Formula E Santiago preview

February 1, 2018

Formula E Santiago preview

February 1, 2018

It’s been a busy week for the ABB FIA Formula E Championship heading into this weekend’s race in Santiago, Chile. A number of drivers raced at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and the series revealed its second-generation car on Tuesday.

Formula E’s new Chilean round was formally presented in October. The 20-car field will tackle a 12-turn, 1.53-mile street circuit that features five left and seven right-hand corners.

The fourth round of the season also kicks off Formula E’s three-race South or Latin American swing. After Santiago, there’s a month off until Mexico City on March 3, then a couple weeks until a return to the popular Punta del Este, Uruguay track after that.

Felix Rosenqvist enters as Formula E’s hottest driver with wins in both of Hong Kong and Marrakesh. He has a chance to win his third straight race this weekend. If he does, he’ll match Sebastien Buemi as the only driver to do so in series history. Buemi opened the 2016-17 season with three straight wins, and five in the first six races.

Mahindra’s speedy Swede is one of several drivers who are fresh off the 24-hour endurance race in Daytona but head back to Formula E this weekend. Others include Sam Bird, Maro Engel and Antonio Felix da Costa.

Bird, who won the first race of the Hong Kong doubleheader, is second in points for DS Virgin Racing, four back of Rosenqvist (54-50). He’s one of two drivers, along with Techeetah’s Jean-Eric Vergne, who has three top-five finishes in as many races this year. He’s third in points with 43.

Fourth-placed Nelson Piquet Jr. (Panasonic Jaguar Racing) sits on 25 points, 18 back of third and 29 back of the lead.

Buemi’s pole and runner-up finish in Marrakesh kick-started his season for Renault e.dams, as he sits sixth in points on 22, two behind Venturi’s Edoardo Mortara.

Meanwhile defending champion Lucas di Grassi of Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler has thus far weathered a rough start. Due to various issues, he’s failed to score in the first three races and has a best finish of 14th.

Details for the weekend are below. Qualifying airs Saturday on FS2 at 2:30 p.m. ET, while the race airs FS1 Saturday at 6 p.m. ET.

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