Munich. The MS Amlin Andretti team heads to the sixth round of
the 2016/17 FIA Formula E Championship this week, as the race series
for all-electric cars takes to the streets of Paris (FRA) for the
second season running on Saturday, 20th May. António
Félix da Costa (POR), BMW works driver, and Robin Frijns (NED) will
drive again the two ATEC-002 chassis in the French capital.
The Challenge
France’s ePrix holds a chance for the team and its drivers to bounce
back after a disappointing race in Monaco (MON). Both drivers entered
the final lap in points-paying positions, but a technical issue and a
post-race penalty meant they left with no reward. There was much to be
optimistic about, however, with good pace and positions gained by both
cars during the race. The track in Paris, like its street-racing
siblings on the calendar, is a technical, busy challenge for the
drivers. Passing could be a real test: the track is as narrow as any
in motor racing.
The Team
MS Amlin Andretti will race the ATEC-002 in Season 3, with Félix da
Costa and Frijns in its two entries – Frijns in number 27 and Felix da
Costa in number 28. BMW will provide expertise and support to the
American team as it runs its own powertrain for the first time in
Season 3, having run the standard Formula E technology in the first
two seasons. Fans can vote to give their favourite driver a ‘FanBoost’
– an extra energy allocation, available in the second half of the race
– online. The three drivers with the most votes receive an extra 100KJ
of energy, which can boost power by up to 30KW. There are two methods:
voting on fanboost.fiaformulae.com, or by using the hashtag #FanBoost,
plus #AntonioFelixdaCosta or #RobinFrijns, on Twitter or Instagram.
The Expectations
António Félix da Costa, MS Amlin Andretti: “Racing in
places like Paris and Monaco is incredibly special. You can see how
much the series is moving forward season-on-season, because there are
so many fans at the race, so much interest in the show we’re putting
on. I’m proud to be a part of it. Paris is going to be an interesting
race. It’s a crazy tight track, and with the mixed weather forecast it
could be a really interesting weekend. Though it was disappointing to
lose the points in Monaco, actually we saw a lot of positives – on a
track where it’s really difficult to overtake, we managed to pass a
few people and had good race pace. That’s definitely good. So for
Paris, we have to focus on improving the parts that weren’t so good –
particularly qualifying. It’s even harder to pass in Paris than in Monaco.”
Robin Frijns, MS Amlin Andretti: “The Paris ePrix
last year went pretty well for me and the MS Amlin Andretti team. I
had a good fight with António, which was fun because he wasn’t my
teammate last year. In the end, I finished seventh which wasn’t a bad
result. We’ve had a difficult time the past few races and we are
looking to finally get back into the points in Paris. The team has
been working very hard for a good finish. Let’s see what Paris brings us!”
The City
Paris is as famous as any metropolis in the world – artistic,
historic and a cultural centre. Its first Formula E event, held in
2016, was one of the highlights of the season and teams, drivers and
fans alike all anticipate a great experience once more. Paris is a
sporting powerhouse. It has twice hosted the Olympic games and is
known to many as the birthplace of motor racing, with the Paris-Rouen
race in 1894 often referred to as the first truly competitive motor
race. The city’s architecture is legendary; the Eiffel Tower, Arc de
Triomphe and cathedral at Notre-Dame are spectacles rarely matched.
Even on a calendar blessed with cities like New York (USA), Berlin
(GER) and Hong Kong (HKG), Paris is a special place for a motor race.
The Circuit
The track layout optimises the city’s landscape to ensure that there
is a truly Parisian feeling to the circuit’s backdrop – both the
Eiffel Tower and Musee l’Armee feature. Racing around the beautiful
Les Invalides complex, the drivers experience a variety of turns, but
mostly the 90-degree turns characteristic of many street tracks. The
difficulty of the circuit comes both in its narrowness – one of the
tightest on the calendar – and the sweeping, constricted Turn 3, for
which drivers need commitment and a near perfect set up for a fast time.
The BMW i Vehicle Fleet
For Season 3, BMW i remains the “Official Vehicle Partner” for the
FIA Formula E Championship. The BMW i8 (fuel consumption combined: 2.1
l/100 km / 134.5 mpg imp; CO2 emissions combined: 49 g/km) will
continue as the high-performance, efficient Safety Car in Formula E.
The same goes for the BMW i3 (energy consumption combined: 12.9 kWh;
CO2 emissions combined: 0 g/km), which is the “Medical Car” and “Race
Director Car” and for the BMW X5 xDrive40e (fuel consumption combined:
3.4–3.3 l/100 km / 83.1–85.6 mpg imp; CO2 emissions combined: 78–77
g/km; figures based on the EU test cycle, may vary depending on the
tyre format specified), which functions as the “Rescue Car” or
“Extrication Car”.