Munich. Season 4 of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship
continues on the streets of Santiago (CHI) this weekend, with the
Santiago E-Prix on 3rd February. The fourth round of the season will
be the first Formula E event to be held in Chile. BMW works drivers
António Félix da Costa (POR) and Tom Blomqvist (GBR) will race at
the South American venue for MSAD Andretti Formula E. The
highlight ahead of the racing action will be the unveiling of the
new Qualcomm Safety Car BMW i8.
The Situation
MSAD Andretti Formula E will be looking to once again reach
the points in Chile, having already done so in Hong Kong (CHN) and
Marrakech (MAR) this season. After Félix da Costa scored in Asia, it
was the turn of series debutant Blomqvist to earn points in Africa, at
his first ever Formula E event.
BMW i will unveil the new Qualcomm Safety Car BMW i8 on Thursday
at a special event ahead of the race weekend, with several new
features on show. The car spearheads the BMW i car fleet, which will
be on view in season 4 of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship as part
of the “Official Vehicle Partner” cooperation programme.
The Team
The MSAD Andretti Formula E team is in its fourth season of
Formula E in 2017/18. So far, Michael Andretti’s (USA) squad has
contested 36 races, claimed three pole positions, and scored 214
points. Félix da Costa is again in action at the wheel of the number
28 MSAD Andretti ATEC-003 in Season 4. Joining the Portuguese
driver is Blomqvist, racing car number 27.
The Expectations
Tom Blomqvist, MSAD Andretti Formula E: “I’m
really excited to head to Santiago as I feel a lot more prepared and
ready after having scored some points at my debut race in Marrakech.
It will be my very first visit in South America and I’m looking
forward to it. The track is going to be challenging, but the good
thing is that it’s going to be new for everyone. That means I won’t
have a disadvantage.“
António Félix da Costa, MSAD Andretti Formula E:
“It will be my first time in Chile and it’s always cool to have a new
track in Formula E. I like the challenge as a driver. We are learning
so much as a team day by day. I am really encouraged by that. My goal
for Santiago is to compensate for the mistake I made in Marrakech and
score some good points for the team.”
The Circuit
Since it is a brand new circuit, Chile’s E-Prix will be a
challenge for all the competitors. With limited track time available,
drivers and teams must work quickly to reach optimum performance. As
was the case for New York’s (USA) track, the layout in Santiago will
see the start and finish in different parts of the track. The start
line is located on the longer back straight, between turns 2 and 3.
Cars will cross the river Mapocho twice, with the track running
parallel with each bank of the waterway along the front and back
straights. The 2.46-kilometre circuit is a tight, technical layout
that will provide a severe test of drivers’ concentration and accuracy.
The BMW i Fleet
BMW i is once again “Official Vehicle Partner” of the FIA
Formula E Championship in Season 4. The BMW i8 (combined fuel
consumption: 2.1 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 49 g/km)* continues
to take to the track as a powerful and efficient Safety Car. The same
goes for the new BMW i3s (combined energy consumption: 14.3 kWh;
combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km)* as “Medical Car” and “Race Control
Car”, and the BMW X5 xDrive40e (combined fuel consumption: 3.4 – 3.3
l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 78 – 77 g/km)* in its role as
“Rescue Car” and “Extrication Car”.
* The fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures shown were
determined according to the European Regulation (EC) 715/2007 in the
version applicable at the time of type approval. The figures refer to
a vehicle with basic configuration in Germany and the range shown
considers the different size of the selected wheels and tires.
The CO2 efficiency specifications are determined according to
Directive 1999/94/EC and the Pkw-EnVKV, and based (for classification)
on the fuel consumption and CO2 values as per the NEDC cycle.
Further information on official fuel consumption figures and
specific CO2 emission values of new passenger cars is included in the
following guideline: “Leitfaden über Kraftstoffverbrauch, die
CO2-Emissionen und den Stromverbrauch neuer Personenkraftwagen”
(Guideline for fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and electric power
consumption of new passenger cars), which can be obtained free of
charge from all dealerships and at https://www.dat.de/en/offers/publications/guideline-for-fuel-consumption.html.