Manufacturers DS Automobiles has announced a new partnership with Techeetah from the 2018/19 FIA Formula E Championship season.
The French manufacturer joined Formula E with the Virgin Racing team in 2015/16 season and has since scored five race wins, sixteen podium finishes, six pole positions and three fastest race laps in the three-year period.
However, the partnership has ceased with the end of the 2017/18 season as it joins Chinese outfit Techeetah from Season 5, which will mark a new journey in the all-electric championship with the Gen2 cars.
Private outfit Techeetah’s Jean-Eric Vergne took the 2017/18 drivers’ title and the team came close to winning the manufacturers’ title as well – only to lose by two points to Audi. It used the Renault powertrain for the last two seasons.
And now, it makes a switch to DS Automobiles after already completing several on-track tests. DS Performance’s Director Xavier Mestelan Pinon said: “We would like to thank Virgin Racing for the three wonderful seasons we spent together.
“Our involvement in Formula E is an integral part of DS Automobiles’ commitment to the electrification of its model line-up. The DS E-TENSE FE 19’s development began several months ago with the objective of being in a position to challenge for the top step of the podium from the opening race of the 2018/2019 campaign.
“Our association with TECHEETAH, who recently celebrated winning the 2017/2018 Drivers’ Title in addition to coming second in the Teams’ standings, is geared towards this target. We are fully aware of the qualities of the men and women who work at TECHEETAH and I am convinced that our two entities will dovetail perfectly.”
Techeetah’s President Edmund Chu added: “We’re very excited about teaming up with DS Automobiles as we enter a new era of ABB FIA Formula E with the Gen 2 car. DS has extensive experience in Formula E having been a championship manufacturer since Season Two and finishing within the top three each season.
“We’ve had some brilliant battles on track this season with DS and we can’t wait to combine the wealth of experience and expertise of arguable two of the best teams in the paddock, as TECHEETAH become a manufacturer team for the first time.”
It is also expected that DS Techeetah Formula E Team will retain the services of Vergne alongside Andre Lotterer for the new season, while the Virgin Racing team will announce Audi as its new partners.