Robin Frijns successfully secured his first top ten result of the season last weekend at the Jakarta E-Prix, as the Dutchman endured a mixed double-header in the Indonesian capital.
Saturday was a considerably better day for Frijns than Sunday, as the ABT CUPRA Formula E Team driver seventh in qualifying into a ninth place finish. It was an excellent day for Frijns who claimed his first points of the season which weren’t from his pole position in Berlin. Sunday though, was considerably more challenging, as he could only salvage thirteenth in the eleventh round of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Given that he started last, thirteenth marked a solid recovery.
Frijns was pleased to see the team take further “steps forward” in Jakarta following a positive few rounds, with the aim now being to keep pushing as the season moves towards its climax.
“These were two very tough races physically, where we had to go to our physical limits. We made small steps forward here as well, even if you can hardly see them in the results. We are moving in the right direction and will not let up in the final third of the season. Portland is completely new territory for all the teams and drivers, so we’re all starting with a blank sheet of paper.”
“We came back to the hard ground of reality” – Nico Müller
Nico Müller also looked much stronger on Saturday than he did on Sunday, with the shorter race distance in race one having seemingly suited ABT CUPRA. Müller just missed out on the points Saturday after finishing eleventh, whilst he also came close to the top ten on Sunday after finishing twelfth.
It was an unfortunate weekend for the Swiss driver who believes points were o the cards with a “slightly more clever strategy”; however, he admitted that Sunday’s race was a return to “reality” for the side.
“My first weekend with Formula E in Jakarta was hot, sporty and physically a real challenge, but also a great experience – especially with these enthusiastic fans. On Saturday, I almost made it into the duel phase of qualifying and, with a slightly more clever strategy, might have been able to also score points in the race. Sunday we came back to the hard ground of reality and were clearly reminded that we have to fight hard for every single point with the current package.”
