heads out and this is repeated until all six drivers have completed a lap.
Sims continued: “The biggest thing for me is I want to be in the mix. We’ve got an efficient package that’s fast, so the big factor will be minimising mistakes and making the most of a strong car.
“My aim is to fight for decent points and positions on a regular basis and I think that’s the most anyone can hope for to start with in Formula E and then see how it goes.”
A new team brings a new team-mate and Sims has already forged a strong relationship with Lynn, whom he feels will be tough to beat this season.
“I think we work really well and have got a good relationship. There’s a good crossover of data from both sides of the garage and that’s really important for the team as a whole to help it move forward and develop,” said Sims.
“I’ve got no doubts that Alex is super fast and that I’m going to have a hard time beating him, but I’ll give it my best shot.
"I’ve raced him before and when he was with Jaguar in season five, he was right at the sharp end immediately.
“It’s a nice feeling, though, because I’m convinced if he had a really good race, I’d be pleased for him and that he’d be pleased for me if I had a good result. It’s a team effort and we move together.”
In a Formula E first, the Diriyah-E Prix double-header will be held under the lights and Sims is looking forward to racing around the Saudi Arabian circuit in the night.
"The track at Diriyah is good fun and to have it in the evening without the natural light is going to be pretty cool," he said.
"It's not going to be like the night racing in 24-hour events or GT where it's pitch black, but I'm sure it's going to give it an exciting feeling and adds another element to Formula E.
"The first race is going to be very important so we have to prepare as best as we possibly can and minimise mistakes whilst capitalising on any opportunities."
Alongside his Formula E duties, Sims is also taking part in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with Corvette Racing.
His first outing in the No.4 C8.R saw Sims, alongside team-mates Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy, take second place in the GT Le Mans category at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, helping Corvette Racing to a one-two finish after the No.3 C8.R team of Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg crossed the line first in class.
Reflecting on his first outing with Corvette Racing, Sims said: "The car was brilliant. I really enjoyed driving it and thankfully it started to feel natural quite quickly for me which was pleasing.
"The race itself was very good, especially for the team claiming a one-two finish. It just so happened that we were weaker at the wrong point in the race.
"We were leading for the majority of the race, but in the last couple of hours the other car got stronger as we switched tyre compounds.
"It was a little bit deflating to come second after leading the race for so long and being in a position to win."
Asked about the thrills of endurance racing, Sims added: "The type of racing is different between Formula E and endurance in terms of what you're managing in the car.
"The simplicity from driving in endurance racing is wonderful, but the complexity of Formula E is a challenge and it's nice to experience.
"One enjoyable thing about endurance racing is the physical and mental fatigue. When you have to stay up for around 32 hours that adds an extra element of emotion.
"In terms of the racing itself, there's different classes so there's always something happening on the track. One minute you're overtaking someone and the next you're being overtaken."
Formula E and IMSA will be the main focuses for Sims this season, but he hinted there might be a possibility of doing some GT racing with BMW depending on how the motorsport calendar works out.
