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Gary Paffett will kick off the new year as he and his HWA RACELAB team travel to Morocco for the second round of the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship on Saturday - the Marrakesh EPrix.
Rewind twelve months, Gary was getting his first taste of Formula E action at the rookie test in Marrakesh with Venturi and this weekend he will make his return to the circuit racing for HWA RACELAB.
The only circuit on the calendar that Gary has previously driven at, Gary will be looking to make the most of his experience from Marrakesh, alongside the data and findings acquired from the first race in Saudi Arabia, in order to be more competitive this weekend.
The Marrakesh E-Prix is making its third appearance on the ABB FIA Formula E calendar. The event will be held at the 2.99 km, 12-corner, Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan - a temporary street circuit near the Medina and world-famous souks.
Looking ahead to his second Formula E race, Gary feels ‘better prepared’ for this weekend.
"I am really looking forward to Marrakesh. Riyadh was a tough way to start - the first race weekend for me and the HWA RACELAB team in Formula E. The rainy conditions did not make it any easier for us. Yes, that was a difficult Saturday, but we feel better prepared for Marrakesh - especially as I have already driven there during last year's rookie test. As such, I have a little more experience than in Riyadh, at least as far as the circuit is concerned. We have all learned from the first race and are now looking to gain more experience in Marrakesh."
Ulrich Fritz, Team Principal for HWA RACELAB, aims to gain more experience and get both cars through to the finish on Saturday
"The experience we gained at the first race in Saudi Arabia was both positive and informative. On the positive side was certainly the performance in qualifying and the team spirit within our fledgling team, which is incredibly determined to familiarise itself with what is a new series for us, and to achieve success in the medium term. We are closing in on this goal with every event and every session - although we are well aware that we still have a long way to go. The race was definitely disappointing: both cars were involved in crashes early in the race, resulting in Gary having to retire immediately and Stoffel battling on with a damaged car, which consequently saw him drop to the back of the field. Our goals remain the same for Marrakesh. Our primary objective is to get both cars through to the finish on Saturday and to gain more experience."