– Preview: New York City E-Prix, races 11 and 12 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
– Two races against the stunning backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.
– The 2.320-kilometre Brooklyn Street Circuit runs adjacent to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal with views of the Statue of Liberty.
– The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team aims to build on last year’s strong team performance.
The Porsche 99X Electric cars will race in the big apple this weekend at the New York City E-Prix, set against the stunning backdrop of the Manhattan skyline. The all-electric racing cars from Weissach will contest rounds 11 and 12 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on 16 and 17 July.
The race weekend at the Brooklyn Street Circuit in the borough of Brooklyn is the first of three double-header events that will wrap up Season 8 of the innovative electric racing series. Next up on the calendar after New York City is London (30/31 July) and Seoul (13/14 August). After its strong team performance at last year’s debut outing in New York City, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team again relies on André Lotterer (GER/No. 36) and Pascal Wehrlein (GER/No. 94) to bring home podium places and points. Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: « We need to improve our race performance if we want to score the points that our qualifying performance warrants. »
In the drivers’ standings of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, André Lotterer heads to New York City ranking ninth with 61 points. Pascal Wehrlein follows in tenth place with 55 points. With 116 points in the team standings, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team defends its fifth place ahead of the eleventh of 16 races.
Q&A on the New York City E-Prix
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E
At your premiere in New York City last year, you delivered a strong team performance. What does this mean for your return?
« We’re competing with more power this time, and New York could be sweltering again. The last races have shown that we have some catching up to do when the temperatures are high. The team is working hard on this step by step. We want to demonstrate that we have a competitive package, even in warm conditions. »
Season 8 will conclude with three double-header events. Do you prefer two races per event to just one? Is it good to have another chance the next day?
« In principle, that doesn’t really matter to me. Of course, a second chance is good if the first day didn’t go well. But that shouldn’t be the goal. In terms of preparation and logistics, there are savings when you consider the effort required for a doubleheader and for two single events. But honestly, that’s not a fair comparison. »
André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36)
Six more Formula E events and then you’ll be back driving long-distance races for Porsche. What do you have planned for your farewell tour?
« This season’s remaining races are important. We have some points to make up and I’ll work hard with the team until the end to ensure that we do that. I very much hope that we can conclude this season with wins or at least a podium finish – just as we’d imagined and actually expect given our possibilities. »
How excited are you for New York City and what are the special characteristics of the track?
« I love New York. Many of my colleagues also love racing in Brooklyn with a view of Manhattan. It’s definitely a highlight for Porsche to showcase itself in the important setting of the American market and to promote electromobility. The Brooklyn Street Circuit is a great Formula E track, it’s a narrow street circuit with some challenging corners. It’ll be exciting to see how we can cope in the heat that’s been predicted. »
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94)
There are three double-header events left on the Season 8 calendar. Do you prefer that to just one race per weekend?
« I definitely prefer two back-to-back races, quite simply because you can spend more time in the cockpit and have a better chance of securing a decent result. We achieved a very good team result in New York last year. I hope we’ll be as strong there again this time. The anticipated heat will be tough on the battery and tyres and that’s something we definitely have to work on. Still, I’m hoping for two successful races. »
How do you view the situation in the championship heading into the final races of the season?
« We had technical issues at a few races and simply weren’t consistent enough. If you don’t score points at every race in this cut-throat championship, you have no chance of getting to the top. But we still have a few races ahead of us and therefore have every chance of concluding the season satisfactorily. That’s our goal. »
The circuit
The 2.320-kilometre Brooklyn Street Circuit, which runs adjacent to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal with a view of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, is a temporary street circuit featuring walls and kerbs typical of Formula E. The course’s 14 corners range from a hairpin (turn 10) and a chicane (turn 6) to the high-speed kink (turn 14), which leads on to the start-finish straight. While overtaking is not easy, the best chance is at the end of the longer straights approaching turns 1 and 6. Summer weather with temperatures expected from 27 to 32 degrees celsius will primarily affect the battery temperatures. The tyres, however, will not be overly stressed due to the track layout.