Munich. The MS Amlin Andretti team endured a tough Montreal
ePrix (CAN), the final round of the 2016/17 FIA Formula E
Championship. The team’s solitary points finish came with Robin
Frijns’ (NED) ninth-place on Saturday, with António Félix da Costa
(POR) unlucky not to score after being spun by a competitor. In a
difficult race on Sunday, Frijns and Félix da Costa finished
13th and 15th respectively. The four points
earned over the weekend were enough to secure seventh in the teams’
standings. Canada’s inaugural ePrix saw large, enthusiastic crowds
turn out to enjoy the all-electric spectacle, and provided two
thrilling races. Lucas di Grassi (BRA) secured the drivers’ title.
Saturday’s Race
In one of the most entertaining races in the history of FIA Formula
E, Frijns was able to take MS Amlin Andretti’s third consecutive
points finish. After P13 (Frijns) and P15 (Félix da Costa) in
qualifying, both drivers showed their racing instinct in the opening
exchanges, avoiding the incidents around them and running within their
energy targets. When the Qualcomm Safety Car BMW i8 was called to the
track to allow marshals to recover a stranded car just before halfway,
both cars came to the box. Frijns raced well, and as cars dropped out
or suffered delays in an action-packed spectacle, he climbed into the
top-10. Félix da Costa was unfortunate to miss out on the points: a
spin after contact with Nelson Piquet (BRA) left the Portuguese driver
frustrated in 15th place.
Sunday’s Race
The final race of FIA Formula E’s third season was a disappointing
one for the MS Amlin Andretti team. Qualifying was not an improvement
over Saturday – 15th for Félix da Costa and 16th
for Frijns. In chaotic opening battles, both drivers were lucky to
avoid damaging their cars, but as the race settled found they lacked
pace on the demanding Canadian circuit. After the mandatory pitstop,
the situation did not improve, and when a full course yellow
neutralised the field with two laps remaining, Frijns was
13th and Félix da Costa 15th.
The Reactions
António Félix da Costa, MS Amlin Andretti: “In race
one, I was doing well on energy but when the full course yellow came,
it actually brought everyone back on the same page so all the hard
work we did in the beginning of the race was for nothing. We were
still running close to the points and looking okay but we got tapped
and that was the end of the race. The second race, we had a good start
again, but we had no performance at all in the first car. In the first
stint I was really struggling to make the tyres work so I was dropping
back gradually, not really fighting anyone. I tried to look after my
energy and create a plan B but the lack of performance really didn’t
help ups. It was a tough race for the MS Amlin Andretti team but I’m
glad we kept seventh in the championship. We need to regroup with the
guys and I’m looking forward to having some time off. We will start
again in Season 4.”
Robin Frijns, MS Amlin Andretti: “We had good pace,
and the energy consumption was really good on Saturday. The MS Amlin
Andretti team looked good. I think we could have finished seventh or
eighth if the safety car didn’t come out, but ninth and some points is
good for the team. On Sunday, we had a difficult start with the crash
in front of me, which I couldn’t really avoid, so I ended up in the
back of the field. I was managing my energy quite well and was hoping
something would happen at the end of the race. Again we showed good
efficiency and I could go further into the race than most of the
field. I had some energy left at the end, but unfortunately I couldn’t
really use it.”
The BMW i Vehicle Fleet
For Season 3, BMW i again was 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) continued
as the high-performance, efficient Safety Car in Formula E. The same
went for the BMW i3 (energy consumption combined: 12.9 kWh; CO2
emissions combined: 0 g/km), which was 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 functioned as the “Rescue Car”.