Stoffel Vandoorne believes the new qualifying changes in Formula E have been a "positive step" as the grid begins to adopt a familiar look ahead of this weekend's double header in Rome.
The chiefs of the all-electric series gave qualifying a shake-up in the off season, doing away with the group format that could often favour the new faces in the sport and those who went out later in the session. Now drivers are having to deal with a head-to-head concept that has seen the likes of Nyck De Vries and Edoardo Mortara often featuring in the latter stages.
It has given the grid, and as a result the racing, a more familiar feel with the big names battling it out at the front. Last year the qualifying format often led to unpredictable racing and results, but Vandoorne feels the changes mean your position on the grid is gained more on merit.
He said: "It has been a positive step with the new qualifying system. I feel like we're seeing more familiar faces consistently at the front, even being in a top position in the championship like it used to do. So you feel like every qualifying session you have an opportunity to be at the front. You know you're there on merit whereas last year sometimes being there because of the track evolution.
The Belgian added: "I definitely think it is helping (the sport) to consistently see the same guys at the front. We've had the top 10 being a more similar in the last two events. It is still very competitive that it is always a little bit random but I feel, throughout the season, we are going to see the top 10 drivers and going to be the same 10 fighting it out at the weekend, just in a different order."
The new format meant Vandoorne came up against world champion teammate De Vries in the first race of the season in Saudi Arabia. The Belgian got the better in qualifying before his teammate usurped him in race, leading home a Mercedes 1-2.
Vandoorne said on their healthy rivalry: "It is fun - we're pretty good friends and get on very well. Once we're out on track we want to get the better of each other and there's some good competition. We had a very strong car in Saudi and we were fighting it out for the whole race and let's hope we can do that many more times this year."
The Mercedes EQ driver has enjoyed huge success in Rome previously and will be hoping to win on the Italian streets for the second straight year. He added: "It is always a good feeling to go to a circuit where you've done well in the past. Rome has been good to me in the last couple of years - I got my first podium here and last year I got pole position and a victory."
Vandoorne's future is unclear beyond the season with the German manufacturer pulling out of the sport. The Belgian is confident he will remain on the grid whilst also adding he hopes to continue his role with the Silver Arrows in Formula 1, where he is reserve driver.
He said: "There's a lot of possibilities and opportunities out there. My future is in Formula E and I'll be on the grid for Gen 3 next season - at the moment it is too early to know where that will be. A couple of talks going on in different directions and I'm confident of having a competitive package. On his F1 role he added: "I mean it is early days but there are completely separate deals so there is no reason why that couldn't be possible. At the moment it is ideal, with FE and F1, but once my future is clear that will be an easy thing to chat about with Toto."
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s most extensive calendar to date continues in Rome this weekend for a double-header on Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 April, with the Sunday race live on terrestrial television on Channel 4 from 13:30 BST.
Catch-up on all the information as the series builds up to the 2022 London E-Prix, which returns this year on 30 & 31 July: https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/championship/race-calendar/2021-2022/london
