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After a couple of outings in pre-season testing, China Racing’s reserve driver Antonio Garcia will finally get his chance to shine when he makes his competitive debut at the forthcoming Punta del Este ePrix. Formula E caught up with the Spaniard to hear his thoughts on the upcoming round and why he thinks a points finish is on the cards…
You’ve been called up to make your Formula E race debut with China Racing in Punta del Este, how did this come about?
“I tested a lot with the team at Donington Park during the summer alongside Nelson [Piquet Jr] and Ho-Pin [Tung]. After competing in Beijing and Putrajaya, Ho-Pin isn’t able do this race so I’ll be partnering Nelson. I’m looking forward to my first Formula E race, it should be a good challenge.”
You haven’t driven the car since the summer, how difficult is it going to be to get up to speed quickly and on a new track?
“It’s a new track for everyone, we can all adapt quickly, even on a street circuit. For me it’s about learning the car again but more importantly how to use the power and manage the battery efficiently.”
You’ll be racing alongside team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr who has looked quick in both races so far, what can you learn from him?
“Nelson will be a big help for sure, especially as I’ve not had much track time. The key thing will be being able to analyse his data, not just from free practice but from the previous two races. Hopefully we can get up to speed quickly and the team can do a good job on the car like they’ve done at the last two outings.”
What are your thoughts on the Punta del Este ePrix layout?
“It’s ok, quite straightforward. There’s a few main corners which we’ll need to get right, separated by chicanes. But the track is not the key thing to going fast. As we saw with Sam Bird in Putrajaya, the main issue is getting the most out of the battery.”
Finally, the majority of the field have two races under their belt, what do you think you can realistically achieve in Uruguay?
“During testing at Donington, I felt comfortable in the car and was lapping within the top-five, so that’s where we hope to be fighting in Punta del Este. If the team do a good job with the car, and I’m confident they will, then who knows. The potential is there for sure. I guess I now need to start promoting myself for FanBoost!”