HWA RACELAB out to continue its points-scoring sequence in Bern

HWA RACELAB travels to Bern with the ABB FIA Formula E Championship this weekend. The team from Affalterbach has high hopes of backing up the strong performances it has shown in recent races and picking up points at the E-Prix in the Swiss city, which forms the final round of the European leg of the season.     

  • Quotes from Gary Paffett and Stoffel Vandoorne ahead of the race in Bern
  • Ulrich Fritz: "We will do our utmost to put on another good show."
  • Facts and schedule for the race in Bern

Affalterbach, 19th June 2019 – Rome, Paris, Monaco, Berlin – four times in a row, HWA RACELAB has finished in the top ten and scored points in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. Next up for Gary Paffett and Stoffel Vandoorne is the Julius Bär Swiss E-Prix in Bern this Saturday (22nd June). Should the drivers manage to continue their points-scoring run, it would represent a strong finish to the five European races. A good result in Bern would also give the team from Affalterbach, still in its first season in Formula E, an extra motivation boost ahead of the grand finale in New York.  

The signs coming into the weekend in Bern have been positive: The team has regularly shown good pace in recent qualifying sessions and has secured starting positions well towards the front end of the grid. In Berlin, Stoffel and Gary started the race from second and fourth. Stoffel should also have been inspired by his podium finish at last weekend's iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Bern, which replaces Zurich as the venue for this year's Swiss E-Prix, is hosting a Formula E race for the first time. One striking feature of the new track is its gradient, which is steep for a street circuit and results in a 50-metre change in elevation. The 2.7-kilometre track takes the drivers through the centre of Bern and offers views of the picturesque city centre and the river Aare.

Gary Paffett (38, England)
"We have improved consistently over the course of the season and want to compete at a high level at the final two race weekends. Our qualifying performance in Berlin showed where we are now. We now want to back that up in Bern. We had a lot of time to analyse that race and know what we have to do. We feel well prepared."

Stoffel Vandoorne (27, Belgium)
"It is a new circuit for everyone. It seems pretty impressive to me, with the change in elevation and its many climbs and slopes. We are coming to the end of the season and have enjoyed some success with the team recently - we've finished in the points at four events in a row. That has to be our goal for Bern too. It will once again be all about putting together a flawless weekend. That will pay dividends in the end. Our qualifying pace has been our greatest strength of late. We are still struggling in the race, but we will attempt to improve in that area too."

Ulrich Fritz, Team Principal HWA RACELAB
"In hindsight, Berlin was not as perfect as it looked like being after qualifying. However, despite all that, we can still take a lot of positives from it. The top results in qualifying, with P2 for Stoffel and P4 for Gary, showed us again that we are moving in the right direction. With such a strong starting position, you obviously hope for a podium come the end of the race. However, we can be very happy with Stoffel's fifth place. It could have turned out better for Gary too, had he not been involved in the incident on the opening lap. A completely new circuit awaits us and the other teams in Bern. As such, we all start from zero and nobody can call on any reference values from last year. That obviously helps us. At the same time, it is also the final European race of the season. We will do our utmost to put on another good show, before we head to New York for the final two races."

Gary Paffett (38, England)
"We have improved consistently over the course of the season and want to compete at a high level at the final two race weekends. Our qualifying performance in Berlin showed where we are now. We now want to back that up in Bern. We had a lot of time to analyse that race and know what we have to do. We feel well prepared."

Stoffel Vandoorne (27, Belgium)
"It is a new circuit for everyone. It seems pretty impressive to me, with the change in elevation and its many climbs and slopes. We are coming to the end of the season and have enjoyed some success with the team recently - we've finished in the points at four events in a row. That has to be our goal for Bern too. It will once again be all about putting together a flawless weekend. That will pay dividends in the end. Our qualifying pace has been our greatest strength of late. We are still struggling in the race, but we will attempt to improve in that area too."

Ulrich Fritz, Team Principal HWA RACELAB
"In hindsight, Berlin was not as perfect as it looked like being after qualifying. However, despite all that, we can still take a lot of positives from it. The top results in qualifying, with P2 for Stoffel and P4 for Gary, showed us again that we are moving in the right direction. With such a strong starting position, you obviously hope for a podium come the end of the race. However, we can be very happy with Stoffel's fifth place. It could have turned out better for Gary too, had he not been involved in the incident on the opening lap. A completely new circuit awaits us and the other teams in Bern. As such, we all start from zero and nobody can call on any reference values from last year. That obviously helps us. At the same time, it is also the final European race of the season. We will do our utmost to put on another good show, before we head to New York for the final two races."

Facts on the Julius Bär Swiss E-Prix
Circuit:                               Bern E-Prix Circuit
Length:                              2.7 km
Corners:                            14
Race distance:                  45 minutes + 1 lap

Schedule for 22nd June 2019:
Free practice 1:                 08:55 - 09:40 (CET)
Free practice 2:                 11:20 - 11:50 (CET)
Qualifying:                         13:30 – 14:06 (CET)
Super Pole:                        14:15 - 14:35 (CET)
Race:                                 18:00 (CET)
Podium ceremony:            19:00 (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