In spite of the sun in Sanya having disappeared behind thick clouds from time to time since Friday, temperatures have remained high at around 28 degrees centigrade in the shade with relative humidity of more than 90 percent,whichcaused all of the drivers and team members to work up quite a sweat even during the track walk.
The two Audi drivers, Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi, are expecting another spectacular Formula E race. “The track is exactly my style,” says Abt. “Above all, unlike at the last race in Hong Kong, you can overtake really well here.” His teammate di Grassi agrees: “The circuit with its long straights makes for thrilling racing and the quality of the track surface is very good.”
The circuit is located on Hainan Island directly along the beach of Sanya next to a holiday park. A special feature: the race starts on a bridge. Attack mode can be expected to have a greater effect than in the previous races. “The corner for activating it is nearly rectangular and very slow,” says Lucas di Grassi.
On Thursday, Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi, in their own words, enjoyed “one of the best PR days” in their Formula E careers. Di Grassi went on an excursion to the rain forest of Yalong Bay with the TV channel CNN. Afterwards, the two Audi drivers had a great time riding flyboards on the South China Sea during a film shoot.
China is the biggest global market for the automotive industry and interest in Formula E is huge there: some 400 guests of Audi China are going to watch the race in Sanya from the grandstands on Saturday. For Audi’s guests, the Formula E weekend began with an evening event at the Grand Hyatt in Sanya that was also attended by Daniel Abt, Lucas di Grassi, Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass and Team Principal Allan McNish.