Munich. The BMW i Andretti Motorsport team is contesting its
first season in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. The engineers
gain more experience with every race weekend and incorporate their
new findings in the further development of the BMW iFE.18 and its
preparations for the coming races. In our series “Three lessons
learned”, we present three of the findings made by BMW i Andretti
Motorsport after each race. This time: The Hong Kong E-Prix (CHN).
1. Weather nullifies the BMW iFE.18 drivetrain’s strengths.
Showers made the Hong Kong E-Prix an eventful and unpredictable race.
Different track conditions for the four qualifying groups, a race with
a red flag and multiple outings for the BMW i8 Coupé Safety Car were
conditions in which energy efficiency – one of the strengths of the
BMW i drivetrain – had no impact on the race. No team had to save
energy in the race. As such, the difference in the efficiency of the
various drivetrains played a far less significant role than at
previous events.
2. Good grid positions particularly important in Hong Kong.
The circuit in Hong Kong’s harbour district is one of the tightest on
the Formula E calendar. This makes overtaking manoeuvres more risky
and it was nearly impossible to pass a car in a direct duel without
making contact in Sunday’s race; Alexander Sims (GBR) and António
Félix da Costa (POR) both experienced just that, having started from
13th and 20th places. The Hong Kong E-Prix was
further evidence of just how important a good grid position is in
Formula E.
3. No attacking, despite ATTACK MODE.
ATTACK MODE, which is intended to be a tactical means of ensuring
more overtaking manoeuvres and race action, becomes ineffective as
soon as there is a safety car period in a race. In Hong Kong,
virtually all the drivers chose to drive over the ATTACK MODE
activation zone at the end of the safety car period. This is logical,
as it cost the drivers no valuable time – in contrast to crossing the
activation zone at race speed. The problem, however, is that for the
next four minutes – the period, for which ATTACK MODE is active –
almost all the drivers still had access to the same amount of power.
It may be more power, but as there is no difference between the
competitors, nobody has an advantage and there is no opportunity to
use ATTACK MODE strategically.