“Strangely enough I don’t miss all the noise”

Daniel Abt drives for the Audi Sport Abt team in the new Formula E motorsport series. Deutsche Post and DHL logos adorn both his car and that of his teammate Lucas di Grassi.  In an interview just ahead of the first electric auto race in Germany, the young German driver explains the appeal of Formula E racing.

After seven races in Formula E, which do you like better: electricity or gas?

They are difficult to compare generally speaking. But I’m still more than enamored with Formula E racing. The concept has been very well received. And it’s a lot of fun for me as a driver. I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

Do you feel a bit like a motorsport pioneer?

To a certain extent, yes. But that of course also depends on how things go in the foreseeable future. If the whole thing fizzles out, then we haven’t achieved very much. We’re all up for it – that’s for certain. We all want it to succeed. And we’ll do everything we can to make sure that this racing series gets better over the next few years and continues to grow.

Just because the motor is driven by electricity doesn’t mean everything else is suddenly different.

What is the special challenge of racing with an electric vehicle?

Actually it’s not really such a big challenge. Sure, there are issues like energy efficiency that are new. But they have also popped up in Formula 1 racing and other series as well. Otherwise everything is very similar. Just because the motor is driven by electricity doesn’t mean everything else is suddenly different. You get used to it quickly. It all feels pretty normal to me at this point.

Do you miss the noise of the race?

Strangely enough, not really. In the beginning I also thought that the background noise was missing as a driver. But after you have driven in the Formula E for a while, you no longer even notice that.

The first Formula E race in Germany will be held on May 23. How do you think things will work out with the “home game” in Berlin?

First off, I think that Berlin is the right place for a Formula E race in Germany. For us as a German team and for me personally as a German driver, it is immensely important right now that we come to Germany and showcase our racing series there. Maybe we’ll convince a skeptic or two. We’re all very excited and are looking forward to the racing weekend.

I think that Berlin is the right place for a Formula E race in Germany.

You were also quite successful in the Deutsche Post Speed Academy. Did that prepare you well for racing sports and the Formula E in particular?

Definitely. The Speed Academy really helped me to develop myself as a racecar driver and to acquire the skills I would need for the future. I really enjoyed that time and would still like to be involved in it today. There is still a bit of wistfulness associated with it for me. It simply taught me a lot and it led to a partnership with Deutsche Post and DHL that continues today. It makes us proud every time to step out in yellow.

DANIEL ABT is 23 years old. A native of the Allgäu region in southwestern Germany, he was a candidate from 2008 to 2010 at the Deutsche Post Speed Academy, a promotional program for young talented racecar drivers. In 2009 and 2010, Abt was the Academy’s overall winner and thus became “Germany’s motor sport talent of the year”. He has been a member of his father’s Formula E team since last year. DHL is the official logistics partner of Formula E, a racing series in which participants compete exclusively with electric-powered cars. Deutsche Post and DHL eCommerce have also entered into a partnership with the Audi Sport Abt team, which among other things involves efforts to advance electric drivetrain technology. Daniel Abt currently occupies the eleventh overall position in the Formula E driver rankings. His teammate Lucas di Grassi leads the ranking with two races to go. Together, they form the second best team in Formula E.