Beijing ePrix Ratings: Amlin Andretti

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Over the course of the season, ERN senior editor Laurence Thorn will be rating the performances of all drivers and teams on each ePrix weekend.

This time around, he takes a look at Amlin Andretti and their two drivers, Robin Frijns and Simona de Silvestro, in Beijing.

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Amlin Andretti – 7/10
Respectable point scored with season 1 powertrain

Amlin Andretti are one of only two teams, along with Team Aguri, to use the season 1 powertrain this season. It showed in practice and qualifying, as Robin Frijns’ 10th in free practice two was the only time one of the electric blue cars finished in the top ten of a session. Qualifying saw Frijns qualify 13th, just ahead of team-mate Simona de Silvestro in 14th, after the Swiss female racer had previously crashed in free practice two. Unfortunately Simona’s weekend would not get better, as she finished her race in the barriers early on after being hit by Antonio Felix da Costa. Frijns drove a strong debut race, getting involved in lots of fights for position, and was 10th coming out of the final corner but had to yield the position to Stephane Sarrazin. However a post-race penalty for Daniel Abt promoted Frijns back up to 10th, and gave him a deserved point on debut.

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Robin Frijns (qualified 13th, finished 10th) – 7.5/10
Strong debut rewarded with post-race point

Robin Frijns is well known in junior racing circles for being immediately quick in any single seater he steps into, and this was the case in Beijing on his Formula E debut. He was 10th in free practice two, and managed to qualify 13th – the best placed of the four cars with season 1 powertrains. He maintained that position in the early stages, before passing 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve on lap five. He was passed by a hard-charging Antonio Felix da Costa a few laps later, but got that place back during the pit-stop phase when da Costa and Villeneuve collided. In the second stint, he first passed Stephane Sarrazin and then, a few laps later, Jean-Eric Vergne to run 11th. Nicolas Prost’s retirement put Frijns up into 10th, but coming out of the final corner he had to slow and concede the place to Sarrazin. However Abt’s post-race penalty gave Frijns 10th, and a debut point he richly deserved.

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Simona de Silvestro (qualified 14th, DNF) – 6/10
Eventful weekend comes to an end early due to contact

A weekend to forget for de Silvestro, with a race that finished on only the fourth lap due to contact. After crashing in free practice two, de Silvestro qualified 14th – out-qualified by rookie team-mate Frijns, but ahead of both of the Team Aguri cars with the same season 1 powertrain. Simona maintained her 14th position off the starting line, but in the early stages of the race was hit by Team Aguri’s Antonio Felix da Costa, who had made a fast start and leapfrogged Oliver Turvey. On the fourth lap, de Silvestro would leave the track and hit the wall due to that contact, ending her race and ruining any chance she may have had of points. She will hope for a less eventful, and more successful race weekend, in Putrajaya next time out.

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Images courtesy of FIA Formula E Media

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