Renault e.dams is getting ready to race in the fifth round of the 2017-2018 FIA Formula E Championship at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico.
The Mexican capital will host the third staging of this ePrix on Saturday 3rd March, a month after the last race in the streets of Santiago in Chile, in which Renault e.dams scored its second podium finish on the bounce thanks to Sébastien Buemi, while Nicolas Prost saw the flag in 10th place. What distinguishes the Mexican circuit from the others on the calendar is that it is a permanent track and part of the layout is used for the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Its other particularity is that it is more than 2500m above sea level making it the highest circuit in the world, which poses new challenges for the team. The two drivers are champing at the bit to mix it in this race and are hoping to fight at the front!
This year the income from the sale of tickets will be paid into a reconstruction programme for the town after the earthquake in September 2017.
The Renault Group has been present in Mexico for 17 years; it has 64 dealerships and last year it sold 30 2000 cars. 2017 was a historic year for the Group as its sales progressed by 14.7% throughout the world. This was also the case for Renault Mexico, which saw a sharp increase in the sales of the SUV range (+70%). The electric market is more subdued with the Twizy on sale since 2014 and the projected launch of the Zoe and the Kango Z.E. in 2018.
Sébastien Buémi
“I’m delighted to be back in Mexico after my performances in the last two races and I hope that we’ll keep up the momentum. We’ve always been quick in free practice in Mexico, but it’s not been the same story in qualifying. We’re determined to put on a good show this year. The track’s pretty atypical as the circuit is well above sea level; the cars behave differently because the air is thinner so it’s a big challenge for the team. We’re going to throw all our forces into the battle to be on the pace by taking advantage of the experience acquired in previous years.”
Nicolas Prost
“The early part of the season hasn’t lived up to my expectations. The car was quick in the last race in Santiago so I’m confident I’ll be back fighting at the front. We’re highly motivated, but there’s absolutely nothing in it in the battle between the teams this year.”
Stats
2,092 km: length of the circuit
47: number of laps, two more than in 2017
17: number of corners
44: number of points scored by Renault e.dams in the teams’ championship.
What happened in 2017:
5: Nicolas Prost finished fifth
13: Sébastien Buemi finished 13th
1m 02.164sec: Fastest lap in the race set by Sébastien Buemi