The European leg of the season continues this weekend as the ABB FIA Formula E paddock arrives in France for the Paris E-Prix, and despite a disappointing round last time out in Rome, Gary Paffett is feeling confident heading to the French capital.
The eighth round of the 2018/19 season sees the calendar reach the second of five European races. The 1.9-kilometre circuit in Paris owns the title as the shortest track on the calendar and takes places around the historic Les Invalides complex.
Amongst the architecture of Paris’ streets, the circuit sees the grid head off towards Place Vauban before speeding towards the Seine river and then making their way through a tight and technical section directly in front of the complex. Finally, Gary and the field will have to negotiate through the complex of turns 12,13 and 14 before coming back over the start/finish line. To avoid putting too much strain on the historic surface, a temporary new layer of asphalt has been laid over the cobblestones in one sector of the track.
Gary and his teammate have already demonstrated how strong the VFE-05 car can be on several occasions, posting consistently fast lap times. Despite Gary’s own struggles last time out in Rome, HWA RACELAB scored their first podium finish in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship campaign and the success has filled the team with confidence as they arrive in France.
Looking to bounce back from a difficult race in the previous round of the season, Gary has been buoyed by his teammate’s trip to the podium in Rome and hopes he can replicate the success in Paris this weekend.
Speaking ahead of the weekend, Gary said: “For me personally, the Rome E-Prix was disappointing, with the poor qualifying and the early retirement from the race. That made Stoffel’s performance, which gave HWA RACELAB its first podium, all the more pleasing. It showed what potential our cars have and what our team is capable of. As such, we can feel positive heading to Paris. It will again be important not to make any mistakes and to get the maximum out of the car. If we manage that, there is a good chance that we will pick up points again.”