Audi to enter Formula E as works team 05 | 09 | 2016
AUDI HAS CONFIRMED it will increase its involvement in Formula E, the FIA championship for electric-powered race cars. The Ingolstadt company believe the added commitment to the championship will aid its production of its future electric vehicles.
The decision sees Audi becoming more involved with the ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport Formula E team: Audi has already lent its name to the team since 2014.
Now though, ahead of the the start of the 2016/2017 season, which begins on Hong Kong on October 9, Audi will provide ‘financial and technical support’ for the team. The new also coincides with the start of the final three-day pre-season test at Donington Park today.
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The next step will see Audi’s involvement in the ABT Schaeffler team become a ‘fully fledged factory commitment’ – marking the operation’s transition from a customer team to the official Audi Formula E effort for the 2017/2018 Formula E season.
As a result, ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport’s Formula E cars —the ABT Schaeffler FE02 — will now bear the Audi logo on the sides and rear wings, marking the most immediate obvious visible change to the car.
What is clear is Audi’s involvement in Formula E will directly impact on the development of the company’s technologies for future electric vehicles. This mirrors the benefits Jaguar will experience having decided to enter the championship as a works team this season.
“By 2025, every fourth Audi should be an electric vehicle,” Stefan Knirsch, Member of the Audi Board of Management, Technical Development, said. “The first model for this is planned to be an SUV we’re going to present in 2018.
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In the light of these plans, adapting our motorsport programme and taking up a commitment in a fully electric racing series is only a logical move.”
Audi Motorsport chief, Wolfgang Ullrich, more explicitly hinted at Formula E’s benefit to Audi’s EV programme: “Audi has consistently been using motorsport to test and develop new technologies further for subsequent use in production,” he said.
“With Quattro drive we revolutionised rally racing and subsequently set standards in circuit racing as well. Now we intend to repeat this in fully electric racing.
“Formula E, with its races being held in the hearts of major cities, is an ideal stage for this purpose and Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport a logical partner for us.”
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Jim McGill