Venturi announced the retention of Edoardo Mortara for the 2018/19 FIA Formula e Championship alongside Felipe Massa.
The new-look Monegasque outfit has put in new blood ahead of the fifth season in the all-electric series by bringing in Susie Wolff as its team principal while also roping in former Formula 1 driver Massa in their ranks.
The last remaining part of the puzzle was completed with Mortara being retained by the team for the new season over Maro Engel. Despite missing handful of rounds, Mortara finished with 29 points to Engel’s 31 in 2017/18 season.
“I’m very happy to represent Venturi Formula E Team again in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the exponential growth and appeal of this revolutionary competition demonstrates that Formula E really is the future of motorsport,” said Mortara.
“As part of the team last season, I felt a strong will to succeed and I enjoyed the innate potential within Venturi. Moreover on a personal level, I received phenomenal support from the team, you can’t underestimate the importance of this for a driver, alongside huge support and goodwill from our fans which I’m very grateful for.
“I’m also very proud to compete alongside Felipe Massa, one of the most experienced and fastest drivers in the world.” Team principal Wolff added: “The decision to extend our journey with Edoardo came after careful consideration.
“We are convinced that he and Felipe Massa will form a solid pairing at the wheel of these new Gen2 cars. We know Edoardo had other options so we are pleased that he has committed to Venturi and to focussing on Formula E.
“His experience will be a valuable asset to our team as we move forward.” Venturi’s president Gildo Pastor said: “Edoardo has worked his way up and made his mark on every championship he has competed in.
“He impressed me in Formula E season 4 with his readiness to do whatever it took to improve. I have every confidence in his ability to achieve more podium finishes in Formula E. It’s a great pleasure to have him with us again this season, he’s one of the most skilled drivers of his generation.”
The 2018/19 season kicks off in Saudi Arabia on December 15, 2018 with the pre-season test scheduled to take place at Valencia this time on October 16 and 19 respectively with the debut of the all-new Gen2 cars.
Formula E 2018/19 line-up till now:
Venturi: Felipe Massa & Edoardo Mortara
Jaguar Racing: Nelson Piquet Jr & Mitch Evans
Audi: Lucas di Grassi & Daniel Abt