An interview with Jens Marquardt and Michael Andretti.

Jens Marquardt: “We are obviously immersing ourselves even deeper into Formula E this year, and will be more heavily involved in the MS&AD Andretti Formula E team. We have three employees working full-time with the team this season. We are also supporting wherever and however we can to extract the maximum out of the package, together with the drivers. It goes without saying that we are also using our resources back in Munich. At the same time, we at BMW Motorsport and BMW i are obviously also gathering information, which will help us to develop the powertrain for Season 5. That programme is running parallel to this.”

Marquardt: “Yes, I did. And it was also important that BMW was involved from the start as Official Vehicle Partner of the series. There were obviously a few things that we discussed with Alejandro and his guys. Our involvement was dependent upon a few changes being implemented in Formula E. The roadmap that Alejandro drew up, with all the technical steps, actually happened. That simplified our decision to be involved as a manufacturer out on the track. We then found a team, in Michael’s outfit, which operates at a top level in motor racing and has a wealth of Formula E experience. That was really an ideal scenario for us. Taking this partnership to the next level working together in Season 4, while at the same time looking ahead to Season 5, is very exciting for all of us.”

Andretti: “For me personally, it is primarily the venues. I am really impressed when we arrive at locations like New York, Paris, London and Hong Kong, where other racing series have been trying to race for decades. It is amazing what Alejandro and his team have achieved.”
 
Marquardt: “For me, it is more the technological side of things. In the past, we have often spoken about transferring things from motor racing to the production side. Never has that applied more than in Formula E. Here, we have a real tech lab for our production technology. Everything we do here is cutting-edge technology. We have exactly the same engineers as developed the BMW i3 and the electric powertrain for the BMW i8. We told them: ‘forget all the boundaries you normally have to consider in development, and just focus on performance, maximum efficiency, lowest weight, and the best overall package’. Once we have achieved that point, we will consider how exactly we can integrate that in production – for example, for the BMW iNext models and all future BMW i models. For us, this is the perfect realisation of our motto: from the racetrack into the street car.”

Marquardt: “Yes, it really did. But that goes a long way back. I don’t think Michael actually knows this story. As a ten-year-old, I always used to race my brother to school on our bikes. He was always Jackie Stewart, I was Mario Andretti – because Michael’s father used to drive that beautiful black and gold John Player Special Lotus. I even won a few races to school as Mario Andretti. I came to America in the late 1990s, where I was involved with IndyCars, in which Michael was a hero. He won a lot of races, including many against the team I was working for. This family name – and Michael himself, with everything he has achieved: you don’t find that kind of thing very often in motorsport.”

Andretti: “I think it works well. Sure, the cultures are a little different, but we are all racers in the end. That is what it is all about, so we speak the same language in that regard. We have seen for a few years, with our partner MS&AD Insurance, how well different cultures can complement each other in motor racing.”
 
Marquardt: “I think we complement each other very well. What Michael and his guys bring to the party, combined with the sometimes rather stubborn and tight German approach really works well, because you need both to be successful. It is true that the cultures differ a little, but at the end of the day we are united by the passion we share for racing.”

Andretti: “That is already all together. At the moment we are working very hard together toward the powertrain for Season 5. At the same time, we are also working to be as successful as possible this season with the MS&AD Andretti cars. The roadmap is the same on both sides.”
 

Marquardt: “It is really a challenge, and is probably more difficult for Michael and his team at the moment than it is for us at BMW. They have to be fully focussed on Season 4, the racing side of things, while at the same time setting up the tests for the new car, as soon as it is ready. Development of the powertrain is currently mostly done in Munich. However, from next year we will work even closer together on the test and development side. The goal is to have maximum performance and efficiency from the start of Season 5.”

Andretti: “I love the fact that the series races on so many different continents. It is cool to head from Hong Kong to Marrakech, then on to South America. And we are not just going anywhere in these countries, but to the very heart of them, to the city centres. That is what makes Formula E so unique.”
 
Marquardt: “The outing in Africa just goes to show that Formula E is a truly global series. At the same time, it also says that E-mobility is global. The major cities of this world, no matter which continent they are on, will be electrified in the near future. BMW, as a global player and pioneer, has to be involved. We are looking forward to appearing in Marrakech in January, then on to South America, North America and Europe.”