After one of their strongest starts to a Formula E season, DS Virgin Racing is once again in action as they continue their Latin America tour with the Mexico City E-Prix on 3 March.
Held at the famous Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit in the Mexico capital, the team's all-British driving pairing of Sam Bird and Alex Lynn will be aiming high - quite literally - at the 1.2 mile (2.092km) circuit with it being the highest on the calendar at 2,285m (7,500ft) above sea level. They'll also be hitting speeds of up to 130mph (210kph) as they tackle the 17-turn track over 47 laps.
Bird, who finished third in last year's race, will be hoping to replicate this strong performance and continue his strongest ever start to a season where he currently lies in third place in the drivers' standings. Meanwhile, team-mate Lynn will be hoping to bounce back from last month's race in Santiago where mechanical issues forced him to retire - ending his run of scoring points in every race to date. As for the teams' championship, DS Virgin Racing currently occupies the third spot in the closely fought battle.
This year also marks the third running of the event and will have a special significance with Formula E donating all profits from the race to the post-earthquake reconstruction efforts in Mexico City. In addition, the DSV-03 together with all Formula E cars will be sporting the hashtag #FuerzaMexico in support.
Sam Bird said: "It's always great to be racing in Mexico as it's a great circuit with some of the best fans in the world. Last time out we finished on the podium and we've shown strong pace all season so hopefully, we can perform well this time round."
Alex Lynn said: "The last race was really frustrating for us but that's racing and for sure we'll put that behind us and look to do the best job we can in Mexico. It will be another new track for me, so we've been working hard in the simulator to fine tune everything and ensure we're in the best possible shape."
DS Virgin Racing Team Principal Alex Tai commented: "Mexico is always a fantastic event, largely due to the amazing fans which last year tallied more than 35,000. I'm sure this year will be just as atmospheric and it's great that we can help support the post-earthquake reconstruction efforts. As always, we'll head to Mexico looking to come away with a strong points haul and continue our fight for both the drivers' and the teams' championship."
DS Performance Director Xavier Mestelan Pinon added: "The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez track is really quick and we know from the previous years it will be really difficult to overtake. Qualifying will be particularly crucial. The high altitude will also be an important point to manage for the team, with high altitude and temperature, component cooling will be an important point to look after."
Round five of the 2018 ABB FIA Formula E Championship takes place in Mexico on March 3.
FORMULA E MEXICO E-PRIX - TIMETABLE
ROUND 5: SATURDAY, MARCH 3 (LOCAL TIME // GMT-6HRS)
08:00-08:45 FREE PRACTICE 1
10:30-11:00 FREE PRACTICE 2
12:00-12:36 QUALIFYING
12:45-13:00 SUPERPOLE
16:00 RACE (47 LAPS)
Drivers’ standings (after Rd 4):
1. Jean Eric Vergne, 71pts
2. Felix Rosenqvist, 66pts
3. Sam Bird, 61pts
4. Sebastien Buemi, 37pts
5. Nelson Piquet Jr, 33pts
14. Alex Lynn, 8pts
1. Jean Eric Vergne, 71pts
2. Felix Rosenqvist, 66pts
3. Sam Bird, 61pts
4. Sebastien Buemi, 37pts
5. Nelson Piquet Jr, 33pts
14. Alex Lynn, 8pts
Teams’ standings (after Rd 4):
1. Techeetah, 89pts
2. Mahindra Racing, 87pts
3. DS Virgin Racing, 69pts
4. Panasonic Jaguar Racing, 54pts
5. Renault e.dams, 44pts
1. Techeetah, 89pts
2. Mahindra Racing, 87pts
3. DS Virgin Racing, 69pts
4. Panasonic Jaguar Racing, 54pts
5. Renault e.dams, 44pts
For more information on the DS Virgin Racing Formula E Team, please visit www.ds-virginracing.com.
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