HWA Racelab travel to Marrakesh in their quest to open their points account for the 2018-19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship.
Rookies Stoffel Vandoorne and Gary Paffett made their debuts in the previous round in Riyadh but came away with little to celebrate. Vandoorne finished down in sixteenth whilst Paffett retired.
The German team therefore head into Morocco bottom of the teams’ standings with Team Principal Ulrich Fritz setting the target of “both cars“ finishing the race on Saturday.
“The experience we gained at the first race in Saudi Arabia was both positive and informative”, Fritz added.
“On the positive side was certainly the performance in qualifying and the team spirit within our fledgling team, which is incredibly determined to familiarise itself with what is a new series for us, and to achieve success in the medium term.
“The race [Ad Diriyah ePrix] was definitely disappointing: both cars were involved in crashes early in the race, resulting in Gary having to retire immediately and Stoffel battling on with a damaged car, which consequently saw him drop to the back of the field.
“Our primary objective is to get both cars through to the finish on Saturday and to gain more experience.”
Credit: Formula E
Vandoorne is “excited” to race in Marrakesh after his short winter break.
“I am excited about Marrakesh. The circuit is new to me. A few of the other drivers are already familiar with it, but I am still confident”, Vandoorne added.
“We will build on the experience gained in Riyadh and I am sure that we can significantly improve our performance in the race.”
Team-mate Paffett believes he is “better prepared” than he was on his turbulent debut in Riyadh.
“I am really looking forward to Marrakesh. Riyadh was a tough way to start”, Paffett said.
“The rainy conditions did not make it any easier for us. Yes, that was a difficult Saturday, but we feel better prepared for Marrakesh – especially as I have already driven there during last year’s rookie test.
“As such, I have a little more experience than in Riyadh, at least as far as the circuit is concerned. We have all learned from the first race and are now looking to gain more experience in Marrakesh.”
