Munich. Two pole positions and one win was the fantastic
result which BMW i Andretti Motorsport driver Alexander Sims (GBR)
secured at the season opener of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship
in Diriyah (KSA). In the second race, on Saturday, Sims celebrated a
commanding victory from first place on the grid – the first in his
Formula E career. With 35 points, Sims also took the lead in the
driver’s standings. Maximilian Günther (GER) drove a magnificent
recovery race from ninth on the grid and finished the race in second
place, but a retrospective time penalty saw him drop down into
11th place.
Günther overtook two of his rivals too early at the end of a safety
car period, an action which saw him awarded a 24-second time penalty
after the end of the race and podium ceremony, leaving him without
points. In the team standings, BMW i Andretti Motorsport are in third
place with 35 points.
Reactions to race 2 of the Diriyah E-Prix:
Jens Marquardt (BMW Group Motorsport Director):
“What a race for BMW i Andretti Motorsport; what a win for Alexander
Sims. After the pole position on Saturday, we knew that our BMW iFE.20
and our drivers were definitely competitive at the start of Season 6
but we had no idea that another pole position and our second win in
Formula E would follow. Congratulations to Alexander and everyone at
BMW i Andretti Motorsport and BMW i, in the drivetrain department, and
at BMW Motorsport in Munich – a great team effort. Congratulations to
Maximilian as well, who can be proud of his performance, despite the
penalty. He drove a perfect race, but then overtook slightly too
early. After our experience from last season, we know that it’s now
all about confirming our performance in the coming races. But today I
was simply proud as I followed the performance of our team at a
distance in Fuji. Formula E is a TechLab for the BMW Group. This
double success shows how well we are doing here – both on and off the track.”
Roger Griffiths (Team Principal BMW i Andretti Motorsport,
team standings: 3rd place):
“This is a fantastic success for all of us demonstrating an amazing
team spirit – particularly after the disappointment that we
experienced after yesterday’s race. Evidently, Alexander slept well
and woke up a winner. He adapted superbly to the changed conditions
with more grip on the track. He drove a very clever race, and the team
did everything right in terms of tactics. Despite the retrospective
penalty, kudos to Maximilian as well, who drove a fantastic defensive
race. It’s great how he kept Lucas di Grassi in attack mode behind
him. He is still very young and no doubt his time as a race winner in
Formula E will come.”
Alexander Sims (#27 BMW iFE.20, qualifying result:
1st place, race result: 1st place, points: 35,
driver standings: 1st place):
“The feeling I had as I crossed the finish line was indescribable. It
was a fantastic day. We had a smooth race today, and the BMW iFE.20
felt really great. We learned our lessons from the problems that we
experienced yesterday. Many thanks to the team, who were with me
through the difficult times last season. After the tests we knew that
we had a strong car, but we never expected things to go as well here
in Diriyah as they have. You can’t plan for something like this in
such a hotly contested race series.”
Maximilian Günther (#28 BMW iFE.20, qualifying result:
9th place, race result: 11th place, points: 0,
driver standings: 18th place):
“Naturally, it is tough to be awarded a penalty like that
retrospectively. The situation at the restart after the safety car
period was unclear and it was frantic. Stoffel Vandoorne obviously
made a quick decision to drive into the attack zone, which saw me come
into contact with him slightly and damage the front of my car. Also, I
was already alongside him at that point, and from my perspective there
was no turning back. The action was unfortunate and I had hoped that
it would be okay. The race officials saw things differently. I have to
accept this decision. What remains is the fact that I drove a strong
race and have the speed to finish on the podium. I will build on this
as the season progresses. Congratulations to Alexander on his win.
It’s a huge success for the team. Many thanks to everyone who made
this strong performance possible – both here at the track and at BMW
in Munich.”
The BMW i Safety Cars.
BMW i is “Official Vehicle Partner” of the ABB FIA Formula E
Championship in Season 6. Spearheading the fleet are two Safety Cars:
The BMW i8 Roadster Safety Car (combined fuel consumption: 2.0 l/100
km; combined power consumption: 14.5 kWh/100 km; combined
CO2 emissions: 46 g/km)*, which has been specially modified
for use at the racetrack, and the BMW i8 Coupé Safety Car (combined
fuel consumption: 1.8 l/100 km; combined power consumption: 14.0
kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 42 g/km)*. The BMW i
fleet also includes the BMW i3s (combined fuel consumption: 0.0 l/100
km; combined energy consumption: 14.3 kWh; combined CO2
emissions: 0 g/km)* as “Race Director Car” and the BMW 530e (combined
fuel consumption: 2.2-2.1 l/100 km; combined energy consumption:
13.6-13.3 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 49-47 g/km)*
in its role as “Medical Car”.