أرابيان درايف | Arabian Drive - News

Porsche determined for a successful start to the season in Saudi Arabia

Arabian Drive - The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team heads into season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the Diriyah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia on 28/29 January. Two night races will be contested on the 2.495-kilometre city street circuit close to Riyadh, where the Porsche Taycan Turbo S celebrates its racetrack debut as the new Formula E safety car. With the Porsche 99X Electric, André Lotterer (GER/#36) and Pascal Wehrlein (GER/#94) want to lay the foundation for a successful season with a top result for Porsche.

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, which includes 16 races in ten major cities, once again features a strong line-up with eleven teams and 22 drivers. Several new rule changes have been implemented this season for the race and most notably for the qualifying. The fight for pole position resembles a knock-out tournament with gripping one-on-one duels. Moreover, the maximum power has been increased in quali and attack mode.

Before tackling its third Formula E season, Porsche consolidated its management team: Florian Modlinger took over the position as Director Factory Motorsport Formula E at the beginning of the year. The 41-year-old began his career in motorsport in 2005 and excelled in various roles including race engineer, development engineer and technical director.

Modlinger has high expectations for his first season with Porsche. “Looking at it from the outside, the team made great progress last season and is now heading into its third season as a highly motivated unit. The goal is very clear: to achieve consistently strong performances and win races,” he says.

Q&A on the Diriyah E-Prix

Amiel Lindesay, Head of Operations Formula E

How confident is the team as it heads into Porsche’s third Formula E season and what are the goals?

“We’re a strong team, which we underlined many times last season, so I’m feeling very optimistic. Our goal is clear: We want to win our first race this season and we’re also ready to fight for the title against strong opposition in this well-balanced world championship.”

André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36)

What do you think of the racetrack and what is special about night races?

“The track isn’t a typical street circuit with 90-degree corners or chicanes after every straight. The corner combinations are very flowy. The fast section through turns 7, 8 and 9 is critical. You have to get it exactly right. In a night race, you can almost see better than in the daytime because you’re not bothered by sunstrike. The track is evenly lit, which is easier on the eyes. And the slightly cooler temperatures suit the tyres. I like driving under floodlights, I’m familiar with this from Le Mans.”

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94)

What experiences will you take to Diriyah from your first season with Porsche?

“We’ve consolidated a lot as a team. While some of the races could have gone better, we learned a great deal and have undoubtedly grown stronger. We want to build on that this season. I’m looking forward to fighting together as a team and winning races. We’re competing on some new circuits, which I always find exciting. The rule changes will certainly have a positive impact and ensure that the competition is even fairer, which makes it more interesting.”

Porsche Taycan Turbo S as the new safety car

The Porsche Taycan Turbo S celebrates its racetrack debut in Diriyah as the safety car in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Thanks to its driveability and safety as well as an output of up to 560 kW (761 PS), Porsche’s first all-electric sports car is the ideal choice as a safety car in the first and only all-electric motorsport world championship. With Launch Control, the flagship model of the Taycan range accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 260 km/h. The number 22 on the roof of the car is a salute to the 22 drivers who contest season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The striking paintwork incorporates the colours of all eleven competing teams as well as the FIA and Formula E colours.

The Porsche 99X Electric

Campaigning the Porsche 99X Electric, Porsche returned to open-wheel single-seater racing in 2019 after more than 30 years. The fully-electric racing car sporting the Weissach-developed Porsche E Performance Powertrain also serves as a development platform for the sports car manufacturer’s fully-electric production models. Energy management and efficiency are important factors for success in Formula E and in the development of production cars. For the 2021/2022 season, the 99X Electric has a maximum output of 250 kW in qualification mode and 220 kW (last season 200 kW) in normal race mode. Attack Mode boosts the output to 250 kW (last season 235 kW). Maximum recuperation is 250 kW; the usable battery capacity is 52 Kilowatt-hours.

2022 races*

Sixteen races in ten of the world’s biggest cities make up the provisional 2021/2022 calendar of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Race 1 – 28 January: Diriyah (Saudi Arabia)

Race 2 – 29 January: Diriyah (Saudi Arabia)

Race 3 – 12 February: Mexico City (Mexico)

Race 4 – 9 April: Rome (Italy)

Race 5 – 10 April: Rome (Italy)

Race 6 – 30 April: Monaco (Monaco)

Race 7 – 14 May: Berlin (Germany)

Race 8 – 15 May: Berlin (Germany)

Race 9 – 4 June: Jakarta (Indonesia)

Race 10 – 2 July: Vancouver (Canada)