(Un)real #29: Fully committed.
Last Friday was an important day for motorsport when Audi confirmed its Formula One entry for 2026. This means the brand with the four rings stays fully committed to the sport which is not given in current times.
Enjoy (Un)real #29!
Thomas
Congratulations to NIANCO esports Team Principal and World eX driver Nico Müller who got married between the eX Prixs of Maastricht and Malaysia.
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The World eX Championship is heading to Sepang this Tuesday for the Malaysian eX Prix presented by Absolute Racing supporting LAMAVE. Xiayufei Li and Rafael Lobato will be competing as usual for host team Absolute Racing. They will be joined by Yanzhe Li in an art car which will be sporting a special livery of Absolute Racing’s partner Inspeed Racing. Chinese racing driver Ling Kang was supposed to drive a fourth eX ZERO for Absolute Racing before getting a last-minute call for testing commitments in the real world.
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Xiayufei Li believes tyre management will be a crucial factor in the Malaysian eX Prix given the characteristics of the Sepang circuit and the usual high temperatures. “Our car is very sensible on tyre temperatures,” says Li. “When the tyres are overheating you have no grip at all.”
Audi has announced to enter Formula One in 2026 with its own power unit developed in-house in Germany. Audi is committed to become a fully electric car brand and says the cutting-edge technology needed in F1 will help the development of their electric drivetrains.
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Audi remains also committed to the Dakar Rally and still wants to become the first OEM to win the famous event with an electrified drivetrain. Audi Sport will reveal its new Dakar challenger this Thursday in Neuburg an der Donau.
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领英推荐
World eX partner ABT Sportsline has revealed its driver line-up for ABT’s new Formula E campaign and both drivers are well known to our community: Nico Müller is competing in World eX with his own team NIANCO esports while Robin Frijns raced in the Maastricht eX Prix last year. Both were also strong with the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo in the RCCO #RaceHome Charity Racing Series during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
We had the chance to talk to Absolute Racing CEO Ingo Matter before the Malaysian eX Prix and he gave us some interesting insights about what is currently happening in China. The German sees more and more car battery swapping stations and strongly believes this will also be a concept for Europe and other regions.
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Petrolheads are criticising the lack of sound of electric cars. Dodge has a solution for them: the Dodge Charger Muscle Car is emulating the typical sound of an internal combustion engine with the help of a digital sound system.
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A team of the TU/ecomotive in Eindhoven is working on the world’s first CO2 neutral car. The goal of the project is to reduce the CO2 emissions during all life phases: production, driving and after-life. One of the most innovative technologies is the direct air capture technology. When the car is driving it is cleaning the air through filters and captures and stores CO2.
The Malysian eX Prix at Sepang is presented by Absolute Racing. The Chinese team is supporting LAMAVE, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the research and conservation of marine megafauna and the marine environment in the Philippines. LAMAVE seeks to spread awareness in the Philippines of the large marine animals they are working to protect. These include whale sharks, sharks, rays sea turtles and several species of cetaceans.?
Season 5 of World eX Bizz is starting next Tuesday (September 6) with two races on the challenging Suzuka circuit. Some new drivers will be on the grid hunting two-time World eX Bizz Champion Julius Martin.
?All the best! Stay safe and don’t waste energy!