2017 Formula E Team ABT Schaeffler Audi
Sport
For the upcoming 2016/17 season of
Formula E, Audi will increase its involvement in Formula E Team ABT Schaeffler
Audi Sport. The carmaker adds that for the following 2017/18 season, it plans
to incorporate Formula E into a factory-backed motorsport programme.
“Electric mobility is one of the key
topics in our industry,” said Dr. Stefan Knirsch, member of the board of
management, technical development for Audi Group. “By 2025, every fourth Audi
should be an electric vehicle. The first model for this is planned to be an SUV
we’re going to present in 2018. In the light of these plans, adapting our
motorsport program and taking up a commitment in a fully electric racing series
is only a logical move,” he added.
Audi’s involvement in motorsport has
yielded many positives, like its participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Dr.
Wolfgang Ullrich, head of Audi Motorsport stated that the company was the first
manufacturer to have achieved victories with a TFSI engine, a TDI and a hybrid
race car. Therefore, it intends to replicate this level of success in the world
of full-electric racing.
To highlight Audi’s commitment to the
motorsport, the ABT Schaeffler FE02 electric race car will be sporting new
liveries and prominent Audi badging when it undergoes final testing from
September 5 to 7 at Donington Park in the UK, ahead of the season opener in
Hong Kong on October 9.
For the upcoming Formula E season,
Renault e.Dams and Jaguar Racing are two teams that are fully backed by their
named manufacturer, with the latter being the latest to named.
