Formula E has continued to build up its grid of drivers ahead of the first ever race in Beijing, with Venturi GP today announcing that Nick Heidfeld and Stéphane Sarrazin will drive for the team.
The pairing bring immense motorsport experience to the team with both drivers competing in series such as Formula 1, WRC and Le Mans.
“It’s new, and new means exciting,” said Heidfeld. “It feels really special to be part of a starting project that is going to bring a lot to the future of racing and the automobile. I remember when I was young and starting in karting, sustainable development was not in people’s minds. When you’ve been involved in driving and motorsport at a high level for such a long time, you step into a car and automatically start to compare to what you’ve experienced before.”
His teammate Sarrazin also shares the excitement and added: “Being a part of this new championship is amazing. I am excited and motivated to sit in a totally new car with pioneering technology.”
The Frenchman also looks forward to one of the key premises of the series, street racing.
“Street circuits promise a lot of close competition and fights between good drivers. You have to perform to make people dream. It’s a great way to raise awareness of electric vehicles.”
Another series that looks to pioneer new technology, Le Mans, saw both Sarrazin and Heidfeld taking part this year. Heidfeld drove for the Rebellion Racing team in a Rebellion R-One-Toyota, while Sarrazin took part in the Toyota Racing Toyota TS040 Hybrid.
The duo now move to a series where electric power totally dominates, and the pair race for a team with history steeped in electric sports cars. The brand can also boast a history of speed, as Venutri Automobiles holds the FIA world land speed record for an electric vehicle with 307mph clocked.
The team will also be one of a number of teams who will implement their own technology in the second season of the series.
With the announcement of the two highly experienced and talented drivers, the Formula E series has now seen half of its twenty drivers announced.
