Photo: Audi
Formula E is a relatively new racing series on the world’s calendar, having been established in 2014 as a series dedicated to electric car racing. It immediately caught the eye of the world’s most prominent carmakers, who were actively looking for the right environment to test the components of the drivertrains they were about to place inside roadgoing cars.
Audi is one of those prominent carmakers, and has been involved ever since the inaugural season, being, after all, a founding member.
Audi won 46 trophies in the series, both as a private team (ABT Sportsline), and as a factory-backed outfit from 2017. One of the carmaker’s drivers, Lucas di Grassi, is one of two drivers on the grid to have driven in all Formula E races so far, but the only one to do so for the same team.
But as the current season draws to an end this weekend in Berlin, Audi announced the official end of its factory involvement in the series.
The Germans gave no exact reason for the decision, saying through Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport, that this is based on the fact “electric mobility at Audi is no longer a vision of the future but the present.”
The official also said “it’s time for us to take the next step in motorsport as well,“ with the Dakar Rally being placed at the top of the list of priorities. Next year, Audi will line up on the starting grid of the event an electrified contraption called RS Q e-tron, a platform Audi hopes it will earn it the title of the first carmaker to win the competition with such a machine.
The company did not mention what teams, if any, will be fielding its cars the following season. Aside from the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, the FE07 is also raced this season by Envision Virgin Racing.
Audi won 46 trophies in the series, both as a private team (ABT Sportsline), and as a factory-backed outfit from 2017. One of the carmaker’s drivers, Lucas di Grassi, is one of two drivers on the grid to have driven in all Formula E races so far, but the only one to do so for the same team.
But as the current season draws to an end this weekend in Berlin, Audi announced the official end of its factory involvement in the series.
The Germans gave no exact reason for the decision, saying through Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport, that this is based on the fact “electric mobility at Audi is no longer a vision of the future but the present.”
The official also said “it’s time for us to take the next step in motorsport as well,“ with the Dakar Rally being placed at the top of the list of priorities. Next year, Audi will line up on the starting grid of the event an electrified contraption called RS Q e-tron, a platform Audi hopes it will earn it the title of the first carmaker to win the competition with such a machine.
The company did not mention what teams, if any, will be fielding its cars the following season. Aside from the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, the FE07 is also raced this season by Envision Virgin Racing.
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