The ABB FIA Formula E Championship comes to Chile for the second consecutive season on 26 January. The E-Prix will once again be held in the capital Santiago, but this time on a new circuit set up specifically for the occasion.
At the height of the Chilean summer, the 22 single-seaters will do battle on the 2.4-kilometre Parque O’Higgins track with the Andes providing a magnificent backdrop in the distance. The park, which is named after Bernardo O’Higgins, a hero of Chilean independence, is considered one of the city’s largest green ‘lungs’ and, of course, the emissions-free single-seaters will do nothing to detract from its clean air.
This is the third year that Enel has been Official Power Partner to the Championship which is now in its fifth season. As of this year, the competition will be enjoying the benefits of the innovative technologies developed by its Official Smart Charging Partner, Enel X. The most significant new addition in this regard is the special edition of the Enel X JuicePump. As it has a capacity of 80 kW but weighs less than 200 kg, the mobile charging station guarantees efficient charging yet is easy to transport from one circuit to the next. And now the new generation cars will – thanks also to their more efficient batteries – be able to complete the entire race on a single charge. This will further enhance the exhilarating spectacle of the event, much to the joy of drivers and spectators alike.
Among the most eagerly awaited favourites at the start-line will be French driver and reigning champion Jean-Éric Vergne (Techeetah), Swiss driver Sébastien Buemi (Nissan), who has won a record number of races, and this season’s big new star, Brazilian former Ferrari Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa (Venturi).
After the first two E-Prix races, which took place in Arab nations (Saudi Arabia and Morocco), Santiago is the first outing of the season in Latin America (the other is in Mexico City on 16 February), and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere. Two rounds in China will follow before a long five-round tour of Europe starts in Rome in April and continues until June. The Championship will then wrap up with a repeat of last year’s double season finale in New York.
A new circuit, new technologies and new drivers: a genuinely spectacular season is guaranteed!