- Final Formula E pre-season test in Valencia (Spain) until Friday
- All teams on track together for the first time
- Team Principal McNish: “An important final assessment before the season starts
Valencia, October 17, 2018 – It is the only comparison with the competition before the ABB FIA Formula E Championship starts its new season in mid-December. Until the end of the week, all 11 teams are meeting for the official pre-season tests of the racing series in Valencia, with Audi using the occasion to unveil the liveries of Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi’s all-electric Audi e-tron FE05 cars to media and fans.
In the new cars wearing the numbers #66 and #11, Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi will set out to defend the title in the teams’ classification and battle for the drivers’ title. The 25-year-old German has retained the number he once chose himself while the Brazilian is switching back to his favourite number following a year as champion in car number 1. In Valencia, both of Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s Audi e-tron FE05 cars are on track together for the first time. While Daniel Abt has two white front wheel arches and red mirrors, di Grassi can be recognised by black mirrors and black front wheel arches, among other things.
“Following the private tests in recent months, the pre-season test in Valencia now mark both the conclusion and pinnacle of our preparations on the track,” says Team Principal Allan McNish.
“It is the first and only direct comparison with the competition and therefore an important assessment for every team of where it stands.”
In addition, a simulation of the new race format that will no longer include a mid-race car swap but a new ‘attack mode’ which is armed when the driver passes through the so called ‘activation zone’ is planned for the new season. When the driver passes through this zone, the power output of his car will receive a short-term boost.
While Formula E is facing major changes in terms of technology and regulations before season five, Audi has opted for consistency both on the track and trackside. Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi form the only driver pairing in the field to have contested all previous 45 Formula E races side by side. No other duo has clinched as many trophies in the process and all partners and sponsors have also remained on board. In addition to technology partner Schaeffler, who together with Audi is responsible for the development of the Audi Schaeffler MGU03 Motor Generator Unit, Alpinestars, Deutsche Post, DHL, HYLA, ITK Engineering, KUKA, LGT, MASCOT, Riello UPS and long-standing partner Wurth Elektronik are part of the team.
Once the pre-season tests in Valencia conclude on Friday, the two Audi e-tron FE05 will return to the team in Kempten for preparation before being loaded on November 20 to embark on their journey to Saudi Arabia. On December 15, the first of the new season’s 13 races will be held at Ad Diriyah on the outskirts of Riyadh. Besides the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler factory team, the squad of Envision Virgin Racing will compete with two Audi e-tron FE05 cars driven by Sam Bird and Robin Frijns.
-ENDS-
The Audi Group, with its brands Audi, Ducati and Lamborghini, is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the premium segment. It is present in more than 100 markets worldwide and produces at 16 locations in twelve countries. 100 percent subsidiaries of AUDI AG include Audi Sport GmbH (Neckarsulm), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. (Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy) and Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy).
In 2017, the Audi Group delivered to customers about 1.878 million automobiles of the Audi brand, 3,815 sports cars of the Lamborghini brand and 55,900 motorcycles of the Ducati brand. In the 2017 fiscal year, AUDI AG achieved total revenue of €60.1 billion and an operating profit of €5.1 billion. At present, approximately 90,000 people work for the company all over the world, more than 60,000 of them in Germany. Audi focuses on sustainable products and technologies for the future of mobility.