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• Stoffel Vandoorne: “Unfortunately, that was not the race result we had been hoping for. It was a difficult afternoon. Nonetheless, we did manage to finish the race.”
• Gary Paffett: “We learned a lot in the race, even if it was much shorter for me than we had hoped. We will be better prepared for the next race in Marrakesh.”
• Ulrich Fritz: “As expected, today was very instructive for us. Qualifying went very well for Stoffel and Gary, but pace was clearly missing in the race. I hope that the data we gather today and at tomorrow’s test will help us to take a step forward in time for Marrakesh.”

Diriyah, 15th December 2018 – Debut for HWA in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, at the Ad Diriyah E-Prix. After a good qualifying session saw Stoffel Vandoorne claim fourth place and Gary Paffett finish in ninth, technical issues in the race meant that the Gen2 cars from HWA RACELAB were unable to match the pace of their competitors. However, the team gathered valuable experience for the upcoming races in the fully-electric race series.

The season-opener on the street circuit near Riyadh had started in turbulent fashion: the free practice session was partially cancelled due to heavy rain and qualifying also had to be postponed. Stoffel Vandoorne did not let this affect his concentration and claimed fourth place in challenging conditions, securing a very good starting position for the race. The Belgian driver took advantage of dry conditions at the start of the race to establish himself in the top half of the field. As the race progressed, it became increasingly difficult for the 26-year-old to keep up with the pace of the competition and he crossed the finishing line in 17th position.

His team-mate Gary Paffett had started the race from ninth place. After a little more than ten minutes of the race had elapsed, the British driver lost the racing line and hit a track barrier. The 37-year-old had to retire from the race early.

Reactions to the race

Stoffel Vandoorne (26, Belgium, #5)
“Unfortunately, that was not the result we had been hoping for. It was a difficult afternoon and we had a few problems in the race. It was a shame that we didn't show the pace we had been aiming for. I think that a somewhat better result could have been a possibility here. Nonetheless, we did manage to finish the race. We have really learned a lot this weekend. The result is a bit disappointing, especially after the good qualifying session. We want to do better at the next race.”

Gary Paffett (37, England, #17)
“That was a very disappointing race weekend for me. I started from ninth place, the race calmed down a bit after some duels in the opening phase and I was feeling very good on the track. But then I made a little mistake between the eighth and ninth turns, lost the racing line and ended up in the wall. That was the end of my race – it just happens sometimes when you're racing on street circuits. We learned a lot in the race, even if it was much shorter for me than we had hoped. We will be better prepared for Marrakesh. I am already looking forward to getting back into the car.”

Ulrich Fritz, Team Principal HWA RACELAB
“As expected, today was very instructive for us. Qualifying went very well for Stoffel and Gary, but pace was clearly missing in the race. We will have to analyse exactly what caused that. Our objective for our first appearance in Formula E was for both cars to finish the race. Unfortunately, we didn't quite manage that. However, that is no reason not to express our thanks to the whole team for their hard work over the last weeks. I hope that the data we gather today and at tomorrow’s test will help us to take a step forward in time for Marrakesh.”

Preview
The next race in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship 2018/19 is the Marrakesh E-Prix on 12th January 2019.