The Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team say they are looking to get on the podium at this weekend’s Santiago ePrix after a difficult start to the season.
The current reigning champions ended last year in imperious form, and were expected to carry this forward into the 2018-19 season and the new Gen2 car.
They’ve struggled however, and have finished the first two races well outside of the top three albeit in the points, with their highest finish being a seventh place for Lucas di Grassi last time out in Marrakesh.
Di Grassi believes that the team made a clear step forward in Morroco however, and said that they can build on this to challenge at the front this weekend.
“After a difficult opener in Riyadh, we most recently took a clear step forward in Marrakesh,” di Grassi commented.
“With a little more fortune, a podium finish would have been possible there. Now we’re going to attack in Santiago.
“The circuit is new for everyone, so we need to work all the harder and be fully focused right off the bat.”
Team boss Allan McNish says he too is confident that the team can get a better result in Santiago, and said that the completely different conditions should be a factor.
McNish said, “It’ll be a completely different race than the two previous rounds this season.
“Firstly, we’re going to have much higher temperatures to contend with and secondly, it’s the first real city street circuit on the calendar with all the typical characteristics of a street track.
“We know the potential of our Audi e-tron FE05, our team and our drivers – now we need to put all of it together into a package that will get us onto the podium.”
