Written by Vyas Ponnuri
After a stellar season ten for ABT Cupra where he scored 52 of the team's 56 points, Nico Müller joins Andretti to partner season nine champion Jake Dennis for the upcoming season of Formula E. The Swiss driver replaces the departing Norman Nato ahead of season ten.
Müller has been a driving force in ABT Cupra's prior two campaigns upon his and the team's return to the series ahead of season nine.
The German team didn't have a returning campaign to remember, struggling to break into the points until they secured a one-two in a wet qualifying session at Berlin. Müller later finished in the points for the first time in 2023, scoring a ninth in the race later in the day.
The 32-year old's breakthrough weekend proved to be the double-header at Rome, when he took advantage of the ensuing chaos ahead to finish a stellar sixth, the best result for team and driver all season. Müller then backed up his points score in the Saturday race with a tenth position on Sunday, the best weekend of his returning season.
Eighth in a rainy season finale at London saw Müller accumulate enough points to put him 19th in the standings, scoring 15 of ABT Cupra's 21 points in the season.
However, as the team gradually gained experience heading into season ten, Müller too upped his racecraft in comparison.
Despite failing to score in the first four rounds of 2024, the Swiss driver picked up six points in Tokyo, before he was running high up in the top five at Misano, even in contention for a podium, a lofty finish for the team in only their second season under a new guise.
While he only missed out by a few hundredths at the finish line, fourth was still a result to be proud of, being Müller's best result since his return to the sport. It kick-started a series of strong results for the ABT Cupra racer until the end of the season.
Having missed out on the Berlin E Prix weekend due to his WEC commitments at Spa, and finished outside the points at Shanghai, Müller ensured he ended his year on an excellent note, taking fifth and sixth in both races at Portland, before staying out of chaos and benefitting from retirements and mistakes from others to net a brace of sixth place finishes as the season ended.
You could say Müller would be proud when he looked back at his statistics: 52 out of the team's 56 points helping him secure a best-ever points haul in the series, and his best finishing position of 12th in the series came this year.
Additionally, the points came with a good cause, as ABT Cupra were able to fend off a late challenge from their powertrain suppliers Mahindra to finish ninth in the standings, with Müller's tally contributing to this feat. ABT Cupra were the only customer team to outscore their powertrain suppliers in 2024, speaking volumes of the Swiss driver's contribution to the season.
Earlier this month, Müller announced his decision to depart the German outfit ahead of season eleven, ending his two-season stint with the team. A Porsche-powered team appeared interested in seeking his services for season eleven, with Andretti being the frontrunners to secure Müller.
The Swiss driver had been the subject of a private test for the works Porsche team midway through season ten, a test subject to controversy as current driver Antonio Felix Da Costa's seat appeared at risk all of a sudden, without his knowledge.
It's no secret as to why Porsche were chasing after the Swiss driver's signature, seeing his recent uptick of form, with momentum often an important factor in the series.
Müller replaces the outgoing Norman Nato, who finished three spots below in season ten, scoring 47 points on his way to 15th in the standings, with a solitary podium at Shanghai to show for.
A delighted Müller spoke after being signed by Andretti, and was quoted saying:
“I’m very excited to join the Andretti Formula E team. It’s a team that has seen success from the very beginning of the championship, particularly in the Gen3 era in their partnership with Porsche Motorsport.”
“To work with Jake [Dennis], a former world champion is an honour, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity.
“I’m going to give it my very best to contribute to the team’s success and hopefully aim for some podiums and my first Formula E win – that's the target. I can't wait to get going.”
There's no doubt Müller will feel the pressure of a world champion teammate alongside him once again. Being the fourth different driver in four seasons will also bring an added level of expectations and pressure. However, Müller will be banking on his recent form and momentum to fire Andretti to big results in season eleven.
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