It's a tough gig being a Team Principal. Not only do you bear the hefty responsibility of steering your team to victory but you're also charged with making sure your team's running the latest all-electric racing technology, in a bid to stay ahead of the competition.
With the news that leader in electrification and e-mobility ABB joined the FIA Formula E Championship as title partner, we caught up the Team Principals as they discussed what ABB will bring to the championship.
"It's fantastic news for the championship, which keeps going from strength to strength," says James Barclay of Panasonic Jaguar Racing. "First it was the incredible number of manufacturers that came on board and now, to have a title partner of this scale, it's a big coup for the series."
Following the news that manufacturers BMW and Nissan will join the series in Season Five, with Mercedes-Benz and Porsche joining in Season Six, ABBs close relationship with Formula E is yet another landmark occasion for the world's first all-electric racing series. "It's a really great message for the championship that it's not only relevant for manufacturers but also relevant for technology brands - both of which can use Formula E as a platform to demonstrate their capability," adds Barclay.
With the largest installed base of fast-charging stations for electric vehicles worldwide, "ABB and Formula E are a natural fit at the forefront of the latest electrification and digital technologies," said CEO of ABB Ulrich Spiesshofer. "Together, we will write the next phase of this exciting sports activity and foster high-performance teams."
After Felix Rosenqvist clinched victory in Marrakesh, Mahindra Racing is leading the way in both the teams' and the driver's championship. "I think this is perhaps the only thing I'd agree with the other Team Principals on but it's fantastic to have ABB on board," says the team's Principal Dilbagh Gill. "I think the company will add a lot of value to the championship and we will get to see the technological advantages come out in Season Five and beyond."
After a flying start to the season with Sam Bird clinching a victory in Round One in Hong Kong, DS Virgin Racing could well be in the running for the title this season. Partly made up of French car marque DS, the team actively tests and develops components for its range of road cars, such as the forthcoming DS7 plug-in hybrid.
"ABB is very active in the field of electric mobility, so it makes a lot of sense," says Sylvain Filippi, Chief Technical Officer & Deputy Team Principal of DS Virgin Racing. "They are probably one of the most relevant partners that Formula E could have. With the company's knowledge of charging infrastructure and systems, it's going to be interesting to see how we can work together in the future."
With the series acting as a platform for manufacturers - like DS, Mahindra and Jaguar - to test and develop road relevant technology, Formula E is at the forefront of the electric mobility arms race. "Ultimately, it shows that Formula E is growing in the right way as one of the series key pillars is technology - such as charging, electric powertrains and e-mobility - which ABB has a lot of knowledge in."
With the 2018 ABB FIA Formula E Marrakesh E-Prix complete, it's off to Santiago for the next instalment of all-electric single seater racing. Click here to find out how to watch where you are.