“It is with great pleasure that we have now officially begun our partnership with DS and embarked on our first year as DS TECHEETAH. We’re also delighted to announce that reigning World Champion, Jean-Éric Vergne and his outstanding team-mate from Season Four, André Lotterer will both continue with the team this season. With Jean-Éric and André as our Drivers and James Rossiter and Zhou Guanyu as our Development Drivers this year, we believe that we have an incredibly strong driver line-up and we are incredibly excited to go racing, said DS TECHEETAH Team Principal, Mark Preston.
“We’ve been busy behind the scenes developing DS E-TENSE FE19 and it’s great to have the full force of TECHEETAH on board so that we can continue to optimise our package for the 2018/2019 season and beyond. In addition to a strong driver line-up, we’ve also got an incredibly talented engineering and technical resource at hand – a combination of the best of both sides to create a fantastic DS TECHEETAH technical team, commented DS Performance Director, Xavier Mestelan Pinon.
DS E-TENSE FE19 has almost twice the energy and double the range of its predecessor, as this season will mark the first season in Formula E’s history where the cars will be able to run a full race distance without a mandatory car swap, showcasing the advanced and rapid technology development the series has to offer. Also known as the ‘Gen2’ car, the current chassis and specification will be used for three seasons, with software and powertrain technology being updated each season.
“I’m incredibly happy to continue another year with the team. After winning the 2017/2018 Driver’s Title and now with the addition of DS this season, we are even stronger, and it should be a great year. It is a very exciting time for the championship with the Gen2 car entering the all-electric street racing championship and we can expect a new level of competition and excitement,” commented DS TECHEETAH Driver, Jean-Éric Vergne.
“DS E-TENSE FE19 looks fantastic and is also brilliant to drive. I got the taste for success in Formula E last season and I’m keen for more this year. We have a really strong team and I feel we can achieve great things together. With my previous experience I know how important it is to have everyone under the same roof when you work towards the same goal, so it’s a great asset for us coming into the season ahead,” said DS TECHEETAH Driver, André Lotterer.
“What a fantastic year we had in Season Four and with our new partnership with DS and the stunning Gen2 Formula E car we can expect continued growth in the series for all our current partners, and the new ones that will be joining us. Formula E is growing rapidly each season and the constant growth allows DS TECHEETAH not only to be competitive on track, but to also build an outstanding business and marketing platform,” said DS TECHEETAH Chief Commercial Officer, Keith Smout.
DS TECHEETAH will be debuting the DS E-TENSE FE19 on track for the first time at the official ABB FIA Formula E test in Valencia on the 16 – 19 October.
Source. DS Automobiles