ABT CUPRA team gears up for Rounds 2 & 3 of Formula E

• The ABT CUPRA team arrives in Diriyah, ready to build on the momentum of the team’s debut race in Mexico City.
• Nico Müller is joined by substitute driver Kelvin van der Linde as Robin Frijns recovers from a hand injury.
• The new Gen3 Formula E car will be put to the test on the Saudi Arabian street circuit.

Diriyah, Saudia Arabia – The ABT CUPRA team will take on the latest challenge in its Formula E journey this weekend as it arrives in Saudi Arabia for Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on the historic streets of Diriyah.

Driver Nico Müller is joined by substitute driver Kelvin van der Linde in the Gen3 Formula E car as Robin Frijns takes time to recover from a hand injury sustained during the season opener in Mexico City. The car, which is the fastest, lightest, most powerful, efficient, and sustainable electric single-seater racer ever, performed well for the ABT CUPRA team during the first race week.

With 21 twists and turns, the 2.495km Diriyah circuit skirts around the historic town walls of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The drivers will face a challenging lap from the start, as a technical first sector leads into the snaking Bobsleigh Run at Turn 6, a series of fast changes in quick succession.

The track is a true test of energy management and strategy, with a long straight closing out the lap. The race is held at night with LEDs illuminating the circuit, and sparks are expected to fly when drivers go wheel-to-wheel.

The ABT CUPRA team will be looking to deliver a strong result in the second race week, as both drivers strive to attain their first points of the season.

The weekend schedule begins with a free practice session on 26th January, before the first race gets underway from 20:00 local time on Friday 27th January. The following evening it’s time for Round 3, when the race also starts at 20:00 local.

Nico Müller said: “Even though we haven’t scored points in Mexico, the practice sessions and also the race were important for our whole team. We found some good approaches that we want to build on in Diriyah. Two full days of racing mean a lot of driving time and further valuable experience.”

Kelvin Van de Linde added: “I've tried to prepare myself in the best possible way: physically, by analyzing all the data and, of course, in the simulator. The engineers and Nico (Müller) are giving me great support in this. I want to finish and help the team to push the development of our project further forward.”