Press

Round two of the ABB FIA Formel E Championship ended with two retirements for HWA RACELAB. Both Gary Paffett and Stoffel Vandoorne had struggled with technical issues during qualifying at the Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan in Morocco. In the race itself, the fightback came to an abrupt end on lap one: a collision involving both drivers brought their race to a premature end.

• Gary Paffett and Stoffel Vandoorne fail to finish 
• Gary Paffett: "It is a case of mixed feelings after the race here in Marrakesh - ultimately, however, it has been a frustrating day."
• Stoffel Vandoorne: "That was very disappointing, but we will look to bounce back in Santiago.”
• Ulrich Fritz: "Everyone has worked so hard in recent weeks, but they were not rewarded for their efforts today."

The first race of the new year sees HWA RACELAB travel to Morocco for round two of the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship on 12^thJanuary. After an eventful Formula E debut in Riyadh, the team from Affalterbach is determined to take another step forward on the streets of Marrakesh.

• Quotes from Gary Paffett and Stoffel Vandoorne ahead of the race in Morocco
• Ulrich Fritz: "Our primary goal is for both cars to finish the race on Saturday, and to gain more experience."
• Facts and schedule for the Marrakesh E-Prix

One day after the second race of the Formula E season, Daniel Juncadella and Raffaele Marciello will represent HWA RACELAB at the official rookie test for the fully-electric racing series in Marrakech (Sunday 13th January). This will be the second outing in the new Formula E car for Juncadella, the team's test and development driver, who was also involved in the pre-season preparations in Valencia. Marciello, the reigning Blancpain GT champion with the Mercedes-AMG GT3, will take his place in HWA RACELAB's fully-electric car for the first time.

• Daniel Juncadella and Raffaele Marciello to attend rookie test in Morocco
• Daniel Juncadella: "We must all continue to learn how the new Formula E car behaves and complete as many kilometres of testing as possible."
• Raffaele Marciello: "I am really looking forward to my first outing in the Formula E car and for HWA RACELAB.
• Ulrich Fritz: "I am confident that our efforts during the test with Dani and Raffaele will provide us with valuable input for the coming races."

The first Formula E season has started for HWA RACELAB with the team gathering some valuable experience for the upcoming races in the fully-electric series. At the Ad Diriyah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia, Stoffel Vandoorne secured 17th place but his team-mate Gary Paffett had to retire from the race after an accident. This was the very first Formula E race for both drivers – and for the team.

• Stoffel Vandoorne: “Unfortunately, that was not the race result we had been hoping for. It was a difficult afternoon. Nonetheless, we did manage to finish the race.”
• Gary Paffett: “We learned a lot in the race, even if it was much shorter for me than we had hoped. We will be better prepared for the next race in Marrakesh.”
• Ulrich Fritz: “As expected, today was very instructive for us. Qualifying went very well for Stoffel and Gary, but pace was clearly missing in the race. I hope that the data we gather today and at tomorrow’s test will help us to take a step forward in time for Marrakesh.”

This weekend heralds a new era for HWA RACELAB: The new team will make its debut in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship at the Ad Diriyah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia on 15th December.

• Quotes from Gary Paffett and Stoffel Vandoorne ahead of their debut in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship
• Ulrich Fritz: "The race in Riyadh is a historic moment in the company's history. This is the first time a team will race under the name HWA RACELAB.“
• Facts and schedule for the Ad Diriyah E-Prix