Heading South, ABB Formula E Starts Heating Up

Season 5 of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship continues its continent-hopping schedule, as the teams head to Chile for the Santiago E-Prix on January 26.

The South American round of the series in Santiago, Chile’s capital, follows races in Morocco and Saudi Arabia, with Asia, Europe and North America soon to come.

Drivers for the 11 two-car teams will be building on the experience and data from the season’s first two races – especially in relation to the all-new Gen2 cars – as all aim to finish on the podium and the current season frontrunners look to add points to their leads.
Last year’s Santiago race was where Jean-Éric Verge began his march to the drivers’ title. He’ll have stiff competition this year, though, from competitors including António Félix Da Costa, the BMW Andretti driver who won the season-opening race from pole position and race two winner Jerome D’Ambrosio.

The expanding global reach of ABB Formula E showcases the innovation that is key to the series’ success and generates wheel-to-wheel thrills for fans.
For its fifth season, the championship presents a first-class field of 22 drivers piloting the all-new Gen2 cars, traveling to three new locations and representing nine global automakers. New technical elements include an Attack Mode that enables dramatic passing opportunities.
The fundamental attractions of Formula E nonetheless remain intact: zero-emission, fully electric racecars, racecourses laid out on city streets and all the track action delivered on a single day of competition.

In Santiago, all drivers will be learning together to negotiate the new 2.4-kilometer course laid out in the city center’s Parque O’Higgins. The 14-turn layout includes two tight hairpins, but also features a long arcing back section where the Gen2 cars will come closest to their 280 km/h top speed. The combination of warm afternoon temperatures and the thin air of Santiago’s high altitude will challenge teams to keep their electronics and brakes cool enough for peak efficiency.