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Points Scorers NIO Aiming to Conclude Far East Adventure on a High
Sanya in China hosts the sixth round of the all-action ABB FIA Formula E Championship this Saturday, 23rd March, where Season 5 points scorers NIO are determined to deliver a successful conclusion to the Far East ‘double header’.
Less than a fortnight removed from the first of the team’s ‘home’ races, the HKT Hong Kong E-Prix where Britain’s Oliver Turvey impressed with a ninth place finish from 19th on the grid, NIO is focused on securing more championship points in a few days’ time in mainland China.
While the 2018/2019 season hasn’t gone as smoothly as the squad would have liked, with a fair amount of misfortune along the way, the signs are certainly there of an increasingly strong challenge as the championship progresses.
Located on Hainan Island, Sanya – which is on the shore of the South China Sea – is the host city for the second home event of Season 5 for NIO, after Hong Kong, and the team is therefore set to receive plenty of partisan support from the local fans, guests and VIPs.
Oliver Turvey, Race Driver, NIO Formula E Team:
“I am particularly excited for this new edition to the Formula E calendar in Sanya, it will be special to race for NIO in China! The circuit looks fast, with a number of long straights and overtaking opportunities, so I will certainly be aiming to continue our progress from the last race to fight for more points for NIO.”
Tom Dillmann, Race Driver, NIO Formula E Team:
“Sanya is a new circuit for everyone which is always challenging. I am looking forward to this event as it it a home race for the team and we will have a huge amount of support. My goal is to score championship points for the team, so I will be pushing hard all weekend.”
Gérry Hughes, Team Principal, NIO Formula E Team:
“I think that everyone in the NIO Formula E Team is looking forward to visiting the Island of Hainan, and in particular Sanya, for what is the primary home race for NIO in Season 5. The first season of the Generation 2 car is proving to be hugely competitive, with five different winners from the first five races, and off the back of another points finish in Hong Kong with Oliver, we will be looking to improve on both our qualifying and race performances in the forthcoming race event. With many of the NIO founders being present in Sanya for the race meeting, it will be imperative for us to capitalise and, as such, we will be looking to get both Oliver and Tom into points scoring positions come the end of the race on Saturday.”
The Sanya E-Prix on Saturday, 23rd March, will be screened on the BBC Sport website, BBC iPlayer, mobile app and through the BBC ‘Red Button’ service, with additional coverage on British Eurosport and BT Sport. Visit the official championship ‘You Tube’ channel for highlights, features and catch-up coverage.
Rd 6 Schedule, Saturday, 23rd March: Sanya E-Prix
(all times local)
07.30 – Free Practice 1
10.00 – Free Practice 2
11.45 – Qualifying Group 1
11.55 – Qualifying Group 2
12.05 – Qualifying Group 3
12.15 – Qualifying Group 4
12.30 – Superpole (Top 6)
15.03 – Race (45mins +1 lap)
Connect with the NIO Formula E Team: @NIOFormulaE - Twitter, Instagram and Facebook: #BlueSkyComing #Acronis
