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The Abt Cupra Formula E team finds itself in a race against time to find a powertrain supplier for next season after talks with Porsche about a deal for 2025 and 2026 recently ceased
The Abt Cupra Formula E team is currently facing a time crunch to secure a powertrain supplier for the upcoming season after discussions with Porsche for a 2025-2026 deal recently fell through. Prior to this, the team decided to end its partnership with Mahindra after a challenging 2023 season. Talks with Porsche started last season and have been complex due to the shared Volkswagen group affiliation between Cupra and Porsche. One potential scenario discussed was branding the Porsche powertrain as Cupra’s, similar to the arrangement between DS and Maserati in the Stellantis group. Despite negotiations, Porsche has confirmed that only Andretti will be its customer team for next year.
The struggles of Abt with the Mahindra powertrain have persisted into the current season, with both Abt drivers and the Mahindra duo yet to score points in the first four races. Abt CEO Thomas Biermeier revealed that negotiations with Cupra and Porsche were extensive and fruitful, yet ultimately unsuccessful due to time and financial constraints. Biermeier emphasized the team’s commitment to Formula E and their determination to compete for points in the remaining races of the 2024 season, highlighting their past success with Audi and the current testing period with Mahindra as a learning experience.
