At the Formula E comeback in China, the fans saw a turbulent race on Saturday, which was only decided in the final laps. Nico Müller and Lucas di Grassi drove a race dominated by strategy on the Shanghai circuit, concentrating on saving energy for the final sprint in the first half of the race. In the process, di Grassi managed to move up from last place to eleventh. Müller was even in the top ten for a long time and had a promising amount of energy left, but dropped back to 17th place after a collision in the scramble. The second race will start on Sunday at 15:00 local time (9:00 CEST).
Nico Müller and Lucas di Grassi meet ZF employees in Shanghai
It was an interesting exchange for both sides: On Thursday before the weekend, Nico Müller and Lucas di Grassi visited the ZF Anting Technical Center in Shanghai and met about 50 engineers of the technology company, which is responsible for the development of the drivetrain of the ABT CUPRA race car. In an interview session, which was also attended by ZF’s Chinese CEO Renee Wang and around 5,000 employees in the Asian region via livestream, di Grassi and Müller gave an insight into their lives as racing drivers and listened to the employees’ stories and questions.
Ten years ago: Lucas di Grassi makes Formula E history in China
On September 13, 2014, Formula E made its debut with a race in Beijing. The winners were ABT and Lucas di Grassi, who crossed the finish line in front of the Olympic Stadium with a 2.867-second lead after a dramatic final half-lap. Even though twelve more victories and 39 podium places have followed since then, winning the very first race of the series remains something very special. “A start-up that not many people believed in at the beginning has now become a genuine world championship with a ten-year history – something everyone involved can be proud of,” says di Grassi.
Double duty: Shanghai and Lausitzring on the same weekend
This weekend means double duty for ABT’s motorsport department: the brand will be at the Lausitzring at the same time with the DTM. Kelvin van der Linde and Ricardo Feller will be fighting for the next trophies in the third and fourth races of the season. Both drivers were also recently involved in Formula E: van der Linde stood in for regular driver Nico Müller at the two races in Berlin and Feller completed the series’ rookie test for the team after the weekend.
Lucas di Grassi and Alberto Longo travel through the history of Formula E
In a humorous conversation, Lucas di Grassi and Alberto Longo, Chief Championship Officer and co-founder of Formula E, took guests on a journey through the ten-year history of the world championship. Hosted by Julius Baer, one of the most important partners of Formula E since its inception, the two also shared many anecdotes from the days leading up to the first race.
From China to the Eifel: ABT competes in the 24-hour race next weekend
For some team members it’s straight from Shanghai to the Eifel: On 1/2 June, ABT will once again be competing in the legendary 24-hour race on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring. Kelvin van der Linde, Jordan Pepper and Marco Mapelli will compete for the Kempten-based company in the ABT Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. This will be ABT’s eleventh appearance in the endurance classic. This weekend’s race starts on Saturday at 16:00 CEST.