Potential, but no points for BMW i and MS Amlin Andretti in Mexico City.

Munich. It was a disappointing race day in Mexico for MS Amlin
Andretti. Neither BMW works driver António Félix da Costa (PRT), nor
Robin Frijns (NED), made the points in the Mexico City ePrix. Frijns
placed 11th, while Félix da Costa was unable to make the
finish after a technical issue.

The Qualifying

Qualifying for the MS Amlin Andretti Team was, like much of the day’s
on-track activity, unpredictable. Félix da Costa earned eighth place,
1:03.363 his best time on a dusty, variable track. A penalty for
another competitor meant that the Portuguese driver would start in
seventh. Frijns found himself 17th, with a best of 1:03.688.

Félix da Costa picked up some extra momentum by winning the
afternoon’s eRace in front of a large and passionate crowd in
eVillage. The team was then paid an unexpected visit by celebrity
Paris Hilton, who took time to take photos with the crew and learn how
sustainability and electric technology is helping to shape the future
of racing.

The Race

Once the race started, Félix da Costa got caught in traffic on Lap 1
and had to escape to a runoff, losing seven spots. He fought hard and
was able to work his way back to P6 before a mechanical issue forced
him to retire early. Frijns had a fast car and made his way all the
way to P5 before having to serve a drive-through penalty for not
meeting the minimum required pit stop time. He was able to gain spots
after the penalty but finished just outside the points in P11.  The
race was won by Lucas Di Grassi (BRA). In total, the Qualcomm Safety
Car BMW i8 made three appearances over the course of the race.

The Reactions

António Félix da Costa, MS Amlin Andretti: “We had a
much better weekend, in terms of pace, than Buenos Aires. The homework
we did helped a lot and we came here better prepared which means we
are learning from our mistakes and doing what we have to do to
compete. We were much more competitive in qualifying and started
seventh which was a good step forward. The car was good, even though I
made a mistake early on and we lost a few positions. I was able to
come back and had good pace, so I passed a lot of guys on track. After
the pit stop, we were looking good for a top-five finish but we had a
mechanical failure and I was forced to come in. We seem to be going
through a tough time right now but as a team we will come back much
stronger in Monaco.”

Robin Frijns, MS Amlin Andretti: “The race went
pretty well. We started P17, and I felt quite comfortable. I was
behind Antonio after a few laps, because he made a mistake. I felt
like I was quicker than the cars in front of me, but it is hard to
overtake on the front stretch. It’s unfortunate the team made a
mistake in the pit stop; we went three seconds quicker than was
allowed so we got a drive-through penalty. Without the penalty we
could have finished in the top five, so it was definitely a disappointment.”

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”.

The Outlook

FIA Formula E heads into Europe for round five, with the Monaco ePrix
on the 13th of May. The glamorous seaside resort, home of
the world’s most famous motor race, hosts its second Formula E race on
a short, action packed loop around the harbour.