The BMW i Andretti Motorsport preview for the Marrakesh E-Prix.

2020.02.26

The BMW i Andretti Motorsport preview for the Marrakesh E-Prix.

The Marrakesh E-Prix this coming weekend sees the fifth race of the season in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. BMW i Andretti Motorsport will travel to the only race in Africa as leader of the team standings. In the driver standings, Alexander Sims is in second place after his recovery race saw him finish fifth in Mexico City. Maximilian Günther is in eighth. At the rookie test on Sunday, BMW DTM driver Lucas Auer and Andretti Autosport driver Kyle Kirkwood will take the wheel of the BMW iFE.20. Our preview provides you with the most important facts about the circuit and the key factors for a successful Marrakesh E-Prix.

TRACK FACTS MARRAKESH.

Circuit length: 2.971 km. Anti-clockwise driving direction.
Corners 12: corners, of which 7 are left turns and 5 are right turns.
Track surface: Very level, no bumps. 13 metre elevation difference.
Grip level: Very high. No disadvantage for qualifying Group 1 expected.
Track layout: No changes compared to season 5. Very good overtaking opportunities before T1, T7 and T11. Fast layout and long straights require a careful energy use.
Tyre wear: High, especially for the right rear tyre.
Attack zone: ATTACK MODE is activated at the outside of T3. So a car running directly behind can pass on the inside.
Key factors: Energy management, mechanical grip and rear axle stability.

QUOTES AHEAD OF THE MARRAKESH E-PRIX:

Roger Griffiths (BMW i Andretti Motorsport Team Principal):

“Marrakesh is an event we remember well for many reasons. Some memories are good and others we would rather forget. Last season the team was highly competitive in both qualifying and the race but unfortunately we weren’t able to make the most of it. But we did learn a lot from what happened there with António Félix da Costa and Alexander Sims, and I think it was a defining moment for the team in terms of coming together as a group and building relationships. Coming back to Marrakesh in Season 6 we find ourselves not only in a much stronger position as an operation but also as the team leading the championship. We are determined to focus on getting a strong result for both drivers. We expect the track to suit the BMW iFE.20 race car and the BMW i drivetrain. It was a short turn-around from Mexico, but everyone is ready and eager for the next event to take place.”

Alexander Sims (#27 BMW iFE.20):

“I’m looking forward to returning to Marrakesh. That’s where I had my first competitive Formula E race weekend last season. I would like to repeat that – but without a similar incident to the one with António last time. I think energy management will play a big role once again. We will be trying to understand why we had problems in qualifying in Mexico. If we manage to start at the front again in Marrakesh we will have better conditions for the race.”

Maximilian Günther (#28 BMW iFE.20):

“I’m really looking forward to the race weekend in Marrakesh. The track is special to me because it’s where I drove my very first metres in a Formula E car. The track has a very diverse character with great overtaking opportunities, a few fast bends and a twisting final sector.”

The FANBOOST vote.

FANBOOST gives Formula E fans the opportunity to vote for their favourite driver and award them an extra boost of power during the race. The five drivers with the most FANBOOST votes receive an extra 100 kJ of power, which they can make use of during a brief time frame in the second half of the race. Fans can vote for their favourite driver in the six days prior to, and leading up to 15 minutes into, each race. Each fan can vote once per day. There are three ways to vote: Online at https://fanboost.fiaformulae.com/, via the official Formula E App or on Twitter using the hashtag #FANBOOST plus the drivers first and last name as a one-word hashtag.

Hashtags of the BMW i Andretti Motorsport drivers:
#AlexanderSims
#MaximilianGuenther

The BMW i Safety Cars.

BMW i is “Official Vehicle Partner” of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in Season 6. Spearheading the fleet are two Safety Cars: The BMW i8 Roadster Safety Car (combined fuel consumption: 2.0 l/100 km; combined power consumption: 14.5 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 46 g/km)*, which has been specially modified for use at the racetrack, and the BMW i8 Coupé Safety Car (combined fuel consumption: 1.8 l/100 km; combined power consumption: 14.0 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 42 g/km)*. The BMW i fleet also includes the BMW i3s (combined fuel consumption: 0.0 l/100 km; combined energy consumption: 14.6-14.0 kWh; combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km)* as “Race Director Car”, the BMW 530e (combined fuel consumption: 1.8-1.6 l/100 km; combined energy consumption: 14.5-13.8 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 40-36 g/km)* in its role as “Medical Car” and the BMW X5 e45 (combined fuel consumption: 2.0-1.7 l/100 km; combined energy consumption: 23.5-21.3 kWh/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 46-38 g/km)* as “Rescue Car”.