Formula E pre-season testing returned to Valencia after a year away and gave hosts Andrew van de Burgt and Sam Smith several headaches during the traditional guessing game of who might be favourites for the coming season.

Was there any kind of hierarchy forming? What are the chances of Oliver Rowland going back-to-back? And just where does Stoffel Vandoorne fit in to the Gen4 driver market?

These are just some of the questions that are tackled in the latest episode of The Race Formula E podcast, which sees Smith getting trackside at Valencia where he was especially impressed by one manufacturer.

The second women’s test is also picked over, as are several listeners' questions as our team discuss Jacques Villeneuve’s questionable Formula E legacy, Felipe Massa’s poor choice in picking fights, and why a Chinese manufacturer is yet to be seen in recent Formula E action.

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A slightly different episode of The Race Formula E podcast takes an intriguing flight of fancy as hosts Andrew van de Burgt and Sam Smith detail their fantasy calendars for the world’s only all-electric world championship.

Two very special New Year events are included in a sensational couple of calendars that will have the Formula E accountants sweating just at the thought of them.

In addition to this fun interlude, we also hear from new Jaguar TCS Racing driver Antonio Felix da Costa, who gives his first interview since being announced alongside Mitch Evans at the Big Cat.

Da Costa speaks about his renewed hope to add a second drivers title and also speaks openly about his own reputation as a heart on sleeve racer.

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The top three teams – Nissan, Jaguar and Porsche are analysed as the big three manufacturers went wheel-to-wheel across an action-packed season.

Van de Burgt and Smith continue their report with Allan McNish as the big questions such as ‘will Porsche be satisfied with winning two titles despite winning just a single race’ are asked.

The surprise package of Mahindra is discussed ahead of McNish joinig Smith and van de Burgt by choosing his top five drivers of the season. That comes in addition to a re-visit of the season predictions which were made ahead of the campaign beginning last December, which a particularly smug van de Burgt was keen to emphasise.

The surreal mess of Maserati MSG’s collapsed takeover is dipped in to, as is the increasingly frosty relationship between Porsche pairing Antonio Felix da Costa and Pascal Wehrlein, something which is also directly put to Porsche Formula E boss Florian Modlinger who joins Smith for an exclusive chat.

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