Munich. Season 4 of the FIA Formula E Championship gets
underway this weekend with two races in Hong Kong (CHN). BMW works
driver António Félix da Costa (POR) and Kamui Kobayashi (JPN)
compete at the season-opener for MSAD Andretti Formula E. Over
the course of Season 4, BMW and the team will continue their
preparations for the official works entry in the 2018/19 season.
As “Official Vehicle Partner” of Formula E, BMW i is once again
providing an extensive fleet of vehicles. This includes the Qualcomm
BMW i8 Safety Car (combined fuel consumption: 2.1 l/100 km; combined
CO2 emissions: 49 g/km) and the new BMW i3s (combined energy
consumption: 14.3 kWh; combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km) as the “Medical
Car” and “Race Control Car”.
The Situation
The races in Hong Kong represent another important step on the road
to Season 5 for BMW and MSAD Andretti Formula E. The cooperation
between the BMW engineers and the team has been further intensified in
recent months, and this process will continue over the course of the
season. In Hong Kong, the team will also call upon the experience it
gained during testing in Valencia (ESP) in the run-up to the new season.
The Team
The Andretti Formula E team is in its fourth season of Formula E in
2017/18. So far, Michael Andretti’s (USA) team has contested 33 races,
claimed three pole positions, and scored 202 points. BMW works driver
António Félix da Costa is again in action at the wheel of the number
28 MSAD Andretti ATEC-003 in Season 4. Japanese driver Kamui
Kobayashi will drive the number 27 car at the season-opener in Hong
Kong. Plans are also afoot for BMW works driver Tom Blomqvist (GBR) to
race with the team during Season 4. He was registered on the FIA entry
list. MSAD Andretti is solely responsible for allocating the
cockpit of the number 27 car.
The Expectations
António Félix da Costa, MSAD Andretti Formula E:
“I am really looking forward to returning to Hong Kong. I had a good
race when Formula E made its debut there last year. Generally
speaking, I love the area around Hong Kong. After all, I have enjoyed
some big wins in neighbouring Macau. As such, I always have a good
feeling when I travel to the region. I think we had a good off-season,
and we are all very aware that we have to work well as a team and give
it our all in Season 4. I can see a lot of motivated people at
MSAD Andretti and BMW.”
Kamui Kobayashi, MSAD Andretti Formula E: “I
would like to thank everybody for giving me a chance to race at the
Hong Kong E-Prix. It is a challenge to go to the race without proper
testing, but I have been in similar situations during my career, so it
should be okay. There are many familiar faces in the Formula E series,
so I am really looking forward to the race and working with them
again. I have been to Hong Kong a few times but never imagined racing
on its streets, so I’m really excited to go there to race.”
The Circuit
The “Hong Kong Central Harbourfront Circuit” hosts the HKT Hong Kong
E-Prix for the second time, after the series made its debut there in
Season 3. This time, two consecutive races will be held at the
circuit. The 1.860-kilometre track takes the drivers clockwise through
the harbour streets and past the impressive Hong Kong skyline,
encompassing ten corners on the way. The best overtaking opportunities
come in turns one and two, at the end of the two longer straights.
Last year, António Félix da Costa finished fifth in Hong Kong.
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; values in EU test cycle,
dependent on selected tyre format) in its role as “Rescue Car” and
“Extrication Car”.