Mid-season in the 2017/2018 ABB FIA Formula E Championship: On March 17, the sixth of twelve races will be held in Punta del Este. Team Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler is traveling to the venue with fond memories and as the most recent race winner.

Uruguay is the final stop for Formula E on its tour of Latin America. The tourist resort of Punta del Este with a population of 10,000 – taking the place of São Paulo which had originally been planned for the calendar – previously hosted an E-Prix on two occasions, in Formula E seasons 1 and 2. The race will be held on the 2.785-kilometer Punta del Este Street Circuit located directly on the Atlantic Ocean.

Team Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler has fond memories of its appearances in Punta del Este. In the 2014/2015 Formula E inaugural season, Lucas di Grassi placed third and his teammate, Daniel Abt, drove the fastest race lap. In 2015/2016, Lucas di Grassi crossed the finish line in second position. In the current 2017/2018 season, thanks to Abt’s victory in the most recent event in Mexico, the team achieved its first top result.

Schaeffler has a massive presence in South America, with 3,500 employees at its site in Brazil, which in 2018 is celebrating 60 years of operations. Schaeffler also has sales offices in Colombia, Chile, Peru and Argentina, where it has been established since 1970, and now a new office has been inaugurated to expand its business even more. The company also has distribution centers in Cartagena (Colombia) and Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Suspense galore guaranteed

Twelve races at ten events on five continents – the calendar of the innovative Formula E electric racing series is as extensive this season as never before. Three locations – Rome, Santiago de Chile and Zurich – are hosting Formula E races for the first time. The schedule at each event is tight: free practice, qualifying and the race(s) take place within the space of just a few hours.

Since the 2014/2015 inaugural Formula E season, Schaeffler, with its commitment in Formula E, has been emphasizing its position as a pioneer in electric mobility on the race track as well. Ever since the technical regulations were opened up for the second season, 2015/2016, specialists from Schaeffler have been responsible for the development of the powertrain in the team’s race car. The current model, the Audi e-tron FE04, includes technology “made by Schaeffler” as well. Together with Audi, engineers from the technology group developed the key component of the vehicle: the motor-generator unit.