The BMW i Andretti Motorsport team’s new iFE.18 set the fastest times on all three days of testing on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. All Formula E teams participated in the test sessions.
Alexander Sims set the fastest times on Tuesday and Friday, and António Félix da Costa set the fastest time on Wednesday. Félix da Costa’s time of 1:16.977 was the fastest of the entire event.
The Valencia track is a road course, unlike the street circuits on which Formula E competes, but performance in the test sessions should be a good indicator of the cars’ competitiveness.
Team principal Roger Griffiths said, “Throughout the days here, we worked through a pre-conceived test program. We weren’t chasing lap times, but we found we were able to produce a lap time when it was necessary. The cars have behaved remarkably well; with the exception of one minor off-track incident we’ve had virtually no issues at all. Both drivers have really worked well together, they have progressively improved their performance and understanding of the new car. In particular, Alexander has come to the team as a relative rookie and has really demonstrated his talent level. There’s still a lot of work to do to prepare for Riyadh. We have to go back and look at all the data, understand what we did and then get ready to go for race one. Hopefully we can continue the success we’ve had here in Valencia in the championship season.”
The Formula E Series’ season five begins in Saudi Arabia on December 15. —Brian Morgan
