Porsche wants to win races and be world champions
Last season, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team enjoyed a successful debut in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Diriyah. The team now returns to the streets on the outskirts of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, for the opening round of the new season, which features two night races on 26th and 27th February.
In the latest “Inside E” podcast, Amiel Lindesay, Head of Operations Formula E, reveals how much the team and drivers are looking forward to the start of the season, why cancelling the races in Chile was the right decision, and how confident everyone involved is that they can meet the higher expectations.
“In our first season in Formula E, our goal was to finish on the podium. We achieved that in our first race. It is now time to set new goals.” Amiel Lindesay leaves no doubt what those goals are: “We want to win races and be world champions.”
The cancellation of the opening race in Santiago de Chile has made the start of the season a real test of patience for all involved. Despite that, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team has had no problem shifting focus and remaining fully motivated. “We are used to reacting quickly to new developments. Flexibility is part of everyday life for us,” said Lindesay. Although he, like the whole team, had been really looking forward to Chile, to the “great country, challenging circuit and endearing people”, he feels that cancelling the race was the right decision. “The health of everyone involved must always take top priority in everything we do.”
Instead of Chile, the season now kicks off in Saudi Arabia. The team is looking forward to the season-opener with its two spectacular night races in the desert. “We just want to get out there and go racing,” said Amiel Lindesay. His team has fond memories of Diriyah; last season, André Lotterer set the bar high with second place in the team’s very first race. “We must now take the next step,” said the Head of Operations Formula E. The drivers will play a key role. “They are under pressure out on the track. We support them as much as possible as a team, but it is ultimately down to them to get the car to the finish.” He has every confidence in André Lotterer and Pascal Wehrlein. “They complement each other, which means that between them they cover a lot of what is necessary to win races.”
The New Zealander believes that awarding Formula E world championship status ahead of this season is a sign of how successfully the first fully electric racing series has developed since its debut in 2014. The withdrawal of Audi and BMW at the end of this season does not affect Porsche’s involvement in Formula E. “We have made a clear commitment to Formula E, and we stand by that,” he said, underlining the sustainability of the project. “When Porsche joined the series, it heralded a new chapter in fully electric motorsport. We want to lay the foundation for future mobility solutions with success in Formula E. That is what we are working towards.”