"We've clearly seen that we lack performance" - ABT Cupra still without points after 3 Formula E races

After a sobering start for ABT Cupra into the Formula E season 2024, the German team also failed to impress in Diriyah. After three races so far, the overall standings show that ABT is on the backfoot with no points. It was clear beforehand that the top teams were out of reach due to the inferior Mahindra powertrain. But ABT was also unable to beat its closest rivals, such as supplier Mahindra. Nevertheless, the team also speaks of positives.

The second and third rounds of the Formula E season were almost completely uneventful for Nico Müller and Lucas di Grassi. This was also reflected in the TV pictures, where the cars of the German team could mostly only be glimpsed in the background of the action. In Saturday qualifying, there was at least hope for the duel phase, especially on di Grassi's side of the garage, but this was not realised due to the red flag - triggered by Sebastien Buemi.

Mahindra powertrain to blame for performance deficit

Thomas Biermaier's team only managed P19, P18, P17 and P13 in the double-header. To make matters worse, Sergio Sette Camara scored the first points for ERT's direct rivals. Biermaier has clear words on the question of who is to blame: "That was a tough weekend for all four Mahindra vehicles - we clearly saw that we lacked performance compared to the competition."

In the teams' standings after the third race, only the two Mahindra-powered teams are left with no points at all. However, it seems that Mahindra is a tiny bit ahead. In both races, Edoardo Mortara and Nyck de Vries achieved better results than the ABT drivers. Mortara just missed out on the points when he finished eleventh in the second race.

Müller still satisfied: "Made the most of our opportunities"

Nico Müller is nevertheless satisfied with his Saturday race: "Today was the first clean race of the new season. We made the most of our opportunities on this special track and even had a few genuine overtaking manoeuvres." The Swiss driver's thirteenth place was the best result of the season so far for ABT Cupra.

Diriyah in the books, we keep pushing ? São Paulo up next ⚡#ABTCUPRAFE #ABT #FormulaE #DiriyahEPrix pic.twitter.com/XIaSieV5oG

- ABT Motorsport (@abtmotorsport) January 27, 2024

As ABT still has to race with Mahindra powertrains until the end of the year, the German team is concentrating on maximising its opportunities. The next race in Brazil is a beacon of hope for the team: "It will be a special weekend, because it's Lucas (di Grassi)'s home race - it's clear that we want to present ourselves stronger than before, especially there."

The cancellation of the E-Prix in India means that Brazil is a long way off though, but also offers much more time to prepare. The race in Sao Paulo will be held on 16 March.