Season 4 of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship resumes after a four-week break, with the Mexico City E-Prix (MEX) on 3rd of March. It is the second of three American races in a row, with Punta del Este (URU) following in two weeks’ time. MS&AD Andretti Formula E have scored points in every country the series has visited in Season 4, and António Félix da Costa (POR) and Tom Blomqvist (GBR) will look to continue that trend in Mexico.
The Situation
With Félix da Costa in the points in Hong Kong (HKG) and Santiago (CHI) and Blomqvist scoring in Marrakesh (MAR), the aim will be to get both Andretti ATEC-003 cars in the top-10 in Mexico. Every round, the relationship between the Andretti team and BMW has become closer, and both parties will look to benefit from their hard work this weekend.
The Team
The MS&AD Andretti Formula E team is in its fourth season of Formula E in 2017/18. So far, Michael Andretti’s (USA) team has contested 37 races, claimed three pole positions, and scored 216 points. BMW works driver Félix da Costa is again in action at the wheel of the number 28 MS&AD Andretti ATEC-003 in Season 4. Joining the Portuguese driver is fellow BMW works driver Blomqvist, racing car number 27.
The Expectations
Tom Blomqvist, MS&AD Andretti Formula E: “I’m looking forward to another new experience in Mexico. I’ve been enjoying my time so far with MS&AD Andretti in Formula E and I’m learning with every lap. Hopefully, I can take what I’ve learned in my first two weekends and translate it into an even better performance in Mexico City. There has been a lot to get my head around but we are getting stronger as a team round by round. The potential is there to score points on a regular basis and challenge for podiums so we just need to stay calm and maximise what we have.“
António Félix da Costa, MS&AD Andretti Formula E: “I’m happy to be coming back to Mexico City for another Formula E race. It is always one of the best races of the year in terms of track but we also have a huge fan base there and there is always a lot of support from the Mexican people. Last year, we were running well and in fourth place before a small issue caused us to not finish the race but I’m confident this can be a good track for us. The MS&AD Andretti FE team is taking massive steps forward every week. We are understanding where we have to improve and that motivates me a lot.”
The Circuit
Mexico’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez offers a unique mix: part racetrack, part baseball stadium, and entirely unique in its conception. The track, named after famous racing brothers Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez, is one of the world’s highest, at 2500m above sea level. It is also a tough one on the cars. The front straight is enormous, leading to high-energy usage, and the circuit features the long, fast Turn 2, and very technical stadium section. Car set up is difficult, but crucial for a strong result.
The BMW i Fleet
BMW i is once again “Official Vehicle Partner” of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in Season 4. Spearheading the BMW i fleet is the new BMW i8 Coupé, modified with BMW M components (combined fuel consumption: 1.9 l/100 km; combined energy consumption 14.0 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 42 g/km)*. As well as the BMW i8 Coupé, the BMW i fleet for the ABB Formula E Championship also includes the new BMW i3s (combined fuel consumption: 0.0 l/100 km; 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 energy consumption: 15.4 to 15.3 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 78 – 77 g/km)* in its role as “Rescue Car”.
