Andre Lotterer now 'loves' Formula E after early struggles
Techeetah's Andre Lotterer says he now 'loves' Formula E after overcoming difficulties early in his debut season to finish the 2017/18 championship as a regular frontrunner
Lotterer struggled in the opening rounds of season four, finishing the first three races without a single point and being disqualified from the season opener for leaving his car in an unsafe mode in parc ferme.
But the triple Le Mans 24 Hours winner reckons something "clicked" at fourth round of the season in Santiago, where he picked up the first podium of his FE career and pushed team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne hard for the race win.
"I love it, I start to really love it," Lotterer told Autosport.
"At the beginning, obviously, when you struggle the first two events you don't feel confident, you're not sure if you're going to make this.
"And then it clicked from Santiago on.
"I still had some learning process afterwards, I knew it was going to be tough without testing but, if you look at the progression, I think it was pretty good, so that's what I'm happy about.
"I was one of the top guys in the last part of the year."
After his Santiago breakthrough, Lotterer scored a further podium in Rome and qualified on the front row in Zurich and for the second race in New York.
But he has mixed feelings about his first FE season, with multiple penalties - among several incidents he was sanctioned for his clash with Sam Bird in Paris, was one of the full course yellow offenders in Zurich, and jumped the start in the New York finale - limiting his opportunities to take another high-profile result.
"I'm really happy with my performance on track in terms of speed in qualifying and in the race, especially in the last third of the year," he said.
"I was regularly at the front, and I was confident about what I was doing in the car.
"But then, [I'm] pretty sad about all these penalties that I got and all these mishappenings.
"I need to reflect back on this season and see what I can do in my life to improve this and make sure it doesn't happen again, because it's really stupid little things that cost a lot."
The top 10 Formula E drivers of 2017/18
Formula E's 2018/19 Valencia pre-season test plans revealed
Mortara turns up the heat on Formula E title rivals in Marrakech scorcher
Formula E’s unplanned return to Marrakech provided teams with a fresh challenge in old but familiar surroundings, as Edoardo Mortara kept his cool in melting conditions to triumph and retake the championship lead
How Formula E's double-duty drivers influenced their Le Mans teams' fortunes
Eight Formula E drivers made the 7,000-mile sprint from the streets of Jakarta to the fabled Circuit de la Sarthe and every one had a story to share at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours. Despite a range of triumphs and disappointments, each driver doubling up on the day job played a key role in their teams' fortunes
How Evans kept cool in Jakarta heat to renew his Formula E title push
Jean-Eric Vergne had comfortably taken a landmark pole for Formula E's first visit to Indonesia and looked set to win his first race of a highly consistent campaign. But the DS Techeetah driver couldn't answer a late attack from Jaguar's Mitch Evans, who profited from the Frenchman's change in battery management tactics to seize a third win of the campaign
Why de Vries' F1 practice debut could add a new path to his current crossroads
A Formula 2 and Formula E champion, Nyck de Vries is currently considering where his future in motorsport lies. Continuing in WEC and Formula E is possible and he's also courted glances Stateside after impressing in an IndyCar test. But ahead of his Formula 1 FP1 debut with Williams, he could have another option if he impresses...
How Jake Dennis’ struggles turned him into a Formula E front-runner
Having emerged as one of Formula E’s strongest drivers in his one-and-a-half seasons in the championship, Jake Dennis cemented his place in the series with a breakout maiden season. But it's not always been smooth sailing for the Brit
How Vandoorne recaptured Mercedes' winning feeling in Monaco
The Mercedes Formula 1 team is struggling, but its Formula E arm is in fine form at the moment and once again leads the drivers' standings courtesy of Stoffel Vandoorne. Here's how the Belgian took a well-judged Monaco victory to emerge at the head of the brewing four-way championship tussle
Will lighter, greener, faster Gen3 deliver on Formula E's many promises?
With a fighter-jet inspired design, revamped technical specifications and a new tyre supplier, Formula E's Gen3 car is set to shake up the series. But can it deliver on all of the promises that Formula E has set out to ensure that manufacturers consider the outlay on going racing in an all-electric arena worthwhile?
Why spanning different genres has lent Lotterer's career longevity
Although now well into his 24th consecutive season in racing, Andre Lotterer has no intention of winding his career down. Here he talks to Autosport about his and Porsche's continued progress in Formula E, his love for racing in Japan, and recalls his sole Formula 1 outing - and considers what's next in his lengthy career