The Pit Boost concept which will require Formula E drivers to make a mandatory pitstop is set to be implemented during races in the upcoming 2024/25 season, Motorsport.com understands.
The technology, which means the new Gen3 Evo cars will receive a 10% battery recharge at 600kW that will take approximately 30 seconds, has finally been given the green light after being in development for the last two seasons.
Initially touted for the beginning of the Gen3 era in 2022, reliability and safety concerns meant it has taken until now for the FIA and Formula E organisers to be satisfied and allow it to be used during competition.
The concept was tested for the first time during a race at pre-season testing last month in Spain, with the data from that simulation outing analysed by the championship and governing body.
Motorsport.com understands that the concept has been given the go-ahead and will be implemented on double-header weekends in order to vary strategies between each race at the same location.
Its first appearance is therefore set to come in Jeddah on a truncated version of the layout used by Formula 1 on 14-15 February and will feature at further rounds including Monaco, Tokyo, Shanghai, Berlin and London.
While Pit Boost is already part of the current sporting regulations, Motorsport.com understands that a tweak will be made to those regulations following a meeting of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council next week regarding how Attack Mode is used in conjunction with the new technology.
Alongside the 350kW of extra power from Attack Mode, which this year will activate all-wheel-drive, the introduction of Pit Boost is set to add another strategic element to races but one which some drivers are wary of in the event of a poorly timed safety car.
Ahead of this weekend's Sao Paulo season-opener, reigning champion Pascal Wehrlein warned: “We are not allowed to box everyone at the same time, it's always one car per team.
"Half of the field, so 11 cars, are boxing on lap 15 and the other half is maybe boxing on lap 18, but between those laps there's a safety car. It's a huge advantage for the second group.
“It's not like there's maybe one guy who would benefit or two guys, it could well be that you could end up from being in P1 [to] completely out of the points, just because there was an unfair situation with a safety car.”
