Formula E: Brendon Hartley and Dragon Racing Split with Immediate Effect

Kiwi Brendon Hartley, having only competed in 5 Formula E races, has left the GEOX Dragon team and will not see out the 2019/20 season in Berlin.

The former Toro Rosso F1 driver replaced Max Gunther for Season 6 after the German was signed by BMW, a move that sees him currently in championship contention.

For Hartley and Dragon however, this season has been much less successful. 1 points finish in the second Saudi race for Hartley (which came due to penalties for others) remains the only points the team has scored all year, after teammate Nico Muller crashed from a high points position early on in the Mexico City ePrix.

Hartley lies in P20 in the standings, with teammate Muller in P22. Dragon are the lowest positioned team to have scored points in Season 6, above only NIO 333.

The move means Hartley will no longer be effected by the clashing Formula E and WEC races, with the opening days of the WEC 6hrs of Spa, the first race back for WEC since COVID-19, clashing with the final 2 Berlin Formula E races.

Jaguar’s James Calado, Mahindra’s Alex Lynn, Nissan’s Sebastian Buemi and championship leader Antonio Felix da Costa will all be effected by the clash, however all 4 are expected to race in Berlin before competing in Belgium, only missing out on the WEC practice sessions.

While there’s been no official statement concerning Hartley’s departure, it is thought that he will be replaced by one of Dragon’s Test and Reserve Drivers.

These positions are taken by Brazil’s Sergio Sette Camara and Sweden’s Joel Eriksson.

22 year-old Eriksson is the 2017 FIA Formula 3 European Championship runner-up, however since then has only participated in 1 single seater race – the 2018 Macau Grand Prix, in which he finished 2nd.  

Since, he has competed in the DTM championship, placing 11th in 2019, and in the occasional outing in GT races.

Sette Camara however has had a more high-profile career, competing in Formula 2 between 2017 and 2019, placing 4th in 2019. In 2020 he is set to compete in SuperFormula, of which the opening round is set for August 30th, resulting in no clashes with Formula E. Sette Camara is also the Red Bull and AlphaTauri F1 Test Driver, so could be called upon if any of the 4 Red Bull contracted drivers tests positive for COVID-19.

They both participated in the Marrakesh rookie test just before COVID-19, with Sette Camara 2nd only to Virgin’s recent signee Nick Cassidy, while Eriksson finished in P20.