DS VIRGIN RACING MOVE INTO PODIUM POSITION IN OVERALL FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP IN BERLIN
21st May 2016 DS VIRGIN RACING MOVE INTO PODIUM POSITION IN OVERALL FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP IN BERLIN DS Virgin Racing are now in third place in the overall Formula E Championship standings after a strong drive from Jean-Eric Vergne was enough to push the team one spot further up the leaderboard. Vergne’s performance also saw DS Virgin Racing secure their fourth Pole Position of the season, surpassing any other team. “We have two very talented drivers and now it’s looking like we have a fast car, we now have more pole positions than any other team and we have just knocked Dragon Racing off third spot in the championship�?? - Alex Tai, DS Virgin Racing Team Principal. DS Virgin Racing drivers Jean-Eric Vergne and Sam Bird finished P5 and P11 respectively at today’s Berlin ePrix. The day got off to a flying start for the team after Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2 went without a hitch, they watched as Jean-Eric Vergne topped the time sheet during Qualifying and then went on to claim Pole Position in Superpole giving the team their third Pole Position in a row after Long Beach and Paris. Vergne’s teammate Sam Bird also had a strong Qualifying lap that put him in P6, just one spot short of Superpole - a slight disappointment for the Brit who claimed his third Pole Position of the season in Paris. However, shortly before the cars were due to line up on the grid, it was announced that both Mahindra Drivers Bruno Senna and Nick Heidfeld (who qualified in P4 and P5) would be excluded due to an error with tyre pressures, bumping Bird up to a P4 grid starting position. It was a dramatic start to the Berlin ePrix that saw Vergne lose his first place position to Sebastien Buemi after just a few seconds, reclaim it less a minute later, only to lose it once more. Vergne had two small collisions during the first half of the race with bollards whilst fending off Buemi that saw him clip both his front end plates, but luckily this happened just prior to his pit-stop and he was able to switch cars without further drama and despite dropping down a few places to finish P5, Vergne remains content with his final position. “When you start in Pole Position you want to win the race and today was no exception but Buemi is extremely quick. I knew when he overtook me for the second time that he was gone and I wouldn’t be able to catch him,�?? explains Vergne. “I also think the other drivers that overtook me were also quick. We did great to get Pole Position and I think it goes to show just what a good job the team have done to improve the car but I also know I couldn’t have done better than 5th place today. I still gained valuable points for the team which has moved us to third in the championship and I’m really pleased with that. It’s what the team deserves.�?? Meanwhile, Bird, who was challenging Daniel Abt for third position, was less fortunate after a collision with Abt damaged his front end plate early on in the race. In a decision that been perceived as overly cautious, the Race Director requested that he make a stop to replace the nose. Unhappy with the request Bird engineers tried to challenge the decision but they were unsuccessful. As Bird came in to pit it became clear that his hopes of remaining a championship contender were coming to an end as he dropped from P4 to P14. “I’m really disappointed with this decision,�?? says Bird. “I didn’t expect a black flag for such minimal damage, as I said on the radio I don’t believe the front end plate was that lose and that decision means it’s now extremely difficult for me to contend for the driver’s championship.�?? In the pit, the nose change went smoothly and was extremely quick but Bird was already down 10 places on his position and was unable to make it back into the top 10, finishing P11. Disappointing for the driver who, had today produced a better result, might have considered himself a quiet contender for the championship title. “I’m really pleased for the team. We’ve wanted to challenge Dragon Racing in the championship for a long time and although today was a disappointment for me, it was a triumph for the team. I will now be focusing on London which will no doubt be an epic finale to the season.�?? Team Principal Alex Tai added, “I am extremely proud of both drivers. The decision was an unfortunate one for Sam, who would have no doubt had a fantastic drive had the damage not occurred, however he still showcased his talent by moving up from P14 to P11. Jev excelled during Superpole which proves that we are moving in the right direction. We have two very talented drivers and now it’s looking like we have a fast car, we now have more pole positions than any other team and we have just knocked Dragon Racing off third spot in the championship. London is going to be a big one for us but the team and the drivers are improving with every race and I look forward to what lies ahead. We’re in a good place.�?? Head of DS Performance Xavier Mestelan Pinon was also proud of the team’s performance. “It’s becoming clear that we have made major improvements on the car, I am pleased that both drivers have now managed to achieve a pole position with the DSV-01. We are still facing certain challenges that our team are working on but for now I would just like to congratulate the team on their hard work, which as we have seen today, has paid off.�?? The London ePrix and season finale will take place on the 2nd and 3rd of July in Battersea Park with a double race weekend to end the season. -ENDS- To access rights free static and moving team imagery click here Notes to Editors: FIA Formula E Championship 2015-16 – Round Eight, Berlin, Germany – Results Pos Driver Team Time 1 Sébastien BUEMI Renault e.Dams 53:46.086 2 Daniel ABT ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 53:47.853 3 Lucas DI GRASSI ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 53:48.467 4 Nicolas PROST Renault e.Dams 53:49.414 5 Jean-Eric VERGNE DS Virgin Racing 53:51.013 6 Robin FRIJNS Andretti Formula E Race Team 53:55.587 7 Nick HEIDFELD Mahindra Racing Formula E Team 53:53.786 8 Mike CONWAY Venturi Formula E Team 53:54.391 9 Simona DE SILVESTRO Andretti Formula E Race Team 53:58.559 10 Stéphane SARRAZIN Venturi Formula E Team 53:59.327 11 Sam BIRD DS Virgin Racing 53:55.648 12 Oliver TURVEY NEXTEV TCR Formula E Team 53:56.703 13 Nelson PIQUET JR NEXTEV TCR Formula E Team 53:56.703 14 Qing HUA MA Team Aguri 54:05.697 15 Bruno SENNA Mahindra Racing Formula E Team 54:20.903 16 Jerome D’AMBROSIO Dragon Racing 54:19.524 - Rene Rast Team Aguri - Loic DUVAL ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport FIA Formula E Championship 2015-16 – Driver Standings Pos Driver Team Points 1 Lucas DI GRASSI ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 141 2 Sébastien BUEMI Renault e.Dams 140 3 SAM BIRD DS VIRGIN RACING FORMULA E TEAM 82 4 Jérôme D’AMBROSIO Dragon Racing 64 5 Nicolas PROST Renault e.Dams 62 6 Stéphane SARRAZIN Venturi Formula E Team 59 7 Daniel ABT ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 50 8 Loïc DUVAL Dragon Racing 48 9 Nick HEIDFELD Mahindra Racing Formula E Team 47 10 Robin FRIJNS Andretti Formula E Race Team 45 11 Jean-Eric VERGNE DS Virgin Racing Formula E Team 37 12 Bruno SENNA Mahindra Racing Formula E Team 26 13 Antonio FELIX DA COSTA Team Aguri 20 14 Oliver TURVEY NEXTEV TCR Formula E Team 10 15 Mike CONWAY Venturi Formula E Team 5 16 Nelson PIQUET JR NEXTEV TCR Formula E Team 4 17 Simona DE SILVESTRO Andretti Formula E Race Team 0 18 Qing HUA MA Team Aguri 0 19 Rene Rast Team Aguri 0 FIA Formula E Championship 2015-16 Pos Team Points 1 Renault e.Dams 202 2 ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 191 3 DS VIRGIN RACING FORMULA E TEAM 119 4 Dragon Racing 112 5 Mahindra Racing Formula E Team 73 6 Venturi Formula E Team 64 7 Andretti Formula E Race Team 49 8 Team Aguri 24 9 NEXTEV TCR Formula E Team 14 For more information on the DS Virgin Racing Formula E Team, please visit the website: http://www.ds-virginracing.com For further information please contact: Amy Monkman PR & Communications Manager DS Virgin Racing E : amy.monkman@ds-virginracing.com T: +44 (0) 7496 972968 Chris Soult Pitch PR E: chris.soult@pitch.co.uk T: +44 (0) 7745 377 405 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 the DS brand A French brand born in Paris, DS was officially founded on 1 June 2014. Its stated ambition is to revive the tradition of premium vehicles in the French automotive industry. Drawing on the very best of French know-how, 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 range now comprises the New DS 3, New DS 3 Cabrio, New DS 4 and DS 4 Crossback, New DS 5, DS 5LS and DS 6. The DS range stands out with exceptional styling, sensations and refinement down to the last detail, together with premium materials and advanced technology such as the Hybrid4 hybrid diesel drive train available on the DS 5. Marketed in Europe in DS STORE and DS SALON (dedicated showroom areas in the CITROËN network), DS has its own network of sales outlets in China. For customers, DS has come to represent a brand experience that goes beyond the product to include a range of exclusive premium services, in particular through the DS Privilege Club. The brand has sold more than 600,000 vehicles since launch.www.dsautomobiles.co.uk Keep up with DS on @DS_Official. About FIA Formula E Championship: Formula E is a ground-breaking FIA championship and the world’s first fully-electric racing series. It represents a vision for the future of the motor industry, serving as a framework for research and development around the electric vehicle, accelerating general interest in these cars and promoting sustainability. The first season began in Beijing in September 2014 and completed in London in June 2015, racing in 10 major cities (11 races) around the world. The championship sees 10 teams, each with two drivers, going head-to-head to create a unique and exciting racing series designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fans. Season two got underway in October in Beijing where the series became an ‘open championship’ allowing approved manufacturers to develop new powertrain solutions. Future seasons will see the regulations open up further allowing manufacturers to focus on improving battery technology. FIA & Michelin: Today’s partners for tomorrow’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.