Closed Circuit: MS Amlin Andretti in London

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

After an optimistic start, it was a disappointing weekend for MS Amlin Andretti in London, a fitting end to the team’s second season. Contact and mechanical problems meant the team suffered retirements in both races and missed out on a possible top five finish.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title=”THE TEAM” color=”green”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion style=”outline” color=”green” c_icon=”chevron” active_section=”1″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”The team’s race in words” tab_id=”1461512664883-ac9eb41a-467a5043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_column_text]

Race one was a tale of two drivers for MS Amlin Andretti, but both ended the race disappointed. Qualifying was difficult for the team. Robin Frijns managed to get into the Super Pole, but didn’t have enough energy to do a full 200kW run after having to do two runs in the group stages of qualifying. He would start fourth whilst Simona de Silvestro started the day with brake issues and qualified 17th.

The race started well for Frijns. He maintained fourth but lost a place in the pit stops. The Dutchman was on for a strong finish, though, when he was struck twice by Daniel Abt and was forced to retire.

De Silvestro was making her way through the field and was on for a points finish. She crossed the line eleventh, but was handed a post race penalty and was classified 14th.

Race two was another disappointing race for the team, with neither driver finishing. Mechanical problems brought de Silvestro to a stop on the race track before the mid race car swap, whilst contact between Frijns and Loic Duval a few laps later put an end to his race.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Team mate comparison: qualifying” tab_id=”1461512175704-af49c202-f1e45043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_line_chart type=”line” style=”modern” x_values=”Beijing; Putrajaya; Punta del Este; Buenos Aires; Mexico City; Long Beach; Paris; Berlin; London 1; London 2″ values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Robin%20Frijns%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2214%3B%208%3B%2011%3B%206%3B%2012%3B%205%3B%206%3B%2012%3B%204%3B%2015%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22turquoise%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Simona%20de%20Silvestro%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2215%3B%2018%3B%2015%3B%2014%3B%2011%3B%2012%3B%2012%3B%2010%3B%2017%3B%2016%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22green%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%23f7be68%22%7D%5D” title=”Team mate comparison: qualifying”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Team mate comparison: race” tab_id=”1461512175763-831c2584-42cf5043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_line_chart type=”line” style=”modern” x_values=”Beijing; Putrajaya; Punta del Este; Buenos Aires; Mexico City; Long Beach; Paris; Berlin; London 1; London 2″ values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Robin%20Frijns%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2210%3B%203%3B%2010%3B%208%3B%205%3B%2015%3B%207%3B%206%3B%2017%3B%2016%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22turquoise%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Simona%20de%20Silvestro%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2218%3B%2013%3B%2011%3B%2014%3B%2014%3B%209%3B%2015%3B%209%3B%2014%3B%2017%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22green%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%23f7be68%22%7D%5D” title=”Team mate comparison: race”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”The team says: “…“” tab_id=”1461512258191-0360a250-a68c5043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_column_text]

Saturday:

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Roger Griffith, Co-Team Principal:
“Qualifying ended up being quite a lottery. A combination of red flags and the weather gave us out first Super Pole run. We weren’t expecting it based on the way our practice sessions had gone, but you take it whichever way you can. Unfortunately, because we had to do a second qualifying run in the first session due to a red flag, when we went into Super Pole the state of charge on the battery wasn’t sufficient enough to do a full lap in qualifying at 200 kilowatts. The battery had derated so we made the best of what we could. We were on a drying track and the first car out, so it was going to be challenging. At the end of the day we started fourth, happy with that. Simona had an incident in qualifying and therefore started from the back of the field.
“In the race, Robin was running a good race from the start, running fourth, a good pace through the first stint. Unfortunately we lost a spot during the car change, we’ll need to look at what happened there. Our race ended two laps later when we were hit from behind by the number 66 car. That was the end of the race for Robin. With Simona, she worked her way up from a 17th place start. She passed some cars on track, some genuine overtaking manoeuvres. She was good on energy. She unfortunately ended up finished just outside of points, but she brought the car back in one piece. We’ve got plenty of things to look over tonight to come up with a plan to find a little bit more speed for tomorrow. The goal for tomorrow is to finish with double points for the season.”
[/pullquote]

Sunday:

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Griffith:
“It obviously extremely disappointing to end the season with a double retirement for the team. One appears to be a mechanical issue with the car. It’s not a problem we’ve ever seen before but one that will be council measured for next season. Secondly, even more frustrating, is to be taken out by unnecessary contact two races in a row. Very optimistic attempt at an overtaking manouver in a place that doesn’t invite overtaking, especially that early on in the race. It really ruined what was shaping up to be a good race for Robin. He’d driven a smart race and was intelligent with his energy management; he was actually the best in the field at that particular time. We were waiting for our strategy to take hold, and potentially with the way things turned out there could have been a third or a fourth place finish.
“It’s really frustrating to finish the season this way, we like to finish on a high. But we will take the good results that we’ve had through the course of this season. We’re very excited about what we’ve got building with our new powertrain which to date has proven to be not only reliable but also has significantly advanced our performance. Season 3 starts tomorrow really, for now we take stock over what has happened this weekend. We’re excited to continue with Robin, we’re still working on our second driver. We’ll be on track this week doing more testing with our Season 3 powertrain.”
[/pullquote]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Championship standings” tab_id=”1461512214611-352b21f1-c5375043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_line_chart type=”line” x_values=”Beijing; Putrajaya; Punta del Este; Buenos Aires; Mexico City; Long Beach; Paris; Berlin; London 1; London 2″ values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22MS%20Amlin%20Andretti%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%221%3B%2016%3B%2017%3B%2021%3B%2031%3B%2033%3B%2039%3B%2049%3B%2049%3B%2049%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22green%22%7D%5D” title=”Championship standings”][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion style=”outline” color=”green” c_icon=”chevron” active_section=”1″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”Frijns’ race in words” tab_id=”1461512310664-cbeb96df-4af05043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_column_text]

It was a positive start for Frijns, who got into Super Pole for the first time, but it wasn’t a perfect run for the Dutchman. A red flag in the group stages meant he was forced to do a second qualifying run and he didn’t have enough energy for a full 200kW lap in the Super Pole. He would start fourth.

From there, Frijns spent the first stint of the race pushing for his second podium. The MS Amlin Andretti driver was leap frogged during the mid race pit stop and came out in fifth.

The race only got worse for Frijns when he was struck by Abt as the Dutchman’s race ended on lap twenty.

Race two ended with a strange sense of deja vu. Frijns started the race fifteenth and began his climb up into the points. He’d managed to get into the top ten when a collision with Loic Duval ended his race, making it his first double pointless finish of the season, a disappointing way to end his first Formula E season.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Lap chart” tab_id=”1461512310716-c8bf2e2d-dbb95043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_line_chart type=”line” x_values=”Starting position; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33″ values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Saturday%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%224%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%3B%202%3B%205%3B%205%3B%207%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22turquoise%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Sunday%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2215%3B%2012%3B%2012%3B%2012%3B%2012%3B%2012%3B%2012%3B%2010%3B%2010%3B%2010%3B%2010%3B%2010%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22green%22%7D%5D” title=”Frijns: lap chart”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”The race in numbers – Saturday” tab_id=”1461512375203-dc62694e-d0395043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_column_text]

Best time in FP1: 1:26.872.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Best time in FP2: 1:24.754.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Best time in qualifying: 1:24.363.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Best time in the race: 1:29.304.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Pit stop time and difference to minimum pit stop time: 73.0s (3.0s gap).

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”The race in numbers – Sunday” tab_id=”1467842123264-705ed4a7-f66a62ee-b4e3″][vc_column_text]

Best time in FP1: 1:25.912.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Best time in qualifying: 1:24.655.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Best time in the race: 1:28.917.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Frijns says: “…“” tab_id=”1461513354622-5577f4b1-edaf5043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_column_text]

Saturday:

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“It was exciting to get Super Pole. We were lucky enough to get it for once. The race was disappointing. It started really well, I was running quite strong in P4 without any issues. We lost the pace in the pits. I came back out in fifth. I had Abt and Renault behind me; it was quite difficult to defend. Then after Abt drove around me in Turn 2 he hit me then went into the wall, bounced off it and hit me again. Then the race was over. We’ll try again tomorrow.” [/pullquote]

Sunday:

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“This season went well and we tried to finish decent but it didn’t happen. I was crashed out of the race twice, once by Abt and once by Duval. Both times we were in the position to score quite a lot of points again. It’s sad to end the year like this, but we’ll see what happens next year. Thanks to MS Amlin, TE, and Andretti.”[/pullquote]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Championship standings” tab_id=”1461513704972-abbca216-e1a55043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_line_chart type=”line” x_values=”Beijing; Putrajaya; Punta del Este; Buenos Aires; Mexico City; Long Beach; Paris; Berlin; London 1; London 2″ values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Robin%20Frijns%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%221%3B16%3B%2017%3B%2021%3B%2031%3B%2031%3B%2037%3B%2045%3B%2045%3B%2045%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22turquoise%22%7D%5D” title=”Championship standings”][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title=”Robin Frijns” color=”green”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title=”Simona de Silvestro” color=”green”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion style=”outline” color=”green” active_section=”1″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”de Silvestro’s race in words” tab_id=”1461512547855-b3644413-70595043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_column_text]

In a season that’s been packed with bad luck for de Silvestro, a brake problem in the first qualifying session was a fitting start to her season finale. The problem meant she would be starting seventeenth in race one.

The race was a little luckier for de Silvestro, who was able to make up places on a track known to be difficult to overtake on, but the first car had an energy problem that meant the Swiss driver would have to spend the first stint energy saving.

In the second stint, de Silvestro was able to continue to make up places, pushing for the top ten, but she could only manage eleventh. A post race penalty dropped her down to fourteenth.

There was even more difficulty in race two. De Silvestro started sixteenth, but didn’t have much of a chance to make up places when a mechanical problem left her stranded on the track after a handful of laps.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Lap chart” tab_id=”1461512548457-fc72c98b-1a615043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_line_chart type=”line” x_values=”Starting position; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33″ values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Saturday%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2217%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2010%3B%2015%3B%2015%3B%2016%3B%2014%3B%2014%3B%2014%3B%2014%3B%2013%3B%2013%3B%2012%3B%2012%3B%2012%3B%2012%3B%2012%3B%2011%3B%2011%3B%2011%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22green%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Sunday%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2216%3B%2015%3B%2014%3B%2014%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2016%3B%2015%3B%2015%3B%2015%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22turquoise%22%7D%5D” title=”de Silvestro: lap chart”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”The race in numbers – Saturday” tab_id=”1461512549057-0abe4d02-33bc5043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_column_text]

Best time in FP1: 1:27.072.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Best time in FP2: 1:25.774.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Best time in qualifying: 1:50.455.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Best time in the race: 1:27.949.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Pit stop time and difference to minimum pit stop time: 73.2s (3.2s gap).

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”The race in numbers – Sunday” tab_id=”1467842414339-37b9f6e1-072062ee-b4e3″][vc_column_text]

Best time in FP1: 1:27.549.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Best time in qualifying: 1:24.823.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Best time in the race: 1:30.475.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”de Silvestro says: “…“” tab_id=”1461513386630-de10c68d-06ab5043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_column_text]

Saturday:

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Today we were really unlucky having an issue with the brakes in qualifying. We are not sure what happened. The rears were just locking and you couldn’t do anything about that. It was frustrating and starting 17th never helps. But we had some luck passing in the race. In the first car we had some issues with the coasting and couldn’t get the energy we needed in the first three laps. That really killed us because I was really over target after that. I had to slow down quite a bit to actually manage to finish the first stint.
“The second car was much better, we were running quite well. The safety car helped us out after the problem in the first car, so that was good for us. After that we raced really well. We finished close to top ten. I was looking to finish 10th but Conway decided to cut the chicane a little bit. A little annoyed that we are not in the points, but after qualifying, 11th is ok.”
[/pullquote]

Sunday:

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Our end just kind of summed up this season. We struggled a little bit, finishing like that was really frustrating but it is what it is. Having a gear box issue was a bit annoying. We haven’t had many failures this year, the boys did a great job on that. It’s a bit unfortunate that we’re here in London with two shots and didn’t end up with anything. I’m a bit annoyed, but on to different things. Also, thank you to MS Amlin and TE Connectivity for their support of the team all year and Julius Bar as well.”[/pullquote]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Championship standings” tab_id=”1461513723518-ee223709-f56c5043-b572853b-7c5062ee-b4e3″][vc_line_chart type=”line” x_values=”Beijing; Putrajaya; Punta del Este; Buenos Aires; Mexico City; Long Beach; Paris; Berlin; London 1; London 2″ values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Simona%20de%20Silvestro%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%220%3B%200%3B%200%3B%200%3B%200%3B%202%3B%202%3B%204%3B%204%3B%204%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22green%22%7D%5D” title=”Championship standings”][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Images courtesy of Rajan Jangda

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]