DS Virgin Racing will be bringing a completely reworked package to the season three opener in Hong Kong this weekend.
The team’s agreement with DS Performance started too late in the development of last year’s car for them to have a say on the powertrain.
This led them to concentrate their efforts on this season’s challenger, resulting in a completely new motor and three-speed transmission, in addition to several other reworked components.
Speaking of the DSV-02, DS Performance’s Technical Director Thomas Chevaucher said, “It’s a brand new car. We have completely changed the motor, the gearbox and ancillary components, as well as how they are all integrated into the chassis.”
“I can’t go into too much detail because everything is hidden out of sight, but I can say that we have opted for a three-speed transmission.”
“As far as the gearbox is concerned, the challenge was to achieve the ideal trade-off between performance and efficiency.”
“Formula E is unique on many accounts, one being the fact that we do not build the entire car.”
“We are only responsible for parts of it, like the powertrain. We have chosen an innovative technology that nobody has yet put through its paces. Hong Kong will be our first opportunity to judge the progress we have made.”
Sam Bird, who was retained by the team for this year, says that he believes the work put into the new car will result in them returning to winning ways.
“The team has done an extraordinary job preparing for the new series,” he commented.
“We were on a positive spiral at the end of Season 2, so we now need to convert that progress and everyone’s work into victories because I believe the DSV-02 will be a title challenger this season. In Hong Kong, the aim is to finish in the big points!”
Bird’s team-mate, three time WTCC champion Jose-Maria Lopez, said he was looking forward to see what the car can achieve ahead of his debut in the series.
Lopez said, “I am convinced we can achieve a great deal and I can barely wait to see how we compare with the others.
“To be starting the new season at a venue which is unchartered territory for everyone will no doubt make my job a little more complex, so I will need to be a fast and studious learner.”
