|
From the long high-speed straights of Portland to the narrow streets of London: Formula E celebrates its grand season finale next weekend (20 and 21 July) with two races around and through the ExCeL grounds. For ABT CUPRA and its drivers Lucas di Grassi and Nico Müller, the aim is to continue the positive trend in terms of performance, collect more points in the team standings and end a tough sporting season with a positive result.
The two final races in London will also be the last for Nico Müller in the ABT CUPRA team: The Swiss driver has decided to take on a new motorsport challenge and leave the team. “It was our wish to keep Nico in the team and to be successful with him again. Now we have to accept his decision and wish him all the best for the future”, says ABT CEO and Team Principal Thomas Biermaier. Nico Müller drove for ABT in the DTM from 2016 to 2020 and was twice runner-up in the championship. Since his comeback at the start of the 2023 season, the Swiss driver has been part of the ABT Formula E team with a fourth place at Misano as his best result. Biermaier: “On behalf of the whole team, I would like to thank Nico for his commitment and dedication. Of course we would all have liked to have seen more success, but even in these difficult times he has always led the way and shown strong performances. Nico remains part of the ABT family and is always welcome here.”
The circuit to the west of the British capital is only 2.080 kilometres long and will host the season finale for the fourth time. The special feature: The track runs partly through the exhibition halls, where the paddock and pit lane are also located. With different surfaces, extremely tight corners and varying grip conditions due to the weather, the drivers face unique challenges in motorsport.
The races in London start at 5 p.m. local time (18:00 CEST) on Saturday and Sunday and run over 37 and 34 laps respectively. All three championship decisions are still open going into the weekend, with seven drivers theoretically still in with a chance of winning the title. After the finale, Formula E will take a break and the teams and drivers will next meet at the official tests in Valencia, Spain in early November. The team will decide and announce who will be sitting in the two cockpits of the newly formed ABT Team in the coming weeks.
Thomas Biermaier, ABT CEO and Team Principal: “End of one part of our journey”
“The final weekend of the season is always special, as every team and driver wants to go into the summer break with good memories. For us, London marks the end of one part of our Formula E journey and the start of a new, exciting chapter – both on the driver side and with new partners. London is a very different challenge from high-speed tracks like Portland or Shanghai. The aim is to have a focused weekend with points for both drivers on both race days.“
Nico Müller, #51: “Anticipation, melancholy and gratitude”
“This is going to be a very special weekend for me. On the one hand I’m looking forward to the location, the track and the fans. On the other hand, I feel melancholy and a lot of gratitude after two years in this team. It was an extremely challenging time, but it also brought us closer together. We’ve always pulled together and I’m sure this is what we will be doing in London for the last time. We want to give it our all with the whole team, enjoy the days and try to get two good results. London is a cool track – very tight, with indoor and outdoor sections and walls, as we know from Formula E. I will give everything to make the team proud again one more time.”
Lucas di Grassi, #11: “We’ll give it our all once again”
“The layout in London is unlike anything else we’ve experienced this season. It is short, tight, has a lot of corners and is extremely bumpy, making even Tokyo look like a wide track in comparison. Starting position will be more important than anywhere else on the calendar. Our goals remain the same: work with concentration, make no mistakes and score as many points as possible for the team. We’ll give it our all once again.”
Did you know that …
… Nico Müller took part in the WEC race in São Paulo last weekend and finished eighth with his team?
… Lucas di Grassi used the short break since Portland to spend time with his family in Brazil?
… both drivers met in Kempten earlier this week to prepare for the final races in the simulator?
… an edition of the “Zero Summit” founded by Lucas di Grassi will take place in London on Thursday?
… in addition to the Brazilian’s participation, Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds will also be a guest?
… numerous guests and management members of the partners CUPRA and SÜDPACK will be in London to keep their fingers crossed for the team?
|
