Formula E: ABT heads to Formula E beach party as leaders of the standings

ABT Sportsline Press Release

Formula E is picking up momentum: Just three weeks after the visit to Malaysia the racing series for fully electric open-wheel racing cars will be running at Punta del Este (Uruguay) next Saturday, 13 December.

ABT Sportsline and Lucas di Grassi are travelling to round three of the inaugural season as leaders of the teams’ and drivers’ standings – and intend to keep these spots.

Shortly before the third Sunday of Advent, sunshine 30 degrees Celsius, the pit lane directly on the beach: Punta del Este at the southern tip of Uruguay provides a dream setting and the perfect stage for Formula E’s third event. As always, practice, qualifying and the race are held on Saturday, within the space of just a few hours. The ‘Formula E Punta del Este ePrix’ will start at 19.00 CET and be broadcast live on Sky.

The aims of the only German team in the international field are equally simple and ambitious. Daniel Abt, Lucas di Grassi and the ABT squad are aiming to spend Christmas at the top of the Formula E standings. Before the race in Uruguay ABT is leading the teams’ classification with a one-point advantage. Following his victory in the opening race and second place in Malaysia Lucas di Grassi is ranked in first place of the drivers’ standings.

As in all Formula E races the drivers will again be competing in Punta del Este on a temporary city street circuit which, in this case, runs directly alongside the beach. The 2.808-kilometre track has 20 turns (12 left-handers and 8 right-handers), a full-throttle distance of around 70 per cent of the total track distance and allows top speeds of near-200 km/h to be reached. The lap time achieved by Daniel Abt while preparing in the simulator was 1m 15s – with all data just being estimates as tests are not possible on the circuit.

Following two visits to Asia the third round of the season will kick off a string of four races in South and North America before the FIA Formula E Championship arrives in Europe in May. After races in Monaco and Berlin the grand finale will be held in Great Britain’s capital London at the end of June.

Drivers and team director – that’s what they say

Hans-Jürgen Abt: “In Beijing and Putrajaya we experienced two successful Formula E events – both in terms of the organisation and the sport on track. I’m sure that Punta del Este with its unique location directly on the beach and its spectacular circuit will be another highlight. We’re delighted to be travelling to Uruguay as the leaders of both classifications and are definitely feeling comfortable in the role of the hunted. The competition is becoming increasingly fierce from race to race, that’s why our aim, again, is to do another zero-defect job in every respect.”

Daniel Abt (D, 22, #66): “I’m very much looking forward to the race in Uruguay. The track looks exciting and the location is simply cool. For me this is also my racing debut in South America. My aim in Punta del Este, clearly, is to finish on the podium. I’ve now started from third place twice in succession and only finished in tenth place each time. So the speed is there and now I’ve just got to catch a flawless race. We’re going to meticulously prepare for this and tackle the race day with concentration.”

Lucas di Grassi (BR, 30, #11): “Punta del Este for me is one of the highlights on the Formula E calendar. The track runs directly alongside the beach and is very demanding. It’ll be a tough race because the battle at the front is becoming closer and closer. We’re going to take our car to the limit. For me Punta is a home race in a way as São Paulo and the Brazilian border aren’t so far away. Friends, family and fans are going to be on location and support our squad.”

Photo credit: ABT Sportsline