In only its second season Formula E continues to break new ground and the latest exciting addition to that list is the inclusion of Jacques Villeneuve on the grid.
Villeneuve is the first Formula 1 world champion to drive the Formula E car and will become the first to compete in the fully-electric racing series when he takes to the grid for Venturi in the Beijing ePrix on October 17.
The 1997 world champion hasn’t participated in a full season of single-seater racing since he drove for Sauber in Formula 1 a decade ago. Since then he has raced in everything from NASCAR to Rallycross and even a one-off return to the Indy 500. So how did the opportunity to compete in Formula E come about?
Speaking at the first pre-season test at Donington Park, Villeneuve said: “It started with a test basically, I was in Hungary at the Formula 1 doing TV commentary and on Saturday I got a call asking me to test the Venturi car. So I was supposed to go to Canada but had to change my plans! Whenever you get the chance to sit in a race car you have to say yes.”
Villeneuve admitted to keeping a close eye on the series throughout its inaugural season and said he was particularly drawn to the close competition on track and the new technology driving Formula E.
“I followed the season closely, it’s very exciting racing and a very professional series,” he said. “There are big names, whether it’s teams or drivers, throughout the field and the car, along with the electric technology, is very intricate.”
The Venturi VM200-FE-01 is the first all-electric racer he’s driven in his illustrious career but he was surprised by how familiar the feeling was inside the cockpit.
“I got in the car and immediately enjoyed it,” he said. “It drove like a proper single-seater and I was happily surprised by the feeling in the car and the team atmosphere was great. So it was an easy decision to do the full season. It’s a series that will keep getting faster and if you look at the rest of the racing world they try to make them slower, so that’s definitely a positive.”
As one of the most famous names in the series, Villeneuve is determined to be fighting at the front: “The aim is to be competitive and we’ll see where we are in Beijing. Some guys look quite quick already with the new technology but this is not a holiday, I’m here to compete.”
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