until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Abt will introduce the Cupra brand into Formula E as it returns to the all-electric championship for the first time since partner Audi withdrew in 2021.
Cupra is the sporting division of Spanish manufacturer SEAT, which itself is owned by the Volkswagen Group and has a long motorsport history that has encompassed mainly rallying and touring car activities but has latterly also featured involvement with Abt in Extreme E.
That Abt-run Cupra entry won its first Extreme E event in Punta del Este, Uruguay last month as Nasser Al-Attiyah and Klara Andersson triumphed in the 2022 season finale.
Cupra also races in the burgeoning ETCR series, running a team called Cupra EKS. Adrien Tambay, Mattias Ekstrom and Tom Blomqvist finished 1-2-3 in the 2022 points standings, with Cupra also taking the manufacturers’ crown.
Now, the Abt-led Formula E team, to be known officially as Abt Cupra, will run Robin Frijns and Nico Mueller in Mahindra-powered cars until at least the end of the 2024 Formula E season.
“We are happy and also proud to have Cupra at our side for our Formula E comeback,” said Hans-Jurgen Abt, CEO of the Abt company.
“Our two brands have enjoyed a close and successful partnership for years on the racetrack and on the road, which is now reaching a new level.
“We are looking forward to the new adventure and I am sure we will attract a lot of attention on and off the racetrack.”
Abt Cupra’s first livery, which was revealed today, is based on the electric Cupra UrbanRebel concept car, of which there will also be a road version in 2025.
“Formula E is a unique motorsport platform for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to create emotions and continue to prove that electric motorsport is not boring, but rather goes hand in hand with extreme performance,” said Wayne Griffiths, CEO of Cupra.
Griffiths, who is a former commercial manager for Audi, was made the CEO of SEAT in 2020 and has been instrumental in pushing Cupra’s sporting activities in recent years.
Abt signed up both Frijns and Mueller, drivers it knows from the DTM, in the summer. Both have driven the Mahindra development car in recent weeks.
The pair though will have to wait until Valencia next Monday to get their first runs in their race cars. Several teams have shaken down their cars ahead of leaving for Spain but Abt Cupra is believed to be one of three who will not get on track until a specially arranged shakedown session next Monday afternoon.
The German squad recently confirmed former FIA and Formula E Operations sporting director Frederic Espinos joined its team on December 1.
