2014 Formula E Teams and Drivers
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Mahindra have followed HRT’s lead and have chosen Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna as their drivers. So presumably this means Sakon Yamamoto is going to come and nick one of their drives mid-season…
They also wanted Narain Karthikeyan… Perhaps in a few years :P and Liuzzi could be available too.. or Klien..
The full list of drivers as of July 2nd:
Amlin Aguri (Super Aguri): Katherine Legge / Antonio Felix da Costa
Andretti Autosport: Franck Montagny / TBD
Audi Sport Abt Racing: Lucas di Grassi / Daniel Abt
China Racing: TBD / TBD
Dragon Racing: Mike Conway / TBD
e.DAMS Renault: Nicolas Prost / Sebastian Buemi
Mahindra Racing: Karun Chandhok / Bruno Senna
TrulliGP (formerly Drayson Racing): Jarno Trulli / Michela Cerruti
Venturi Formula E Team: Nick Heidfeld / Stephane Sarrazin
Virgin Racing: Sam Bird / Jaime AlguersuariInteresting question that I brought up during the Formula Renault 3.5 coverage (which Keith read out), will we see any drivers come up from Formula Renault 2.0/3.5 into Formula E, like we have seen with Daniel Abt from GP2?
Another ex-F1 driver steps up – Nelson Piquet Jnr to test a Formula E car:
Nelson Piquet Jr to test Formula E at Donington
Current Global Rallycross championship leader Nelson Piquet Jr will drive tomorrow for Team China Racing at the official FIA Formula E test day at Donington Park, UK.
Headed up by Steven Lu and Yu Liu, Team China Racing has invited Nelson to test for them ahead of the start of the inaugural FIA Formule E Championship, which kicks off in September in Beijing, China.
Team China Racing started in 2004 in Beijing as one of the A1GP Teams, authorised by the Ministry of Sports of China. It has competed in several different international racing series including A1GP, Superleague Formula and FIA GT1, and also has rich experience in motorsport operation and management having organised 10 events in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Zhuhai and Ordos, including two street races in Beijing.
Nelson has a successful history in single-seater racing, although in recent years his focus has been on NASCAR and rallycross. He won the South American F3 Championship, was the youngest driver to win the British F3 Championship and finished runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in the 2006 GP2 Series. He is currently competing in the Global Rallycross championship series, and is leading the championship four rounds in.
Nelson Piquet Jr: “It’s going to be good to get back in a single-seater and I’m really interested in the Formula E concept and technology and what the car is going to be like. It’s a pretty crazy week for me as last weekend I was racing in New York, this weekend I’m racing in North Carolina and I’m doing this UK test in between, but I was really excited to have the chance to test the Formula E car. It’s been a while since I’ve driven at Donington but it was a track I loved back in F3 days.”
Nelson Piquet Jnr to compete in a series comprised entirely of street circuits? The jokes write themselves…
Despite the obvious jokes, no doubt to be repeated when Nelson brings out his first safety car, I think he’ll do quite well in Formula E..
@craig-o Probably a few will in time, but they might find it hard going, unless some of the older drivers are losing their speed.Piquet Jnr’s seat confirmed:
Team China Racing has announced the signing of Red Bull Global Rallycross championship leader Nelson Piquet Jr as one of its drivers for the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship.
Piquet Jr’s career has seen him compete in a wide variety of disciplines, including NASCAR, Formula 1, GP2 and British Formula 3. He now joins other former Formula 1 drivers Nick Heidfeld, Sebastian Buemi and Jarno Trulli on the Formula E grid.
Formula E is the world’s first fully electric racing series and will see drivers compete in the heart of ten of the world’s leading cities including London, Miami and Berlin.
Nelson Piquet Jr: “I have always enjoyed the challenge of racing in a variety of formulas, so I’m delighted to be able to drive in Formula E. To be a driver in the very first Formula E championship is a great honour as it’s a very interesting new concept in motorsport. I’m delighted to be participating with Team China Racing who are looking to establish themselves in the sport.”
Steven Lu, CEO, Team China Racing: “Nelson has proven time and again his ability to perform at the highest level across a range of different racing formats and this was a key factor in our decision to sign him to Team China Racing. In his tests at Donington Nelson was very quick and we believe the team has signed one of the most talented drivers on the grid.”
Steve Hewett, Head of Motorsports at The KINC, is handling all sponsorship enquiries for Nelson Piquet Jr and Team China Racing.
Add another ex-F1 driver to the grid. Antonio Felix da Costa has DTM duties this weekend so he won’t be participating in the inaugural Formula E round at Beijing – Takuma Sato takes his place instead.
Anyone know when was the last time Sato raced a car which didn’t have a Honda engine? Must be a fair while…
Amlin Aguri, a new racing team sponsored by London-based global insurance company Amlin, has today confirmed its driver line-up for the inaugural race of the all-electric FIA Formula E Championship. Takuma Sato will join Katherine Legge for the opening ePrix in Beijing on September 13, with Fabio Leimer acting as the team’s reserve driver. Portugal’s Antonio Felix da Costa, already confirmed for the team, is unable to compete in Beijing due to his DTM commitments.
Takuma Sato began competing in Formula 1 in 2002 driving for Jordan Grand Prix and Super Aguri F1. In 2010, he moved to IndyCar driving for KV Racing and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing before joining A.J. Foyt Racing for the 2013 season where he became the first Japanese driver ever to win in IndyCar at the Long Beach Grand Prix.
Takuma Sato said: “I’m very much looking forward to making history with Amlin Aguri as we compete in the first ever Formula E race. I’m excited to join the team especially reconnecting with good old friends from Super Aguri F1 team days and going racing together again. I’ll be pushing hard to make sure we’re doing our absolute best in Beijing. Racing electric cars is something fascinating and it will take motorsport into a new direction and I’m thrilled to be playing a part in these early stages.”
Fabio Leimer, 25, joins the team as reserve driver for the Beijing race having tested with Amlin Aguri over the summer. He is one of motorsport’s brightest talents, being the reigning GP2 champion, and currently drives for Rebellion Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Fabio Leimer said: “I’m proud to play a role with Amlin Aguri during the first Formula E race in China. The
team has been working hard to be ready for this moment and we have a great opportunity in Beijing to
make a name for ourselves on the world stage.”Aguri Suzuki, Executive Chairman of Amlin Aguri, said: “On behalf of everyone at Amlin Aguri it is my
pleasure to welcome Takuma and Fabio into our Formula E team. This new electric series is showcasing the
bright future of motorsport and we’re all looking forward to embarking on this journey together. Takuma is
a proven driver and his presence will provide unity and experience for the team. He has great knowledge of
how to race on street circuits which will also be an important attribute for us.”Team Principal Mark Preston said: “It’s great to have Takuma and Fabio on board with Katherine at Amlin
Aguri. Takuma is a street circuit specialist and his experience in IndyCar will bring a wealth of knowledge
into the team. Fabio knows what it takes to succeed in a one-make championship and when he gets his
opportunity we know he can perform. Everyone wants to win the first Formula E race and Amlin Aguri
certainly won’t be passing up this opportunity to etch our name into the history books with a podium result
on the streets of Beijing.”Charles Phillips, CEO of Amlin, said: “This is the automotive technology of the future, ideal for the world’s
largest cities, many of which suffer from very poor air quality. The innovation from this championship has
the potential to radically reduce our reliance on carbon based transport solutions.”To belatedly answer my own question, I think Sato’s last start without a Honda engine was 15 years ago, in the Formula Opel series in the UK. If anyone can find a more recent start than that let me know…
I’m really looking forward to the start of this, I think not only will it provide a good series to attract newcomers to motorsport with the reduced noise and city centre locations, but from next year the open formula is going to be amazing, I just hope they don’t clamp down on the regulations in the manner we’ve seen all too often in Formula One.
@keithcollantine Regarding Takuma Sato, I can’t find anything more recent either. It really is an amazing run he’s had in Honda powered cars. He even raced in two World Endurance Championship races for OAK Racing in 2012, and after running a Judd engine for rounds 1-6, when Sato arrived for rounds 7 and 8, they switched to the HPD powerplant. However, that to me raises the question of whether Sato is as good as a Honda factory driver, and the conditions of him getting that drive were for OAK to take on the HPD powerplant, and the only reason he is in Formula E is because Aguri have retained links with them through Super Formula and Super GT. Will we see the Amlin Aguri team running Honda badged electric engines in season two?@mathers Good call, it’s an obvious link-up for if Honda wish to get involved with the series. Honda, Audi, Mahindra, Venturi, Renault.. starting to get a manufacturer base for F.E!
Matthew Brabham will substitute for Charles Pic in the Malaysia race: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116847
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