Audi will officially be the first German manufacturer on the Formula E grid when it takes over ABT Formula E’s grid spot next season.
“In Formula E a team can no longer be competitive without the backing of an automobile manufacturer,” tweeted the ABT Formula E Team.
The team, in its current guise, has been competing in Formula E since its opening season, in 2014. Its driver, Lucas di Grassi, in fact, won the series’ first ever race.
Last season’s championship went down to the wire, with di Grassi, who also raced for Audi at Le Mans, losing out to Renault e.DAMS’ Sébastien Buemi.
The move does not mean that ABT is out of the series. The new team will be called Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, instead of the current Schaeffler ABT Audi Sport, reflecting Audi’s increased role in the team.
The move is anything but sudden. Audi has steadily been increasing its involvement in the sport and announced earlier this year, after pulling out of the World Endurance Championship, that it would be increasing its involvement in Formula E.
SEE ALSO: BMW Joins Formula E Ahead of its Main German Rival
This year, Audi gave the team technical support and financial backing. Next season it will be a full-fledged factory team.
“We’ve been supporting the Formula E commitment with increasing intensity in recent months—on the race days, in the development of the new powertrain and in numerous off-track activities as well,” said Peter Mertens, Audi’s head honcho for technical development. “That Audi will be the first German automobile manufacturer to be actively involved in the racing series starting next season is also a clear commitment of our brand to electric mobility.”
According to Audi, development of next season’s powertrain has already begun.
“We’ve already successfully completed tests with the new components in Spain and in Neuberg and our project is on schedule,” says Dieter Gass, Head of Audi Motorsport. “The competitiveness in Formula E between manufacturers, teams and drivers is enormous. That makes details in the development all the more crucial.”
Automakers like DS and Jaguar already have full factory teams, while BMW and Mercedes have shown an interest in joining the sixth series’ sixth season.
Formula E is widely advertised as a way to accelerate the development of EV technology. With Audi and VW pledging to sell millions of EVs in the next decade, they will be looking to, as the expression goes, win on Sunday to sell on Monday.
Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler will line up on the grid for the first time later this year, at next season’s opener in Hong Kong, in December.
„In @FIAformulaE a team can no longer be competitive without the backing of an automobile manufacturer“, says our boss @coolmandtm pic.twitter.com/3bjcBiFSNk
— ABT Formula E Team (@abt_formula_e) July 7, 2017
„We’re going to continue the success story with Audi in @FIAformulaE“, says @coolmandtm. Full story: https://t.co/bbGR9BgUlj #AllTheWayABT
— ABT Formula E Team (@abt_formula_e) July 7, 2017
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