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Monday, 4 December 2017 10:31 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The fourth season of the FIA Formula E Championship got off the blocks over the weekend with pulsating action and an unexpected disqualification during the double opener in Hong Kong.
On Sunday Mahindra Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist was awarded a victory in the second 1.86 km street race at Hong Kong’s iconic Harbourfront after Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler driver Daniel Abt was disqualified following a post-race disqualification whilst on the opening day DS Virgin Racing’s Sam Bird clinched the race despite picking up a penalty.
Abt thought his 25th birthday had brought him luck only for his victory celebrations to be abruptly halted after a post-race inspection. The inspection of his car revealed that the FIA security stickers on the inverters and motors did not correspond with those declared on the car’s technical passport.
The breach of technical and sporting regulations meant Abt lost his first victory and the overall lead in the all-electric series.
Audi Sport said they intended to appeal, with the matter set to go before the governing FIA’s international tribunal.
German Abt, until the 43rd lap out of a total 45, was a close second to Venturi Formulae E Team’s Edoardo Mortara before he unluckily suffered a spin to end up third. Rosenqvist took advantage of the misstep and eclipsed Mortara to finish second.
On Saturday in another surprise result Sam Bird won despite picking up a penalty for not stopping in his allocated space during the mid-racecar swap.
Techeetah Jean-Eric Vergne came second followed by Mahindra Racing’s Nick Heidfeld.
Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s Nelson Piquet Jr, who was the winner of Formula E first season in 2014, came fourth on Saturday whilst his teammate Mitch Evans occupied the same position on Sunday, making the team on its second season the most consistent so far.
The fourth edition of the FIA Formula E Championship has 10 teams and 20 drivers and after action in Hong Kong will travel to 10 other cities spanning five continents in the fight to be crowned Formula E champion.
Formula E is a competitive platform to test and develop road-relevant technologies, acting as a catalyst for sustainable mobility solutions - helping refine the design and functionality of electric vehicle components and improving the driving experience for everyday road car users all over the world. For the 2017/18 season, more manufacturers have joined the electric revolution. On both days the Formula E started under the safety car with a failure of lights on Sunday and a minor collision at the beginning on Saturday.
After the doubleheader in Hong Kong, Virgin Racing was on top followed by Mahindra and Audi. Reigning champion Lucas di Grassi from Audi and 2015/16 title winner Sebastien Buemi from Renault E Dams ended the weekend with zero points. The next race is in Marrakesh in January and the season will end in Montreal in July 2018.
The Panasonic Jaguar team raced in the new Jaguar I-TYPE 2, a new powertrain, with more than 200 new parts to produce a more efficient package using high-strength lightweight materials. Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s mission - Race to Innovate – is into season four with the aim of inspiring and engaging a new generation of fans. As the first premium manufacturer to enter Formula E, Jaguar also recently launched a world-first electric vehicle race series - the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY - which showcases the link between Jaguar’s involvement in Formula E, the development of Jaguar’s road cars and the future of electrification.
From season five, 20 Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY racecars will line up on the grid in 10 of the world’s most iconic cities, in the world’s first all-electric support race series. The championship will take place on the same day as the FIA Formula E Championship, enhancing the electric race schedule.
From 2020 all new Jaguar Land Rover model lines will be electrified with either hybrid or battery technology.
