Engineers from the CUPRA KIRO Formula E team explain how they prepare for the competition and what information they analyse in detail to define the most competitive strategy possible for each race.

• Race planning begins 21 days before the event and draws on both historical data and the results obtained from the simulator
• Driver input, both in simulations and through radio communication during the race itself, is key to getting the strategy right and ensuring optimal performance on the track
  

When the starting lights go out… the race begins! However, everything starts taking shape long before that moment. Behind every result, there is a team of engineers working tirelessly to maximise every millisecond and fight for victory. CUPRA KIRO is no exception: led by the engineers David Crespo and Ignacio Llanso, the team opens the doors of the pit box to show how each race strategy in Formula E is built.

Race strategy begins during the pre-season through simulation tools and is refined 21 days before each event, when the FIA provides the circuit’s technical data, including how Attack Mode works—a mandatory temporary power boost activated at a specific section of the track, which is key to achieving overtakes.

Therefore, the team combines simulations and historical data to anticipate different scenarios: “We analyse races we’ve run in the past with similar characteristics to the one we are about to face. We break them down into several KPIs (key performance indicators) and statistics to try to predict what will happen, and based on that, make decisions” explains David Crespo, Strategy Engineer at CUPRA KIRO.

The main goal is to optimise real-time energy management, determining when to save battery, push, or overtake without compromising final consumption. To cover all possibilities, Crespo admits they consider “too many” scenarios and typically prepare “a document of between ten and twenty pages with options to cover any situation within a single race.”

Over the race weekend, engineers fine tune the plan based on qualifying results and monitor the action in real time from the pit box, tracking key data: “We mainly monitor the lap times or gaps between drivers, but we also receive energy data. These are two of the metrics we don’t have before the race and which determine when to activate Attack Mode, when to enter the pits and other vital decisions we have to make on track”, explains Ignacio Llanso, Strategy Engineer at CUPRA KIRO.

This analysis is supported by the Mission Control in Silverstone, which processes additional real-time data—such as weather conditions and rivals’ strategies—by even listening to competitors’ radio communications “to understand what other teams are doing and react accordingly”, adds Crespo.

All of this has a single goal: to ensure maximum performance from the car and respond quickly to any unexpected situations on track.

The race strategy also involves maintaining fluid communication with the drivers, as they are the ones executing the plan: “We have the results of the simulations, the historical data and everything else, but the drivers’ feedback outweighs all of that. They’re the ones performing during the race, which is why we need them to be on the same page as us. We rely heavily on their perception” remarks Llanso.

This exchange, which begins in the simulator and continues throughout the race, is managed through the race engineers, who relay key instructions to the drivers. “It’s about communicating race scenarios: whether we want to gain positions, save energy, when to activate Attack Mode, and things like that,” Llanso adds.

As Crespo points out, information must be carefully balanced: “You have to make sure not to overload the driver, so you need to manage very well what information you provide. However, there are aspects they simply cannot see, and you must communicate them no matter what; otherwise, they won’t be able to react.”

Ultimately, CUPRA KIRO’s performance depends not only on what happens on track, but on thorough preparation, collection of data, and close coordination between engineers and drivers to shape a strategy tailored to each race.