On a mission
On a mission
The mission to defend the Formula E title has begun, with a tough start in Hong Kong for the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team. However, motivation for the challenges of the season has grown.
Author | Mark Schneider
Photos | Michael Kunkel/Audi
All is new in December: The Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler squad turns up at round one of the fourth Formula E season with a whole new organisational setup: Audi has taken over the starting position as the official factory team, Schaeffler remains on board as the technology partner, ABT Sportsline is responsible for running the Audi e-tron FE04 and for operations at the racetracks. The faces and car design may be new, but the goal hasn’t changed: to win races and defend the title. The start in Hong Kong: tough but promising. For the ABT Sportsline squad, the season doesn’t begin on the harbour of Hong Kong, but long before at home in Kempten: the four vehicles are meticulously prepared for Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi, they’re then loaded and dispatched to Asia with long-standing partner DHL: a total of 9.5 tons.
The competition is tougher than ever
The excited anticipation for the first showdown with the competition is huge. The question is: who will be the greatest rival? Renault, DS Virgin, Jaguar, Mahindra, Venturi? The answer: all of them. Never before has a Formula E season looked less predictable than this year. Twenty top-class drivers in teams, almost all of which are good for podium results and race wins. The good news: Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler is up to the task. At the first weekend as an official Audi works driver, Daniel Abt is thriving, twice beating his teammate, the reigning champion Lucas di Grassi, in the qualifying and the race. While the Brazilian went home empty handed on both days, Abt finished fifth on Saturday and scored a sensational win on Sunday. However, the joy of his maiden Formula E victory – on his 25th birthday – was short-lived. A minor administrative team error in the completion of the car’s technical passport cost him points and the trophy after the race. A rollercoaster of emotions for the team and race driver. But ultimately one thing remains: even more motivation to pull out all stops from now on and fight their way back to the top.
Cool characters: Lucas di Grassi and Daniel Abt number among the fans’ favourites
A crumb of comfort: For now, Daniel Abt has to settle for the honour of having set the fastest race lap 3
Next stop: Marrakech
Twelve races make up this year’s calendar. “We have a strong car and a strong team supporting us,” says Daniel Abt, who holds his head high despite the bitter setback. “We’re aware of our strength and we’ll return stronger, as we’ve often done in the past.” Morocco is the next stop for the world’s first fully electric racing series, with the third race of the season contested on 13 January. From there, Formula E heads to South America.
Strong partners
When Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler heads off on its travels, the team can rely on strong support from its partners. The partnership between the team and its sponsors reaches far beyond financial backing – including active participation time and again: an example, at the season-opening round in Hong Kong: Almost 200 international guests of the sponsors experienced the action live on both race days with the fascinating metropolis as the setting. They were joined by ABT’s sport marketing boss Harry Unflath, for whom caring for guests has been a top priority since the foundation of Formula E. He not only gave guests a glimpse behind the scenes of technology, visitors also met team members and the two race drivers Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi. A workshop at the circuit, guided tours through the paddock and, of course, dinner at the city’s most picturesque venues are all part of the regular guest programme in Formula E.
