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Andretti happy after first on-track tests of new powertrain

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Andretti have begun their preparation for the 2016/17 Formula E season with the first on-track running of its new powertrain.

Robin Frijns and BMW GT driver Alexander Sims ran in a three day test of the new ATEC-02 powertrain at Snetterton last week, and co-team principal Roger Griffiths confirmed that the powertrain ran successfully at both qualifying and race power levels.

“We’ve now completed several hundreds of kilometers on the car,” Griffiths told Autosport. “So far the reliability of the car is very good – we completed a season’s worth of mileage on the dyno before we even ran the car on track, so the powertrain has proven to be robust.”

[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“We’re much further ahead than we anticipated at this point – we could probably show up in London and it wouldn’t embarrass us.”[/pullquote]

 

Though Griffiths would not reveal the specifications of the new powertrain, he said it was a “fairly major” redesign than the planned ATEC-01 powertrain, after the split from partner Houston Mechatronics.

The ATEC-01 suffered mechanical issues in its short life in pre-season testing. The issues had an adverse effect on the cooling system, and the powertrain was abandoned after minimal running in the testing sessions at Donington last summer.

[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“We were much more confident and much more ready. It shows we were a long way off going to Beijing with our own powertrain last year.”[/pullquote]

 

Griffiths believes the team was underprepared ahead of season two, and admitted the team underestimated the amount of software required to control the motor. Now, he is much more confident.

“The shakedown was very successful, we got through much more than we expected. That was a testament to the preparation we put in and how we approached this development.

There’s still a lot for Andretti to do before the 2016/17 season, though, including confirming the driver line up. Though Frijns and Sims were testing at Snetterton, the line-up for the remainder of the testing and for season three is still unknown. BMW factory driver Antonio Felix da Costa has been rumored to be joining the team, as part of a tie-up between Andretti and the German manufacturer.

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Feature and testing image courtesy of Rajan Jangda

Frijns image courtesy of FIA Formula E Media

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