HWA RACELAB highly motivated ahead of home race in Berlin

HWA RACELAB is all set for the highlight of its first season in Formula E: The team's home E-Prix in Berlin on Friday and Saturday (24.05 and 25.05). There is great anticipation among the Affalterbach-based outfit ahead of the German round of this season's championship: The run of points finishes in the past three races has given the whole team a big boost. However, different conditions will make for new challenges in Berlin.        

  • Quotes from Gary Paffett and Stoffel Vandoorne ahead of the race in Berlin
  • Ulrich Fritz: "We have great plans for Berlin. It will not be easy, but we are looking forward to it."
  • Facts and schedule for the race in Berlin

Affalterbach, 22nd May 2019 – Race ten of this season's ABB FIA Formula E Championship is a very special one for HWA RACELAB and its drivers Gary Paffett and Stoffel Vandoorne. The team from Affalterbach will be racing on home soil in Germany for the first time. As such, there is great anticipation ahead of this weekend's BMW i Berlin E-Prix presented by CBMM Niobium.

Rome, Paris, Monaco - an HWA RACELAB driver has finished in the points at each of the last three races. The team has set its sights on the top ten again in Berlin. The performance in qualifying was by no means ideal last time out in Monaco, but Stoffel and Gary have proven over the course of the season that they are more than capable of securing positions towards the front of the grid. And when it comes to race pace, the new Formula E team has now found some consistent form.  

The format for the weekend is slightly different to usual: Unlike at the previous rounds, the action in Berlin kicks off on Friday with the free practice sessions. The race will then start at 13:00 on Saturday, to avoid a clash with the final of the DFB Cup (football), which is also taking place on that day.

Formula E is making its fifth appearance in the German capital. The circuit is located on the apron of the former Berlin-Tempelhof Airport. The drivers will have to adapt to different grip conditions to those experienced in the races so far. Instead of asphalt, the surface here is concrete, which will put great strain on the tyres.

Gary Paffett (38, England)
"The race in Berlin comes at exactly the right time for us. It is the home race for our team, and a lot of people will be there to cheer us on. I am looking forward to it. We were not entirely happy with the result in Monaco. The race pace was very good, but we were not fast enough in qualifying. We must improve in that regard this time out. The car has the pace, we just need to produce a good lap out on the track. There is definitely a good chance for us finishing in the points and getting better results this time."

Stoffel Vandoorne (27, Belgium)
"The home race in Berlin is obviously very special for us as a team. It is going to be fun. I am looking forward to it. This is my first time in Berlin. The format of the weekend is different this time, with the two practice sessions on Friday. This gives us more time for analyses. On the other hand, however, it will not be easy to go straight into qualifying on Saturday morning. We must make sure we are well prepared. We have managed to finish in the points in each of the last three races. I hope we can continue that run."

Ulrich Fritz, Team Principal HWA RACELAB
"We left Monaco with mixed feelings. On the one hand, we had a reliable car and Stoffel was subsequently able to score a few points. On the other hand, however, we had hoped to start from higher up the grid. Our team is very determined to make amends this weekend. Berlin is our first home race, so there is a lot of excitement in the team. As the race starts a few hours earlier than usual, and the two practice sessions take place on the Friday, we are faced with a different schedule and another new challenge."

Facts on the BMW i Berlin E-Prix presented by CBMM Niobium
Circuit:                       Tempelhof Airport
Length:                       2.375 km
Corners:                     10
Race distance:           45 minutes + 1 lap

Schedule for 24th and 25th May 2019:

Friday, 24th May:
Free practice 1:           15:30 - 16:15 (CET)
Free practice 2:           18:00 - 18:30 (CET)

Saturday, 25th May:
Qualifying:                   08:45 – 09:21 (CET)
Super Pole:                  09:30 - 09:50 (CET)
Race:                           13:00 (CET)
Podium ceremony:      14:00 (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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