Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: ABT Cupra

  • ABT CUPRA confirm Mueller’s departure

    Nico Mueller won’t be racing for the ABT CUPRA from Gen3 Evo onwards, as the German team shared the news of his departure ahead of the London race weekend.

    Mueller, who currently sits 14th in the standings has been a part of the team since Season 9. He experienced a season best result of fourth in Misano earlier this year, narrowly missing out on the podium, and finished in fifth and sixth respectively in Portland last time out.

    Nico Mueller, has been a part of the ABT family for a long time, driving for them in DTM from 2016 until 2020, and was twice runner-up in the championship.

    He then joined ABT CUPRA for Season 9, as the all-electric championship embarked on its Gen3 era.

    Nico has decided to take on a new motorsport challenge and leave the team. It was our wish to keep Nico in the team and to be successful with him again. Now we have to accept his decision and wish him all the best for the future. On behalf of the whole team, I would like to thank Nico for his commitment and dedication. Of course we would all have liked to have seen more success, but even in these difficult times he has always led the way and shown strong performances. Nico remains part of the ABT family and is always welcome here.
    Thomas Biermaier, ABT CEO and Team Principal.

    This is going to be a very special weekend for me. On the one hand I’m looking forward to the location, the track and the fans. On the other hand, I feel melancholy and a lot of gratitude after two years in this team. It was an extremely challenging time, but it also brought us closer together. We’ve always pulled together and I’m sure this is what we will be doing in London for the last time. We want to give it our all with the whole team, enjoy the days and try to get two good results. London is a cool track – very tight, with indoor and outdoor sections and walls, as we know from Formula E. I will give everything to make the team proud again one more time.
    Mueller on the news.

  • Ricardo Feller to make Formula E debut with ABT CUPRA

    DTM star, Ricardo Feller is set for an outing at the Berlin Rookie Test with ABT CUPRA.

    Fresh from the podium of DTM, Feller will be making his debut for ABT CUPRA team at the rookie test on the 13th May.
    The Swiss driver will take over the number 51 car for one day, which is normally driven by Nico Mueller in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

    Feller is in his third year in DTM for ABT and started the new season with a podium finish at Oschersleben. Last year he finished 3rd overall with ABT in DTM. Not only this he also competed in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Sprint Cup where he finished 1st.

    To prepare for the new challenge, Feller will be spending a day at the simulator in Kempten to familiarise himself with the track in Berlin and the car’s systems.

    We have already experienced victories and many great moments with Ricardo in the DTM – so he has more than earned his trip into the electrified world and we are all looking forward to seeing him in the Formula E car. Ricardo is a great race driver, he knows the team well and will certainly be able to support us perfectly in our test program – but of course he should also have a lot of fun during the day in Berlin.
    ABT CEO and Team Principal, Thomas Biermaier.

    I’ve been following the team’s upward trend closely and now I’m looking forward to being a part of it. I want to help with the development – if my times in Berlin are reasonably good, that’s even better.
    Feller on the news.

  • Van Der Linde to return in Berlin for ABT CUPRA

    Kelvin van der Linde will be returning to Formula E for ABT CUPRA in Berlin, where he will be replacing Nico Mueller for the weekend.

    The South African-born driver will replace regular driver Mueller for Rounds 9 & 10 of the season on 11th & 12th May, with the German competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship that same weekend.

    Van der Linde is the team’s Reserve and Simulator driver impressed in three Formula E races at the beginning of Season 9 while Robin Frijns recovered for a hand injury sustained in Mexico City.

    After van der Linde’s appearance in the ABT Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 on the fabled Nordschleife of the Buerburgring, he will contest two weekend in DTM before the Formula E event in Berlin.
    This means that within a month he will be competing in all three motorsport categories in which ABT Sportsline is involved.

    Nico is in extremely strong form at the moment, so of course it hurts a bit to be without him for two races. However, we don’t want to put any obstacles in the way of his parallel commitment to the WEC and have therefore given him the official go-ahead. With Kelvin we are in the fortunate position of having a driver who is familiar with Formula E, our team and the current generation of the racecar and who has already completed three races for us – we are all looking forward to another weekend together.
    Thomas Biermaier, ABT CEO and Team Principal.

    I am really looking forward to my comeback in Formula E, especially to the many fans and the special location in Berlin. I’ve already spent many hours in the simulator with the team and been to the Formula E events, but of course it’s something completely different to drive myself. My goal is to play my part in the team’s upward trend. And maybe we’ll even pull off a little surprise. It’s exciting few weeks with commitments in a variety of cars and championships – but that’s exactly how I want it to be as a racer.
    Van der Linde on the news.

  • ABT to partner with Lola and Yamaha from Season 11

    ABT have confirmed their entry for Gen3 EVO, starting next season, alongside newly-registered powertrain manufacturer Lola Cars, in technical partnership with Yamaha Motor Company.

    After a brief hiatus, the title-winning ABT team re-joined the Formula E grid in 2023 for Season 10 alongside CUPRA as its partner, equipped with a Mahindra Racing powertrain.

    The contract with Mahindra has since been mutually terminated, coming to an end at the end of the current season. ABT now enters into a fresh alliance with motorsport icons.

    Preparations for the launch are well underway at Lola and Yamaha, with software refinement and hardware testing in progress on the dyno. The inaugural on-track shakedown of the powertrain is scheduled for June, Further updates, including the unveiling of a title partner, additional sponsors, team structure and nomenclature, driver line-up and car design will all be disclosed in the coming months.

    ABT is among Formula E’s most successful outfits, with Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler winners of the Drivers’ title at the hands of Lucas di Grassi in 2017/17 and the Teams’ Championship in 2017/18.
    The German outfit has been part of Formula E from the very first race in Beijing and has 47 podium finishes and more than 1,400 points to its name.

    The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is thrilled to welcome Lola Cars and Yamaha Motor to the paddock, and excited for ABT as they embark on this exciting journey together for the highly-anticipated GEN3 Evo era. This partnership signifies their commitment to innovation and performance in the world of electric racing and EV development, and we will be eagerly waiting to see the impact they will make on track.

    Alberto Longo, Chief Championship Officer of Formula E.

    We are delighted to have found two renowned partners for our future in Formula E. Of course, it will be a big challenge for a new manufacturer to enter and establish itself in a world championship. But during our discussions and negotiations over the past few months, we have clearly sensed how skilled, motivated and determined Lola and Yamaha are to make this project a success – just like every member of our team. In the meantime, we are fully focused on the current season. Our goal is to achieve as many sporting highlights as possible in the coming weeks.

    Thomas Biermaier, CEO and Team Principal of ABT.

    We are thrilled to be partnering with ABT as we bring the technology we’ve developed with Yamaha Motor Company to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. It’s exciting to be working with a team that has so much history and success in the sport. Operating factory-backed programmes is ABT’s bread and butter and their experience in Formula E will give us a critical leg up. We look forward to developing our relationship within and beyond the electric racing series.

    Till Bechtoisheimer, Chairman of Lola Cars.

  • Tim Tramnitz will test for ABT CUPRA

    German racer, Tim Tramnitz will jump back into the ABT Cupra’s Gen3 car again this season, in Free Practice in Misano and at the Berlin Rookie Test after the Berlin double-header.

    Tramnitz has already tested for the team in 2023, and made a strong impression strong enough for an invite back to take part in the rookie tests.

    The 19 year old, first started karting back in 2011 and continued until 2019 getting lots of experience under his belt. In 2020 he moved to single seaters where he raced in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship.

    From there he went on to do ADAC F4 again but this time he paired it with Italian F4, he had strong campaigns in both, where he finished runner-up in both series’.
    The German driver went on to compete in the Formula Regional European Championship, and then moved to Formula 3 this year for his rookie season.

    Last year, Tramnitz got announced as a member of the Red Bull Junior Team. He is also part of Motorsport Team Germany and has been a member of the ADAC Sports Foundation team for seven years.

    I am really looking forward to the ABT team and the Formula E test. The first few hours last year were already a lot of fun – and it’s always cool to sit in a race car. I especially like working with the engineers when we look at and analyze all the data, because it’s much more comprehensive than it is for me in Formula 3. I can learn a lot and take a lot with me.

    Tramnitz on the news.

    Tim was not only consistently fast at his first test in 2023 and gave our engineers good feedback, but he is also simply a great guy. That was obviously a perfect start – especially because Formula 3 has many new challenges with tyre management, more aerodynamics on the car and DRS.

    Thomas Biermaier, Team Principal on Tramnitz and getting off to a dream start in F3 with a podium.

  • Di Grassi to drive for ABT CUPRA

    Lucas di Grassi will be returning “home” to the team he won the Formula E Drivers’ title with back in Season 3 as ABT CUPRA confirmed he’ll be racing for the squad alongside the returning Nico Mueller in Season 10.

    Di Grassi is among the most successful drivers in ABB FIA Formula E World Championship history and is an ever-present in the series, and ABT – under the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler guise – was the team that helped steer him to the top spot in the Drivers’ table back in 2016/17.

    The Brazilian returns to the squad where he enjoyed a successful seven-year spell for the second Gen3 campaign and CUPRA’s second season in partnership with ABT, after a spell at Mahindra Racing in Season 9 and at Venturi prior to that.

    The 39 year old’s Formula E CV is as strong as it gets. Di Grassi has won the most trophies of all Formula E drivers (40), taken the most victories (13) and the most TAG Heuer Fastest Laps (12) plus he is one of only two drivers to have been on the podium at least once in every season.

    Lucas will be competing alongside Nico Mueller for the first time for his new old team at the official ABB FIA Formula E World Championship tests in Valencia. All drivers of the championship will meet in Spain from 23rd to 27th October to prepare for the upcoming season.

    It just feels great to be back with ABT. Not only did I win two titles with this team, but I also have endless memories with all the people who work there with so much passion. I couldn’t be more excited to return after two years and I’m really looking forward to working together. Together, we will give our all to get back, step by step, the results that the whole team deserves.

    Di Grassi on the move.

    We know about the great challenge of battling against international competition as a small customer team. That’s why experience, technical know-how and full passion for the joint project count all the more for us – with Lucas, we have the perfect man on board for the future.

    Thomas Biermaier, ABT CEO and Team Principal.

  • Robin Frijns leaves ABT CUPRA

    ABT CUPRA have confirmed that Robin Frijns will be moving on from the team after spending the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with the returning squad.

    Just before Round 16, at the London E-Prix, Team boss Thomas Biermaier confirmed to ProSieben – Formula E’s German broadcast partner that the Dutchman will be moving on.

    The team added that it expects to decide who will take over the cockpit alongside Nico Mueller – who outscored his teammate and indeed managed a top eight finish in the final round of the season – in the coming weeks.

    The experienced Dutchman’s 2022/23 didn’t go as well as either party would have hoped. The ABT CUPRA’s Mahindra powertrain lacked pace and efficiency at times but Mueller comfortably outscored his teammate on his return to the series.

    Frijns did of course, miss four races after fracturing his had at the season-opener at the Mexico City E-Prix.
    He wound up Season 9 with just two points scores and six total to Mueller’s 15, though Julius Baer Pole Position on home soil for ABT in Berlin was a real highlight.

    Robin will be leaving us. His plans for the future don’t quite match ours, and you’ll have to ask him where he’s heading! After an open discussion, ABT and Frijns have agreed to terminate the contract so that he can concentrate on his future tasks. Robin was, is and will always remain a friend and member of the ABT family. He played an important role in our comeback with his great experience, although it was a difficult year for him after the accident at the start of the season. Now we wish him all the best for the new challenges.

    Thomas Biermaier on Robin leaving.

  • ABT Cupra confirm Tramnitz & Tambay for rookie test

    Adrien Tambay and Tim Tramnitz will join ABT Cupra for the Formula E Rookie Test in Berlin next Monday, 24th April.

    Tambay, the reigning champion of ETCR from France and German Tramnitz, who is only 18 years old, will get the chance to get to know the third generation of the purely electric single-seater on the track in Berlin for one day.

    Both drivers have already familiarised themselves with the circuit in the simulator in Kempten.

    We’re looking forward to spending the day together with these two guys. The aim is for them to have fun, get to know Formula E and at the same time gather data that will help our engineers prepare for the second half of the season. Adrien, who previously competed for ABT in the DTM, returns for a day as a seasoned champion in CUPRA colors. And Tim has often proven his talent as a supported driver of the ADAC Sports Foundation – now I’m excited about the Formula E test.

    ABT CEO and Team Principal, Thomas Biermaier.

    Tambay completed a total of 66 DTM races for ABT between 2012 and 2015 and celebrated the title in the ETCR electric touring car championship with CUPRA last year.

    It’s a great feeling to work with the guys again and see a lot of familiar faces. After successful years in touring cars, it’s also exciting to be back in a single-seater, continuing my journey with CUPRA. I’m delighted to have the trust of ABT and CUPRA and will do my best to support the team in their comeback year.

    Tambay on his opportunity.

    Tramnitz is a Motorsport Team Germany supported squad driver and has been part of the ADAC Sports Foundation squad for six years, including finishing runner-up in the Italian and German Formula 4 championships in 2021.

    I am really looking forward to the rookie test in Berlin. For the opportunity I would like to thank ABT CUPRA especially. The test came about at short notice through the mediation of the ADAC Sports Foundation with Motorsport Team Germany. Together with the ABT team, the foundation is helping me to get to Berlin on Sunday evening after my race in the Formula Regional European Championship in Imola, so that I am ready for action on Monday morning. To be able to gain initial experience in a Formula E race car with such a professional and experienced team as ABT CUPRA is a great opportunity and a special challenge for me.

    Tim Tramnitz on the rookie test.

  • Frijns to sit out of Cape Town E-Prix

    After sustaining a hand fracture earlier this season, ABT CUPRA’s Robin Frijns has announced that he will also be sitting out this weekend’s trip to Cape Town.

    So Kelvin van der Linde continues in his spot, and what perfect timing as it’s Formula E’s first visit to South Africa for a ‘home’ Cape Town E-Prix

    Since the incident, which occurred during the first lap of the season-opener in Mexico, Frijns has been sharing updates of his recovery with fans online.

    Frijns had set himself the goal of racing at the upcoming round in South Africa. However, Kelvin van der Linde will continue as the reserve driver for the ABT CUPRA team.

    Frijns who has competed in 77 Formula E races will be hoping he’s ready to race at the next E-Prix which is Sao Paulo on the 25th March.

    We did the preparation in the simulator, which all went pretty smoothly. But after a few more checks on my hand, it seems that my bone has not fully healed just yet. It is a hard one to make, knowing the effort I put into this, but I will be back.

    Frijns on his injury.

  • Van der Linde to step in for Frijns

    Kelvin van der Linde will be making his debut in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Diriyah, with the 26 year-old set to replace Robin Frijns as the Dutchman begins his recovery from an injury to his hand.

    Frijns suffered fractures to his left hand in a collision on the first lap of the Hankook Mexico City E-Prix and underwent surgery that same evening in Mexico.

    Since the decision, van der Linde, who also lives in Kempten, has spent every day from morning until late evening at ABT, on data analysis and countless hours in the simulator.

    The South African competed for ABT in DTM in 2021 and 2022 and was a title contender right up to the finale in his debut season.

    He first got a taste of Formula E, at the 2020 rookie test in Marrakesh and is supporting ABT Cupra in simulator preparation this season too.

    Kelvin has been part of the ABT family for years in a variety of roles. He has been involved since the beginning of our comeback project and was intended as Reserve Driver right from the start – so it was immediately clear to us that he would take over from Robin. We are in constant contact with Robin and wish him a speedy recovery. Even though everyone in the team misses him a lot, we’re giving him all the time he needs to fully recover from the injury – that’s our absolute priority. The task and challenge for Kelvin to start in a World Championship without any testing is of course gigantic but he is highly motivated, works hard and the whole team will support him without any pressure.

    Thomas Biermaier, Team Boss.

    To compete in Formula E is a dream of mine – but of course I wanted the circumstances of my debut to be different. I’m very sorry for Robin and I hope he’ll be fit again quickly. I am happy about the trust and the challenge. Now I have a few long days ahead of me and then I will do my best to stand in for Robin as well as possible.

    Kelvin van der Linde, on him stepping in.