NextEV NIO have said that they have been working flat out since the last round of the Formula E championship in order to improve their car for Buenos Aires.
This year’s race schedule includes a three-month gap between round two in Marrakesh, and the Buenos Aires ePrix in two weeks’ time.
But rather than have this disrupt the team’s efforts, driver and season one champion Nelson Piquet Jr said that the team have been using the time to improve the car’s performance.
He said, “The break is giving us time to work hard within the team. Just because we’re not on track it doesn’t mean that we’re not working and improving.
“Our ambition hasn’t changed from winning races and the championship and we know we need to climb up a few steps before being the best car and team out there but we’re working really hard.”
Newly appointed Team Principal Gerry Hughes said that the work the team had put in over the past few months was part of their philosophy towards ‘continual improvement’, saying “We should remember that as a team we are essentially an all-new entity and we must continue to build and develop the team and focus forwards.
“On the powertrain development side of things we are still behind our main rivals in some key areas, but we will continue to accelerate our powertrain knowledge in order to apply our ‘continual improvement’ philosophy.”
Despite being a new team in terms of structure and personnel, NextEV have had a strong start to the season.
They secured a brilliant one-two in qualifying at the opening round in Hong Kong, and secured another top five grid slot in Marrakesh.
Although their race pace has tended to let them down, their haul of 13 points has seen them score almost as many points as they did in the entirety of last season.
