Formula E is back on track: Next Saturday (February 18), the electric racing series will be holding its third round of the season in Buenos Aires. The German ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport team travels to the race in the Argentinian capital chasing down the table leaders.
Formula E visits the 2.480-kilometre circuit in the Puerto Madero district for the third time – more than any other host venue. And yet, there are many unknowns at the round in South America: It is the first race after the long winter break and the high temperatures could again play a role, whilst the numerous tactics and strategy options will make the Buenos Aires ePrix exciting until the end.
The track leads through the popular, trendy neighbourhood of Puerto Madero and directly along the river Río de la Plata. In racing terms, the course offers a mixture of fast sectors and slow hairpins. The fastest corner is driven at 160 km/h, whilst at the end of the start/finish straight the cars reach a top speed of around 205 km/h. It is the fastest circuit on the Formula E calendar.
“The goal is clear: we want to go for the win in Buenos Aires and get as many points as possible,” says Lucas di Grassi, who comes to Argentina second on the drivers’ table. “The circuit should suit our car well, and our engineers have not only rested in the winter break, but have developed many details as well. Buenos Aires is something of a home race for me. So I’m looking forward to a lot of support from family friends and, of course, our fans.”
Whilst the 32-year-old Brazilian clinched at least a small trophy for his third pace last year, teammate Daniel Abt still awaits his first success in Buenos Aires. “In the first year I was close to the podium. Now, we are going to attack again,” says the German, who at 24 is the second youngest driver on the grid. “I like the circuit in Argentina and I’m eager to finally get back in the car. We have done our homework and in the last few weeks we’ve refreshed ourselves again in the simulator. We are ready for the re-launch of the Formula E season.”
In Formula E, practice, qualifying and race are all held within a few hours. The start is at 4pm local time (8pm German time). The race in Puerto Madero will last 37 laps and will be broadcast live on Eurosport at German primetime (starting at 19:45 CET). On Tuesday, February 21, at 22:00 the channel will be showing a one-hour magazine on Formula E presented by partner Schaeffler.