The fully-electric street racing championship is set to begin its European leg of Season 5 with a return to Rome, the capital city of Italy, best known for its ancient architecture and art. The racetrack features the highest number of corners this season (21), along with Ad Diriyah in Saudi Arabia, making this a true contest for the field of 22 drivers.

This year’s faster and more powerful Gen2 cars will race on a 2.86 km racetrack, the second-longest in this season. The circuit is laid out on the streets of the Esposizione Universale Roma, a district in southern Rome. A hairpin bend at Turn 13, typical of ABB Formula E race tracks, is certain to cause a ‘pinch point’ for competitors in their closely matched machines. Five different winners emerged from the first five races this season, so race-goers would be wise to expect the unexpected.

British driver Sam Bird, who has won at least one race in every season since the championship’s inception, will be looking to repeat his Rome victory of last season. He took a win this year in Santiago, Chile and was first across the line in Hong Kong – although a penalty stripped him of victory, handing it to Venturi’s Edoardo Mortara.

With 11 teams and 22 drivers battling for honors this year, the competition is certain to remain intense as the championship enters its second half.

ABB is the world leader in fast-charging technology with more than 10,500 charging units sold in 73 countries. The company’s history in Italy stretches back more than a century and the company now has 5,800 employees serving multiple sectors including water, automotive, marine, railways and a growing presence in digital.

Following the race in Rome, ABB Formula E will head to Paris on April 27 and after three more races across Europe, it concludes with a mid-July ‘double-header’ in New York, USA.