Team statement following FIA Formula E Manufacturer announcement

21.03.17
Team Statement following FIA Formula E Manufacturer Announcement Â¿

Through our entity Virgin Racing Engineering, Virgin was one of the first organisations to register as an official manufacturer with the FIA in Season 1 in preparation for teams being able to run their own technology for the first time from Season 2 onwards.
We are very proud that our Season 2 powertrain achieved the most pole positions out of all teams and led us to a third-place finish in the championship.
As Virginâ€™s core business areaâ€™s donâ€™t involve the production of automobiles, it was always our hope to be able to hand the â€˜manufacturer' baton to the automotive OEMs so that the technology developed could be passed down to production vehicles. Given those automotive companies that have entered Formula E since we helped kick things off in Season 1, and those looking at possibly joining in the near term, we are delighted that our plan has come to fruition.
Looking to the future, we look forward to continuing to develop technology through Virgin Racing Engineering and to push boundaries in Formula E. Through our operational team DS Virgin Racing we aim to continue to compete at the front of the grid, and in true Virgin fashion be the instigator of positive change in one of the worldâ€™s most important industry sectors.
Through racing innovative technologies, informing the development process and, in turn, contributing towards improvements in subsequent generations of Formula E cars, we continue to develop and to play our part in the electric/connected/autonomous mobility revolution that is underway.

For further information please contact:

Lucy Rillstone
Account Manager

DS Virgin Racing

E : lucy.rillstone@ds-virginracing.com
T: +44 (0) 7494 567 886

Notes to the editor:

DS Virgin racing compete in the FIA Formula E Championship with Sam Bird & Jose Maria Lopez. Harnessing the pioneering spirit of Sir Richard Branson and the Virgin group, and the DS brand's spirit of avant-garde, DS Virgin Racing Formula E Team exists to POWER INNOVATION to positively impact on peoples' lives.

We're Virgin group's latest pioneering technology project, and we're at the forefront of electric vehicle technology development within Formula E. We promote forward-thinking transportation technologies to as diverse and large an audience as possible.

For more information on the DS Virgin Racing Formula E Team, please visit the website:
http://www.ds-virginracing.com

For our media and partner section, please visit our dedicated area: http://map.virginracing.com/
Our Facebook Page
Our Twitter Feed

About Virgin group:

Virgin is a leading international investment group and one of the world's most recognised and respected brands. Conceived in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group has gone on to grow successful businesses in sectors including mobile telephony, travel & transportation, financial services, leisure & entertainment and health & wellness.

About DS AUTOMOBILES
A French brand born in Paris, DS was founded on 1 June 2014. Its ambition is to embody the French know-how of luxury in its cars. Driven by its outstanding heritage and avant-garde spirit, DS perpetuates the values of innovation and distinction inherited from the first DS, launched in 1955.
Designed for customers looking for a means to express themselves as individuals, the DS Collection comprises DS 3, DS 3 CABRIO, DS 4, DS 4 CROSSBACK, DS 4S, DS 5, DS 5LS, DS 6 and completed with DS 7 CROSSBACK. The models in the DS range stand apart through their avant-garde design, refinement and attention to detail, advanced technology and dynamic serenity.
Presented at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, DS 7 CROSSBACK, the SUV by DS featuring Parisian-style innovation and savoir-faire, ushers in the second generation of DS models. With the DS 7 CROSSBACK La PremiÃ¨re limited edition model, forward thinkers can reserve their car online or at a DS Store or DS Salon, and be the first to get behind the wheel. Committed to high-performance hybrid and electric cars, the Brand will launch the DS 7 CROSSBACK equipped with E-Tense, the hybrid powertrain by DS, in 2019.
DS models are available from DS Stores, DS Salons and a selection of other dedicated spaces within the CitroÃ«n network. DS also has two flagship stores, DS WORLD PARIS and DS WORLD SHANGHAI. DS represents a brand experience that goes beyond the products to include ONLY YOU, a collection of exclusive services showcased at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.
Follow all DS news on www.DSautomobiles.com @DS_Official

About the FIA Formula E Championship:

The FIA Formula E Championship is the worldâ€™s first fully-electric single-seater racing series, competing on the streets in the backdrop of some of the most iconic cities - including Hong Kong, Marrakech, Buenos Aires, Monaco, Paris, Montreal and New York. The championship represents a vision for the future of the motor industry, serving as a platform to showcase the latest innovations in electric vehicle technology and alternative energy solutions. Future seasons will see the regulations open up further allowing manufacturers to focus on the development of motor and battery components, which in turn will filter down to everyday contemporary electric road vehicles.

The 2016/17 FIA Formula E Championship sees 10 teams and 20 drivers go wheel-to-wheel in 12 cities spanning five continents in the fight to be crowned Formula E champion. The inaugural season of Formula E sparked into life in September 2014 around the grounds of the Olympic Park in Beijing. The third season of the all-electric racing series gets underway on October 9 in Hong Kong, with the season finale double-header in New York on July 29 & 30.

About FIA & Michelin - Todayâ€™s partners for tomorrowâ€™s mobility:

As well as being the official Formula E tyre supplier, Michelin is an official partner, at the international level, of the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign. The programme is designed to support the Decade of Action for Road Safety initiated by the UN, the aim of which is to save five million lives over the next 10 years. This programme is set up to educate and advocate for safer roads, vehicles and behaviours around the globe.
Â¿Â¿
-ENDS-