• Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler finishes season on second in the team classification

• Lucas di Grassi is third in the drivers’ championship

• Teammate Daniel Abt concludes 2018/2019 season on seventh

• Summary after five years of the Formula E electric series: Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler is the team with the most points and podium finishes

A spectacular finale of the 2018/2019 Formula E season in the US metropolis New York. The Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team again did its very best to close the gap after 11 of the 13 races and defend the team title. A good step was taken in race one of the doubleheader event on Saturday, when Lucas di Grassi claimed fifth and Daniel Abt sixth plus an extra point for the fastest race lap, again earning points in the top ten of the title fight in both classifications. The following day, Daniel Abt achieved fifth place and again the fastest race lap, with his Brazilian teammate forced into retirement after a collision in the final race lap while running in seventh place. Di Grassi, the 2016/2017 champion, concluded the fifth Formula E season in third place, with Abt in seventh. In the team classification, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler finished on second place for the third time in five years; in 2017/2018 the squad won the title, and came third in the 2014/2015 debut season.

“That was electric and, above all, electrifying motor racing. We witnessed high-class motorsport in a buzzing megacity, where both titles were decided at the very last race. Even though we don’t hold a trophy in our hands today, we can be proud of such a great season, where we fought hard together to the flag at every race. Congratulations to the new champions Jean-?ric Vergne and the DS Techeetah team,” declared Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive OEM at Schaeffler. “I’m also delighted that Lucas di Grassi and Daniel Abt will fight for points again in the new season. We have two fast and highly motivated guys, who do a terrific job in the cockpit and as Schaeffler ambassadors.”

Aside from the two victories in Mexico and at the home race in Berlin as well as three other podium finishes, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler is the team that achieved the most points for the fastest race laps out of the eleven teams in the 2018/2019 season – a testiment for the efficiency and performance of the powertrain developed jointly by Audi and Schaeffler. After five years of Formula E, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler is also the team with the most podium finishes (40) and the most points (1,101). Matthias Zink: “Looking at the statistics, we can be proud of what we have achieved. You have to work hard in motor racing to earn the label ‘top team’. I think we can be justified in calling ourselves that after five successful years in the Formula E.” Season six of the Formula E begins in November 2019.

This is Formula E
Formula E is an FIA-sanctioned motor racing series for fully electric cars. In 2018/2019, season five of Formula E, eleven teams and 22 drivers lined up on the grid. Formula E races worldwide on temporary circuits in the hearts of major cities such as Hong Kong, Berlin and New York. 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. In 2016/2017, Team Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler won the drivers’ title (Lucas di Grassi) and in 2017/2018, the teams’ title (Lucas di Grassi/Daniel Abt). Schaeffler 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 also presents ideas for sustainable mobility for tomorrow in the innovative electric racing series.

The new Formula E technology
In season five, Formula E entered its second era. The most conspicuous innovation for 2018/2019: 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.