Martorell, 12 January 2023 – The ABT CUPRA team will make its Formula E racing debut on Saturday 14 January in Mexico City, when the opening round of Season 9 takes place.
Drivers Robin Frijns and Nico Müller will give the Gen3 Formula E car its race debut around the 2.628km Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez track. The new generation of the Formula E car is the fastest, lightest, most powerful, most efficient, and most sustainable electric single-seater racing car ever created.
Pre-season testing with the new Gen3 car, which is significantly different to the Gen2 it replaces, has been achieved in the short time frame and has been extremely positive. The experience and expertise of the entire ABT CUPRA squad – ABT is the most successful team in the series with 47 podium finishes in seven years – ensures that the team arrives in Mexico looking forward to the first race of the new season.
This expertise includes the CUPRA drivers. Robin Frijns has participated in six seasons in Formula E, with the 31-year-old Dutchman getting two race wins. Nico Müller has been involved in Formula E since the 2017-18 season, initially as a test, development, and reserve driver before making his race debut in the 2019-20 series. The 30-year-old Swiss pilot returns to the series for the first time since the Monaco E-Prix in Season 7.
Robin Frijns said: “We didn’t spend much time in the race car before this season, so the season opener in Mexico will certainly be a big challenge for our team. We have to approach it step by step. But if we don’t make any mistakes and the car plays along, we’re also in a position to drive for good points.”
Nico Müller added: “Mexico is the perfect location for the season opener. The atmosphere with the enthusiastic people there is unique – especially in the stadium, where you can hear the fans even in the race car. Seeing how the Mexicans live and share the passion for motorsport gives an extra dose of motivation.”
CUPRA CEO Wayne Griffiths and board members Dr Werner Tietz (Executive Vice-President for Research and Development), Markus Haupt (Executive Vice-President for Production and Logistics) and Kai Vogler (Executive Vice-President for Sales and Marketing) will host 100 VIP guests at the event, including international media and dealers – while the sensational CUPRA UrbanRebel Racing concept car will be on display in the Fan Village.
Round 1 of Formula E Season 9 takes place over 36 laps of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Saturday 14 January, with the race starting at 14:00 (local time). Fans can follow the progress of the race weekend on the CUPRA social media channels – and on television (please check your national press for details).
