23.4.2019. On Saturday (27. April) Paris is the second stop of the European tour of the formula E. With seven winners in seven races, and extremely small distances in the table what is fought over the championship never been so hard as now. During a guest performance in the French capital, Daniel Abt, Lucas di Grassi and the Audi Sport Team to want to Schaeffler ABBOT back on the Podium.
Only 21 points Daniel separate Dept on Position of the ten best-placed pilots in the drivers ‘ championship – what is contested never in their four seasons of the formula E after seven races so hard. So far, the Top Ten were 65 (season 1), 94 (season 2), 99 (season 3) and 87 points (season 4). Lucas di Grassi disconnect on Position five only seven counter from the top position in the team standings, Audi Sport is Schaeffler ABBOT with 14 points behind in striking distance. The eighth of 13 races in the hot Phase in the battle for the trophies begins at the weekend in Paris.
“We’ve seen this season that our car and our Team have the Performance to be at the very front. In Rome, we have reached the 1,000-point mark in the formula E. But with your high level and its extreme power density, formula E does not forgive the slightest mistake,“ says team leader Allan McNish. “Seven winners in seven races, the Top Six in the drivers’ championship, just ten points, what is exactly the difference between a first and a third place on Saturday: We are, but for a trophy in formula E you need for a perfect day. Everyone in our team is to ensure that we experience in Paris.“
The scenery in Paris is unique for a formula-E Event. On the day before the race Sightseeing travel lane bus through the boxes, then the formula E starts her guest performance in the French capital. The 1,920-kilometre-long course leads around the Invalides, where Napoleon’s tomb is located. The Eiffel tower, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and the Seine are in the immediate vicinity of deep in the heart of the city, you can’t be.
Lucas di Grassi has already entered the history books when he won in his championship season 2016/2017 the Premiere in Paris. Since then, the race in France is a roller-coaster of feelings: On the victory a failure in the next year followed, then a place on the Podium. “The championship is getting harder: Everyone can be on the Pole, everyone can win the race – Paris will be no exception,” says Lucas di Grassi. “So we have to work even harder to stay in the game. The time of training is, as always, playing a large role. I’m in the first group, which is certainly no advantage – but also from there you can come in the Super-Pole, and this must be our first goal, in order to have an optimal starting position in the race.“
After six races in a row in the points, Daniel remained Abbot last in Rome because of a technical problem for the first time this season without a counter. “It was checked on the Monday after the race. These days, there is not in the formula E, sometimes it is simply in your Hand,” says Daniel Abt, who looks only to the future: “We know that we have what it takes, and have to do it in Paris is just better. It is very tight and everything is still open in the championship. For me, the race is one of the highlights: an incredible Location in the middle of the city. This is precisely the formula E.“
In addition to the factory team Audi Sport Schaeffler ABT the customer team Envision Virgin Racing’s Sam Bird and Robin Frijns, with the Audi and technology partner Schaeffler have developed e-tron FE05. The British team lies in the team standings on the second place.
The eighth season round of the formula E starts in Paris on Saturday to 16 PM local time and as usual about 45 minutes plus a lap. After the race in Rome, in Germany alone, more than a Million people attended in front of the screen, shows the ZDF the race in the French capital, as a live stream: The Transmission starts at 15: 45 with the commentator Gari Paubandt under zdfsport.de. As always, Eurosport broadcasts the race live. All of the international channels including broadcast times are available online at www.fiaformulae.com .
Audi e-tron FE05 #11 (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler), Lucas di Grassi (photo: Audi Communications Motorsport / Michael Kunkel)
