Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website Season 4 kicks off with two races in Hong Kong for the Andretti Formula E team
november 27, 2017 - BMW Motorsport

Season 4 kicks off with two races in Hong Kong for the Andretti Formula E team

Season 4 of the FIA #formulae Championship gets underway this weekend with two races in #hongkong (CHN). #bmw works driver António Félix da Costa (POR) and Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) compete at the season-opener for MS&AD Andretti #formulae. 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 #formulae, #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 #hongkong represent another important step on the road to Season 5 for #bmw and MS&AD Andretti #formulae. 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 #hongkong, 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 #formulae team is in its fourth season of #formulae 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 MS&AD Andretti ATEC-003 in Season 4. Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi will drive the number 27 car at the season-opener in #hongkong. 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. MS&AD Andretti is solely responsible for allocating the cockpit of the number 27 car.

 

The Expectations

 

António Félix da Costa, MS&AD Andretti #formulae: “I am really looking forward to returning to #hongkong. I had a good race when #formulae made its debut there last year. Generally speaking, I love the area around #hongkong. 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 MS&AD Andretti and #bmw.”

 

Kamui Kobayashi, MS&AD Andretti #formulae: “I would like to thank everybody for giving me a chance to race at the #hongkong 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 #formulae series, so I am really looking forward to the race and working with them again. I have been to #hongkong 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 #hongkong 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 #hongkong 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 #hongkong.

 

The #bmw i Fleet

BMW i is once again “Official Vehicle Partner” of the FIA #formulae 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”.