Abt has announced Robin Frijns and Nico Muller will be behind the wheel of their Gen3 cars when the team rejoins Formula E for the 2022–2023 season.
From the first race in 2014 to the end of the 2020–21 season, the German team competed in the all-electric series. However, Audi withdrew after last season in which Abt served as their works team in FE.
When Abt returns, it will source the engines from Mahindra marking the first time in their lengthy international competitive history that they are an outright client team of a different manufacturer than Audi.
Frijns joins Abt after four seasons with Envision Racing, where he won two races. He also represented Abt in the DTM for three of those years, so he is familiar with the team.
Muller raced for Abt for five years, two of which he finished second in the DTM and three of which he shared the team with Frijns. He has previous FE experience from a season and a half with the Dragon-Penske team, where he placed second in the notorious 2021 Valencia E-Prix race one when many drivers ran out of usable energy.
“Robin and Nico were our absolute dream team right from the start because they have everything we need for our FE comeback: speed, experience and the right spirit,” said Abt’s managing partner Hans-Jurgen Abt.
“If we want to hold our own against the big factory teams in the new season, we need a small and powerful team. And that’s where Robin and Nico fit in perfectly.”
Frijns said: “We had a great atmosphere in the team and were very successful… That’s exactly how we want to continue in FE.”
Muller said: “After our great years together in the DTM, I’m really looking forward to this new chapter with Aby and to my return to Formula E and then, I’m also racing together with Robin, with whom I simply had a great time on and off the track.”
“I think there are some good ingredients coming together that will put us in a good position for this new challenge.”
“Personally, I still have a score to settle with FE after my difficult year-and-a-half anyway, and I’m happy to have the chance to settle it together with this team.”
It has not yet been determined whether the two drivers would continue their other racing programs in addition to FE, but Abt’s CEO Thomas Biermaier revealed that he had to fend off interest from rival teams to sign his two drivers for next year.
“We know from our years together in the DTM that they are fast, true team players and share Abt’s passion,” said Biermaier.
“The fact that they both chose us, despite other tempting offers, shows how important the Abt family is to them and makes us a bit proud.”
