What's the news?
The all-electric Formula E championship is certainly starting to attract some big names. Citroen, through its DS brand, has been long involved, and Jaguar is fielding a team this year. Audi has already been partnered with the Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport outfit, providing sponsorship cash and allowing the team to use some of Audi's own technical facilities to help it develop the car. Now though, that commitment is expanding - more sponsorship cash will see more prominent Audi logos on the ABT team cars at the season opener in Hong Kong next month, while there will be increased technical support for the team, too.
But Audi's not stopping there. For the 2017-2018 season, which will start October 2017, the ABT team will become a full works Audi squad (much in the way that the Audi Le Mans team is run by the famous Joest racing concern). The new team will sit alongside Audi's other major motorsport commitments to Le Mans, the WEC and the DTM German Touring Car Championship.
"Electric mobility is one of the key topics in our industry," says Dr. Stefan Knirsch, Member of the Board of Management, Technical Development, Audi AG. "We intend to evolve into one of the leading premium car manufacturers in this field. By 2025, every fourth Audi should be an electric vehicle. The first model for this is planned to be an SUV we're going to present in 2018. In the light of these plans, adapting our motorsport program and taking up a commitment in a fully electric racing series is only a logical move."
Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: "Audi has consistently been using motorsport to test and develop new technologies further for subsequent use in production. With quattro drive we revolutionized rally racing and subsequently set standards in circuit racing as well. In the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Audi was the first manufacturer to have achieved victories with a TFSI engine, a TDI and a hybrid race car, so writing motorsport history on several occasions. Now we intend to repeat this in fully electric racing. Formula E with its races being held in the hearts of major cities is an ideal stage for this purpose and Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport a logical partner for us."