2017 World Endurance Champion, James Calado, will make his FIA Formula E Championship debut with Jaguar Panasonic Racing this year. The deal comes as part of a dual campaign which will see the British driver also retain his seat within AF Corse Ferrari‘s GTE Pro team.
Nelson Piquet Jr. and Alex Lynn both drove the second Jaguar at times last season, and as such, there were plenty of question marks over who would be selected to permanently partner Mitch Evans for the 2019/20 campaign. In the end though, it was Calado who earned the opportunity.
In recent times, the 30 year-old has been plying his trade for the factory-backed AF Corse Ferrari team in the FIA World Endurance Championship. As well as winning the overall title in the GTE Pro class a couple of years ago, Calado has added the accolade of winning the highly prestigious Le Mans 24 Hour race to his C.V, following success in the famous race with Ferrari a few months ago.
However, alongside an illustrious career in GT racing, Calado also has a wealth of experience in single-seater open-wheel cars to fall back on. His career began with championship success in Formula Renault UK, and it wasn’t long before he was a race winner in GP3 and GP2.
Third place in the 2013 GP2 standings opened the door to a testing programme with the Force India Formula One team, but a full race opportunity never quite materialised. Six years later, Calado has since achieved the highest honours in sports car racing, and while he continues to race for Ferrari elsewhere, this new challenge with Jaguar in Formula E has finally given him the opportunity to show what he can do in a premier single-seater category.
“This was one of the most sought-after seats in Formula E and I’m extremely proud to have been offered it.” Calado said. “Jaguar’s motorsport history is iconic and to be a part of this team in Formula E is a great opportunity for me. Although electric racing is new to me, I’m confident in my own single-seater experience to secure some great results for the team. Expectations are high and I can’t wait for the first race in Diriyah in November.”
