The Formula E season four will come to an end this weekend. Team Audi, which includes drivers Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi, is competing to win the championship only if they secure 33 points in the last two races of the season on July 14th and July 15th. This season is ending the same way it started off, with two races back to back in one weekend.
This move will prove to be fruitful as fans will not have to wait an extra week for the final results. It’s unconventional for a Formula race to be held in this manner but with Formula E the management is trying new things. Audi is currently in second place with 186 points even after a dismal start to the season. Audi drivers managed a total of twelve points in the initial four races but they recuperated soon. In the final four races, the talented drivers managed to secure 128 points altogether. That’s 39 percent better than the championship leaders were able to manage.
Audi Team Leader Allan McNish commented, “During the difficult start to the season, we kept cool and faith in ourselves. We worked hard both on the race track and back home in Neuburg – even though it will be difficult, we now go to New York with a clear attitude and focus on the championship.”
Audi hopes that New York, the city to host the last two races, will prove lucky for the team. The track in New York has been freshly extended and is now 2.373 km long featuring multiple straights and sharp turns to challenge the drivers. The drivers will race for 45 laps on Saturday while 43 laps have been set for the race on Sunday. Two back to back races might prove to be hectic for the drivers, hence Audi has summoned 23-year-old reserve driver Nyck de Vries.
“That Formula E holds a race in the center of the city is simply fantastic,” says Daniel Abt who has won the races in Mexico City and Berlin this season. “In terms of racing, the New York E-Prix was a very nerve-wracking event for me last season. On the first race day, things were going pretty well for me before, while lying in the third position, I started coasting shortly before the finish due to a common part issue which was not our fault. So, I still have a score to settle with New York.”
“We showed our true colors in the second half of the season and scored more points than any other team,” says di Grassi, adding with a smile: “If you summarized the races in Rome, Paris, Berlin, and Zurich, we’d be European champions now!”
The first race on Saturday 14th July will start at 3:30 pm local time, while the race on Sunday 15th July will start early by 3:00 pm local time. Fans hoping to watch the Formula E season four Grand Prix live can visit their local broadcasting channels on Formula E’s website.