DS Virgin Racing and the all-electric Formula E series concludes its Latin America tour with a return to the Punta del Este E-Prix, taking place on the streets of the Uruguayan city on Saturday 17 March.
The race, which previously appeared in the Formula E calendar during Season One and Two, takes place along the picturesque Playa Brava Beach. Drivers will see a return to the Season Two track in Uruguay, the purpose-built 1.73-mile (2.785km) high-speed circuit runs the length of the seafront and features a variety of quick, tight chicanes within its 20-turns.
The team’s all-British driver pairing of Sam Bird and Alex Lynn will be aiming to replicate the pace shown at the Mexico City E-Prix just two weeks previously. Lynn, who had a consistent race, finished in the points, having made it into the Superpole shoot-out, and will be looking to repeat his strong qualifying performance. Meanwhile, team-mate Bird will be hoping to continue his strongest ever start to a season, where he currently sits in third place in the drivers’ standings. The DS Virgin Racing team occupy fourth place in the team standings, just four points behind third place.
Sam Bird said: “It’s great to be returning to Punta del Este, the fast-paced nature of the circuit makes it a highly enjoyable race. The last race didn’t go as planned so we’re hoping to show how competitive we are this weekend.”Alex Lynn said: “I’m excited to be racing in Punta del Este for the first time, it’ll be another new track for me, so I’ve been working hard in the simulator, since Mexico City, to prepare for the race. As a team, we showed we had the pace to compete at the top last time out and I’m hoping to replicate that again in Uruguay.”
Team Principal Alex Tai commented: “The idyllic scenery of the Punta del Este circuit makes it an iconic part of the Formula E calendar and I’m glad to be returning again for Season Four. We’ve prepared well for Uruguay, despite the quick turnaround from Mexico City, and will be hoping to score well in the final race of the Latin American section of the calendar.”
DS Performance Director Xavier Mestelan Pinon added: “It’s great to be coming back to Punta del Este, a track that has shown us a lot of promise in the past. Our target is to keep fighting for a place on the podium and to continue to score highly in both championships.”
Round six of the 2018 ABB FIA Formula E Championship takes place in Uruguay on Saturday 17 March.
DS VIRGIN RACING COMPLETES MOVE TO NEW SILVERSTONE HEADQUARTERS
Leading Formula E Team DS Virgin Racing has completed the move of its operational arm to new state-of-the-art facilities at Silverstone Park – a stone’s throw away from Silverstone Circuit, the home of British motor racing.
The UK-based team, which has competed in the all-electric FIA Formula E Championship since its inception, moved into the premises last summer in preparation for the fourth season but has now put the finishing touches to the new premises. Its 11,000 sq ft base is home to around 25 permanent staff, as well as housing the team’s race-winning cars, workshop bays, spare parts, engineering offices and multi-media meeting rooms.
The team’s commercial headquarters continue to be based in central London, while its operational arm at Silverstone intertwines with those of its partner DS Automobiles in Satory, France – part of the PSA Group’s Centre of Excellence.
The building is also built to the ‘Very Good’ standards set by BREEAM (the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) – a Government body which researches energy sustainability.
DS Virgin Racing Team Manager Leon Price, who oversees the facilities, said: “We looked at a number of locations but the high standard of facilities at Silverstone Park, together with the skillset and like-minded businesses on the doorstep, made it an easy choice. It’s great to be now fully settled in and to have a strong base, just a stone’s throw from the home of British racing, in which to prepare for the demands of the Formula E series.”
MEPC’s Roz Bird, Commercial Director at Silverstone Park, commented: “DS Virgin Racing is a very exciting addition to our tenant roster because it’s a great name, operating at the highest levels and the company is passionate about innovation around electric vehicles and sustainability.
“This is something that MEPC welcomes as it rolls out its Responsible Property Management programme at Silverstone Park, which includes everything from retro-fitting smart meters for water and electricity through to launching a new pilot project to work with local secondary school pupils.
“With 35,000 sq ft of accommodation available to let and planning consent for over 2m sq ft, we aim to attract a full range of occupiers to Silverstone Park, to benefit from the high-quality environment, sense of community and business opportunities.
“We welcome DS Racing Virgin to the Silverstone Park and wish them every success with their Formula E season.”
The next rounds of the 2017/2018 FIA Formula E Championship take place on 17 March in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
Source. DS AUTOMOBILES
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