• Title race to be decided on the city circuit in Brooklyn once again

• Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler and Lucas di Grassi sit in second place of teams’ and drivers’ championships

• ? Driver duo Lucas di Grassi/Daniel Abt will continue to race for Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler in the 2019/2020 season

Like in the previous four seasons of the fully electric racing series, the title race in Formula E will only be decided at the last event. Before the two final races in New York City (July 13/14) Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler and Lucas di Grassi are sitting in second place of the teams’ and drivers’ championships, currently off the top spots by 43 and 32 points, respectively. In rounds 12 and 13 of the 2018/2019 season, a maximum of 94 points for the teams and a maximum of 58 points for the drivers can be won this weekend.

Eight contenders have chances of winning the drivers’ title

In absolute terms, eight of the 22 contenders still have chances of winning the drivers’ title. The competition in the electric racing series has never been closer before. The previous eleven rounds this season have seen eight different winners. “As long as we have a chance in absolute terms, we’re going to give it our all. In the past, we proved more than once that the role of the hunter suits us well,” says Lucas di Grassi. Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler achieved some unforgettable feats in the last two finales of the Formula E season: In 2016/2017, Lucas di Grassi became drivers’ champion in Montreal after a ten-point deficit. In 2017/2018, the Brazilian, together with Daniel Abt, even made up 33 points in New York City and Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler still won the teams’ title. In the current season, Lucas di Grassi and Daniel Abt were the only team to score points in ten of so far eleven races, including two victories and three additional podium finishes.

Two races to close the season

New York City is the only venue to host two races on one weekend this season. Formula E is visiting the U.S. megacity for the third time. Like in 2017 and 2018, the race will be held on a temporary city circuit in Brooklyn. The 2.320-kilometer track is located on the waterfront of the Red Hook neighborhood across from Governors Island. It runs along the Upper New York Bay and provides an unmistakable view of the opposite Manhattan skyline. Both final races will start on Saturday and Sunday at 4 PM local time (10 PM CEST). As always, Eurosport will air live coverage.

Next season again with driver duo Lucas di Grassi/Daniel Abt

Before the finale of the 2018/2019 season, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler has set the course for its future in Formula E: Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi will continue to compete in the fully electric racing series for Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler in 2019/2020, marking the sixth joint Formula E season for the Brazilian-German duo. Schaeffler’s brand ambassadors di Grassi and Abt are the only driver pairing that has remained the same ever since the series was launched in 2014.

“We still have big aims for New York, so tackling the last two races and subsequent pre-season preparations with such confirmation and positive thoughts is even sweeter,” says Daniel Abt, who for the first time is traveling to the final weekend with title chances. “I’m proud of the trust that’s being placed in me and will do everything to express my thanks with performance,” Schaeffler’s brand ambassador adds.

This is Formula E

Formula E is an FIA-sanctioned motor racing series for fully electric cars. In 2018/2019, Formula E season five, eleven teams and 22 drivers are on the grid. Formula E races worldwide on temporary circuits in the hearts of metropolises such as Hong Kong, Berlin and New York City. From December 15, 2018, until July 14, 2019, the ABB FIA Formula E Championship is holding 13 rounds at twelve venues. Each race lasts 45 minutes, plus one lap.

Schaeffler in Formula E

Schaeffler is one of the co-founders and one of the most notable and successful players in Formula E, which was established in 2014. The company has been contributing its know-how to the development of the powertrain of Team Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s race cars since 2015. In doing so, the company demonstrates its expertise in forward-thinking technologies and presents ideas for sustainable mobility for tomorrow in the innovative electric racing series as well.

The new Formula E technology

In season five, Formula E is entering its second era. The most conspicuous innovation for 2018/2019 going forward: Every driver has only one race car anymore. The reason is that the second-generation cars mark the end of the mid-race car swaps previously required at each Formula E event because the battery capacity is now sufficient for the entire race distance. New as well starting this season is the cars’ futuristic design without a rear wing, plus the Halo protection system above the cockpit.

The Audi e-tron FE05 was meticulously developed by Audi Sport and Schaeffler with the new technical and strategic challenges in mind. The motor-generator unit named Audi Schaeffler MGU03, the centerpiece of the Audi e-tron FE05, was jointly developed by the two technology partners. 95 percent of all powertrain components are new, having resulted in weight savings of ten percent. Two Audi e-tron FE05 cars are fielded by the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler factory team for Lucas di Grassi and Daniel Abt.