Stoffel Vandoorne is anticipating an “enormous challenge” for both himself and his Mercedes EQ team at this weekend’s Santiago E-Prix.
As Formula E’s Season 6 campaign continues from its November start, the fully-electric series returns to Santiago, Chile to race at a redesigned Parque O’Higgins Circuit.
With Mercedes EQ making its Formula E debut late last year, both Vandoorne and the German marque experienced an ideal opening weekend, recording back-to-back podium finishes at a tricky Diriyah circuit.
For the third race of the season, these challenging conditions are set to continue, with high temperatures in Chile placing additional stress on cars, batteries and therefore management as cooling issues are compounded.
Reflecting on the physical challenges of racing in Santiago, Vandoorne expressed his nerves before tackling one of the most difficult races in Formula E:
“We’ve had quite a long break since the season’s first two races in Saudi Arabia,” said the Belgian. “It almost feels like they happened absolutely ages ago, so I’m really looking forward to finally racing again.
“Santiago will be an enormous challenge for us. It was extremely hot there last year and things will be the same this time around.
“It’s one of the toughest races of the season, especially when it comes to dealing with the heat which places huge stresses and strains on drivers, cars and batteries.
“I hope we can repeat our performance from Diriyah this weekend. Our team made a fantastic debut.”
Going into the Santiago weekend, Vandoorne holds second in the Drivers’ Championship with 30 points while Mercedes EQ sits at the top in the Teams’ Standings with 38.
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