René Rast says it is important the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team hit the ground running this weekend at the Autódromo Miguel E. Abed, the venue of the latest round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season.
The Puebla E-Prix has taken the place on the calendar for the Mexican leg of the season away from the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City due to COVID-19, and Rast’s first experience of the circuit will come in free practice this weekend.
The German currently sits eighth in the standings after the first seven rounds of the season, although he has yet to stand on the podium, the highest driver in the standings yet to do so. He knows that Qualifying inside the top five is a must this weekend if he is to stand on that podium.
“Puebla is completely new territory for me,” said Rast. “That makes it all the more important to arrive as perfectly prepared as possible so that we can focus on qualifying and the race in practice.
“We know about the strengths of our package, but to finish on the podium or even fight for victory, we need a grid position within the top five. That’s got to be our goal in Mexico and in all of the coming races.”
Team-mate Lucas di Grassi says it is a shame for Formula E’s venture to Mexico to move away from the capital, particularly after his stunning victory at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in 2019 when he overtook long-time leader Pascal Wehrlein mere metres from the finish line as the German ran out of usable energy.
“The interest and enthusiasm for Formula E is huge in Mexico,” said di Grassi. “It was nice to see everyone there supporting our team. We always felt very welcome there.”
