New manufacturers take to the track at Donington Park ahead of season two

Donington Park, UK – Just six weeks after the first season of Formula E concluded with the spectacular Visa London ePrix, testing kicked off for season two at Donington Park.

Initial bragging rights went to Sebastien Buemi of Renault e.dams, who set the pace during a day that was interrupted by a brief rain shower in the mid-afternoon. The quickest time of 1:32.092s, compares to Buemi’s best time of 1:31.083s, set during the penultimate day of pre-season testing last year.

The day was the first public outing for the season two technology with a healthy crowd turning out to see the cars in action. This season eight new manufacturers have produced powertrains, however, neither Andretti – in its new Amlin livery, nor Trulli completed a lap, although both teams expect to run tomorrow.

It was also the first time new Venturi signing Jacques Villeneuve had driven a Formula E car in public. The 1997 Formula 1 world champion ended up in 14th place with a best time of 1:38.176s.

Frenchman Tom Dillmann made his Formula E test debut for Team Aguri, completing a few exploratory laps in the wet ahead of a full run tomorrow. There were familiar faces in unfamiliar colours as Jean-Eric Vergne made his public test debut for DS Virgin Racing, while Nick Heidfeld had his first outing as a Mahindra Racing driver.

Testing resumes tomorrow at 9am. For more information on Formula E visit www.fiaformulae.com

FIA Formula E Championship – Donington Park – Pre-season testing (Day 1) – Results:

1. Sebastien Buemi, Renault e.dams, 1:32.095s
2. Lucas di Grassi, ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport, 1:32.158s
3. Nicolas Prost, Renault e.dams, 1:32.286s
4. Sam Bird, DS Virgin Racing, 1:32.523s
5. Salvador Duran, Team Aguri, 1:32.549s
6. Bruno Senna, Mahindra Racing, 1:35.653s
7. Nick Heidfeld, Mahindra Racing, 1:35.700s
8. Jerome D'Ambrosio, Dragon Racing, 1:36.324s
9. Tom Dillmann, Team Aguri, 1:36.329s
10. Stephane Sarrazin, Venturi, 1:36.361s
11. Jean-Eric Vergne, DS Virgin Racing, 1:36.704s
12. Loic Duval, Dragon Racing, 1:37.987s
13. Nelson Piquet Jr, NEXTEV TCR, 1:38.052s
14. Jacques Villeneuve, Venturi, 1:38.176s
15. Jarno Trulli, Trulli, no time set
16. Simona de Silvestro, Andretti, no time set

Follow Formula E:

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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 gets underway in October in Beijing where the series becomes 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.

About 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. This 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.

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