Formula E news - Favourite tag a distraction from Audi, says BMW boss Jens Marquardt

BMW motorsport boss Jens Marquardt reckons Audi labelled his outfit the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E pre-season favourite because it "wants to distract" its rivals over the competitive order.

Audi team principal Allan McNish told Autosport that BMW is "the one that we are going to be chasing as a principal point", after the Munich-based manufacturer topped all three days of pre-season testing at Valencia in October.

But Marquardt dismissed that suggestion, and said he believes Audi and the DS Techeetah squad "are the ones who set the tone".

Allan McNish, Team Principal, Audi Sport

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"The tests in Valencia were very promising," Marquardt said at BMW's end of year celebration.

"Although everyone knows that you always have to be careful with results during tests. But we were reliable - that was very important.

We could always keep up with the pace of the frontrunners, [which was] also very important.

"But you have to approach the series with respect, because it's a top level. That's what we'll do.

"Allan McNish said last week that we were the favourites. Thanks, but he just wants to distract from the fact that Audi and Techeetah are the ones who set the tone.

"I wouldn't write off [Audi customer team] Virgin and HWA either. They have always shown that they can be very fast at a top level."

Jens Marquardt of BMW, Ulrich Fritz of Mercedes-Benz and Dieter Gass of Audi

Image credit: Getty Images

Marquardt added he thinks BMW still needs to work on improvements ahead of the start of FE's fifth season, which gets underway this weekend with the Ad Diriyah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia.

"If we can go anywhere from the beginning and be competitive, then we're doing a good job," he said. "But we'll look at that next weekend. We certainly still have work to do.

"Antonio [Felix da Costa] is a very experienced pilot, but for Alexander [Sims] it is the first season."

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