Just Electric

Engel looks ahead to Mexico after disappointing Chile race

Maro Engel left Santiago with no points in the bag, after retiring from the race on the first lap due to a collision. The German looks forward to the next race in Mexico, as he leaves the DTM to focus on his Formula E career.

Luck was not on Venturi’s side during the Santiago ePrix weekend. Swiss driver Edoardo Mortara left Chile with no points after finishing in P13, whereas Maro Engel was forced to retire from the race, not even completing a lap, after colliding with Turvey and Rosenqvist.

“I had a good start, gained two places in the first four or five corners. Then I moved under braking; braked next to Oliver Turvey in the hairpin in 8”, explains the German. “There was a concertina effect on the inside, so I had to check up, I moved next to him.

“We drove side by side, no problem; and then on the exit, he decided to drive me straight into the wall. So he just opened up the steering and drove me straight into the wall”.

His hit with the Brit’s car would not be the only one the German would suffer on the challenging Santiago track. “[It was a] very hard hit; broke the rear-left suspension, and in the following corner, Felix overtook me on the inside

“I think he thought he was clear of me already, but I still had my wheel next to his rear-right wheel, and he just ran out of the wall, so with his rear-right ran over my front-left and sent me into the wall on the right”.

The 32 year-old described the race as a very disappointing one, as the misfortune of suffering two collisions left him out of a race, scoring no important points for the championship. “Being hit twice in two corners within a space of a hundred metres. But especially the first hit, was, in my opinion, absolutely deliberate and unacceptable”.

Engel already looks forward to the upcoming race in Mexico City, on March 3rd; and knows they have to work hard to be at a top level when racing is back next month. “We have to go back home, work hard, prepare Mexico well, and come back in Mexico fighting”.

He is confident of this, as he expressed he is “sure we will have more opportunities this year to make it to the podium and have strong results”.

As reported by Autosport, the German will focus on his Formula E commitments from now on, leaving the DTM series he raced in with Mercedes. Engel will also continue with his GT efforts.

This means the Munich native will be able to race in all rounds of the fully-electric championship, after skipping the Paris round last year due to his commitments in the German touring car championship.

Andrea Perilli

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