DS Virgin racing is ready to start the second season of Formula E

The DS Virgin Racing team will take to the streets of Beijing next week with a new driver, new partners, a new powertrain and plenty of energy.
The second season of the FIA ​​Formula E Championship will begin on October 24 on the streets of Beijing. The DS Virgin Racing team’s goal is to continue where it left off last June.
To conclude the first season, Sam Bird did a great job at home in the final match in London. The Briton wants to advance further on the foundations of a promising first season, crowned by a win in Malaysia. His co-driver will be a new member of the team, Frenchman Jean-Éric Vergne.

With the arrival of the DS brand, the car has been dressed in new colors for the upcoming second season. The luxurious new design symbolizes the collaboration of the DS brand and features the distinctive colors of the Virgin brand. The car has retained its red color and chrome, and the DS logo proudly flaunts on the hips on a black background. The Hewlett Packard Enterprise also has its place on the hips, while the purple cover from the first season of the competition remains on the battery cover.

However, the changes are not limited to the external image. Changes in technical regulations have allowed teams - including the DS Virgin Racing team - to develop their own electric motors for a second season. In the DS Performance department, they designed a completely new powertrain, with which they wanted to improve the car's efficiency and take advantage of the allowed increase in power, which in the second season was increased to 150 kW instead of the current 170 kW. This new assembly has proven to be very effective in summer testing, although it will be necessary to wait for the first plants in real conditions on the streets of Beijing to test its performance.

At the same time, the Fanboost vote has also been redesigned and fans will be able to vote for Sam and Jean-Éric until the sixth minute of the race, giving them 100 kJ of extra energy.

“The fact that we finished last season with a win in London made us very happy,” Sam Bird said ahead of the upcoming Chinese race. “I hope we can continue with such a start and get off to a good start with this new season. One of the beautiful moments last year was also when we climbed the podium in Beijing. This time I will try to win a step or two higher! ”

“I am very happy to have joined the DS Virgin Racing team, and I can’t wait to get to Beijing and start the new season,” added Jean-Éric Vergne. "I didn't compete on this track last year, so it will be interesting to discover it and experience a new unique experience at the city race."

“The year went by with incredible speed,” recalls Alex Tai, DS Virgin Racing team leader. “At about the same time in 2014, we set out into the relatively unknown field of sports with electric cars. We learned a lot in this first season and strengthened our team. I think we gathered exceptional talents, both on the track and in the pits. If we add to all this the experience from last year's premiere, I am convinced that we have a very good chance of a great performance at the beginning of the season in Beijing. "

“After announcing a new partnership with the Virgin Racing team last June, the last few months have been very exciting for the brand,” said Yves Bonnefont, CEO of the DS brand. "We just celebrated the 60th anniversary of the DS car and it would be fantastic if we could continue the celebration with an unforgettable race, and that is in China, which is a very important market for us."