HWA RACELAB kicks off second half of debut season in Rome

This weekend, HWA RACELAB and the other teams in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship commence the "European leg" of the season: Rome, Monaco, Paris, Berlin and Bern are the next venues, before the 2018/19 season concludes in July with a double-header in New York. With six races behind them, the new team from Affalterbach's record at the halfway point of the season is a mixed bag: Despite a number of set-backs, Gary Paffett and Stoffel Vandoorne both have points to their name and are looking ahead with confidence to the race in the Italian capital.

  • Quotes from Gary Paffett and Stoffel Vandoorne ahead of the race in Rome
  • Ulrich Fritz: "We are capable of finishing in the top ten."
  • Facts and schedule for the GEOX Rome e-Prix

This Saturday's (13th April) GEOX Rome e-Prix comes on the back of two very different races in Asia for HWA RACELAB: While Stoffel Vandoorne and Gary Paffett celebrated pole position and their first points in Hong Kong, both VFE05 cars from Affalterbach failed to finish in Sanya. 

HWA RACELAB has used the three-week break since the last race to perform detailed analyses. The data gathered and new findings have allowed the new Formula E team to prepare meticulously for the second half of this season's Formula E championship, which kicks off this weekend. 

Improving consistency is the primary objective for HWA RACELAB on the streets of Rome: This will not be an easy undertaking, as the 2.84-kilometre track at Circuito Cittadino dell‘ EUR is regarded as being particularly challenging, thanks to its narrow layout, 21 corners, uneven surface and big changes in elevation. 

Gary Paffett (38, England)
"We have had mixed feelings recently. After a very good weekend in Hong Kong, we endured a tough race day in Sanya. Despite this, the signs are still there that we are making progress. It is now important to get everything sorted and start to consistently score points. I am really looking forward to racing in European cities - closer to home."

Stoffel Vandoorne (27, Belgium)
"It is nice that Formula E is now coming to Europe. The longer break after Sanya has given the team the opportunity to precisely analyse the first races of the season. We should now have enough information to make a positive start to the second half of the season, and hopefully to get some good results."

Ulrich Fritz, Team Principal HWA RACELAB
"The season has been something of a rollercoaster ride for us so far. A lot has been very good, but we have also suffered some bitter set-backs, as we did last time out. The European leg of the season gets underway with the race in Rome. We have set ourselves the goal of continuing to improve our consistency. If we have a weekend without any issues, we are capable of finishing in the top ten."

Facts on the GEOX Rome e-Prix
Circuit:                    Circuito Cittadino dell‘ EUR
Length:                   2.84 km
Corners:                 21
Race distance:       45 minutes + 1 lap

Schedule for 13th April 2019
Free practice 1:      07:30 - 08:15 (CET)
Free practice 2:      10:00 - 10:30 (CET)
Qualifying:              11:45 - 12:21 (CET)
Super Pole:            12:30 - 12:50 (CET)
Race:                      16:00 (CET)
Podium ceremony: 17:00 (CET)

 

About HWA AG
HWA AG is an independent, 360° engineering specialist in the fields of automobile racing and high-performance cars. Formed in 1998 by Hans Werner Aufrecht, the company is based in Affalterbach (Germany) and employs roughly 300 highly-qualified members of staff. HWA AG offers all its products and services under the motto ENGINEERING SPEED: The company’s objective is to develop the best possible, high-quality solutions, in order to get its partners and customers to their destination quicker. The portfolio of services ranges from designing all vehicle components to assembling complete cars, together with the relevant logistics, after-sales and support services.

About HWA RACELAB
HWA RACELAB is HWA AG’s operations team in motorsport. It brings together experienced specialists in high-quality race engineering and the associated services, in pursuit of success on the motorsport scene. HWA RACELAB will enter Formula E as a new team in the 2018/19 season, adding a future-oriented string to HWA’s wealth of racetrack expertise. Furthermore, HWA RACELAB will race in the new, international FIA Formula 3 championship in 2019. With eleven Drivers’ titles and over 180 race wins as a works team for Mercedes-AMG in the DTM, the company is one of the most successful players in international motorsport. HWA RACELAB also draws on the company’s other core areas of expertise, such as the development, assembly and running of GT cars for customer racing, as well as the assembly of Formula 3 race engines.

 

Oliver Kapffenstein
Motorsport Communications, Formula E

tel:     +49 (0) 711 17 57 00 4
mob:  +49 (0) 160 8 67 47 97
email: o.kapffenstein@hwaag-partner.com

Marlene Wieland
Motorsport Communications, Formula E

tel:     +49 (0) 711 17 51 80 3
mob:  +49 (0) 160 8 62 80 80
email: m.wieland@hwaag-partner.com

 

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