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World premiere of new trophy for best driver at Formula E “voestalpine European Races” presented in Vienna

4 April 2019 |

Following the first six races of the 2018/2019 season which were held outside Europe, the ABB FIA Formula E Championship is now about to enter the second half of the season—where the “voestalpine European Races” are being held for the first time. Ahead of the start of the first of these European races (the Rome race on April 13), Formula E made a pit stop in Vienna today. Formula E driver Lucas di Grassi, Sporting Director Frederic Espinos, and voestalpine CEO Wolfgang Eder jointly presented the new award to recognize the best driver of the “voestalpine European Races”*—as part of the commercial partnership with Formula E. On June 22 in Bern, this very special trophy which was made by voestalpine using an innovative 3D printing technology will be given to the best driver of all five of the European races.

In exactly nine days’ time, on April 13, 2019, the first of the “voestalpine European Races” will be held in Rome, with the Austrian technology group thus giving its name to some of the most iconic races within the fully-electric ABB FIA Formula E street racing series.

At this point we are still in the pits, but we are preparing feverishly for the first of this season’s ‘voestalpine European Races’ held in Europe. The voestalpine Group is already playing a significant part in shaping the future of e-mobility with our innovations and technologies. A vision of resource-efficient mobility is what connects us with the key participants in Formula E, and we intend to use the ‘voestalpine European Races’ to communicate this future-oriented technology to a broader public.

Wolfgang Eder, CEO voestalpine AG

A unique trophy for the best driver across the “voestalpine European Races”

After the five races in Rome, Paris, Monaco, Berlin, and Bern, the best driver of the “voestalpine European Races” will be handed the trophy at the European finale on June 22 in Bern. The trophy, unveiled today in Vienna, was specially designed and produced by voestalpine using a 3D printing technology. voestalpine is one of the technology leaders in this process, in which fine metal powder is melted and applied in layers to create highly complex components. The metal powder used for the trophy was from voestalpine’s Kapfenberg location, and 3D printing of the trophy took place at the Group’s in-house Competency Center in Düsseldorf. 3D-printed components are used, for example, in motor racing and aerospace applications and exemplify the voestalpine Group’s powers of innovation. The new trophy is made of 5,500 metal layers, each half the thickness of a human hair. Weighing 156 g and measuring 25 cm in height, the metal structure is a genuinely lightweight component.

Excitement ahead of the “voestalpine European Races”

Live at the unveiling of the trophy were also Formula E driver Lucas di Grassi, who is currently driving for the German team Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, and Formula E Sporting Director Frederic Espinos. “The introduction of the ‘voestalpine European Races’ is an indication of the importance of Formula E to the development of new technologies for e-mobility specifically in Europe,” says di Grassi. “For us drivers, this is an additional challenge, but also an incentive to win this prestigious trophy alongside the overall Championship. The specially produced trophy is unique and truly an additional motivation,” adds di Grassi, who was Formula E Champion in the 2016/2017 season and with 29 podium positions in Formula E is one of the most successful drivers.

Frederic Espinos, Sporting Director of Formula E, is also excited about the upcoming European races: “Formula E is an ideal platform for the development of technological innovations in e-mobility,” he comments. "The partnership with voestalpine and this special prize is also in itself an innovation and unique to the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. I’m very much looking forward to seeing who will be the first to be entered on the list of best drivers of the ‘voestalpine European Races’ and who will lift the voestalpine trophy in Bern,” he says.

E-mobility: an international growth area for voestalpine

voestalpine generates around 50% of its Group revenue of EUR 13 billion in the future-oriented market of mobility, and e-mobility is playing an increasingly important part within that field. The Group already provides advanced electrical steel as a pre-material and components for even more efficient e-motors. By producing ultra high-strength lightweight automotive components, the Group is also already making a key contribution to increasing the range of e-cars.

* This award is not linked to the championship standings or sporting regulations.

voestalpine and Formula E

The Austrian technology group voestalpine will be a partner to the ABB FIA Formula E Championship for an initial period of two years starting from the 2018/2019 season. The company is lending its name to all the races run in Europe, and presents the “voestalpine European Races”. The starting signal will be given in Rome on April 13, and then the European leg will gather pace with races in the heart of the cities of Paris (April 27), Monaco (May 11), and Berlin (May 25). The chequered flag will be waved on June 22, in Bern. At that final point we’ll know which of the 22 drivers will be the best-performing driver across the “voestalpine European Races” in 2019. In Bern, the winner of the five European races will be awarded a trophy produced by voestalpine using special 3D printing technology.

The voestalpine Group

In its business segments, voestalpine is a globally leading technology group with a unique combination of material and processing expertise. voestalpine, which operates globally, has around 500 Group companies and locations in more than 50 countries on all five continents. It has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1995. With its top-quality products and system solutions using steel and other metals, it is one of the leading partners to the automotive and consumer goods industries in Europe as well as to the aerospace and oil & gas industries worldwide. voestalpine is also the world market leader in turnout technology, special rails, tool steel, and special sections. In the business year 2017/18, the Group generated revenue of around EUR 13 billion, with an operating result (EBITDA) of almost EUR 2 billion; it has around 51,600 employees worldwide.