DRAMATIC TURN OF EVENTS FOR DS VIRGIN RACING DURING LONG BEACH EPRIX

Starting from pole position, Sam Bird maintained his lead over second placed Lucas Di Grassi for the first part of the race, before Di Grassi finally managed to pass him on lap 12. Bird was hot on his tail for the remainder of the first stint and, after a clean car changeover, Bird emerged just behind Di Grassi again as the battle for the lead continued.

On lap 23 the battle for first place came to a dramatic end – a small error saw Bird lock up his brakes and skid into a tyre wall at turn five. Whilst there was only minor damage to the car, Bird lost five places and his chance of victory.

“It’s a hard one to swallow knowing we could have scored 21 points and instead we only have 11. I was very comfortable in second place and was confident I could have pushed Lucas for the victory. But qualifying proved we are fast and that’s what I’m focusing on,” said Bird.

Bird was initially set to start the famous 2.13km track in second position behind Team Aguri’s Antonio Felix Da Costa after finishing top of his group during qualifying and second in Superpole with a lap time of 57.261. However, Da Costa was excluded and relegated to the back of the grid because of a tyre infringement, leaving Bird to start from the very front. Bird’s teammate Jean- Éric Vergne posted a qualifying lap that left him to start in 11th position.

After his incident, Bird fought back and continued the race behind Bruno Senna, applying huge amounts of pressure to force past, but Senna was able to defend until the end.

“Obviously I’m very disappointed as I believe it was a driver error and for that I apologise to the team. It’s difficult knowing that the final result should have been a lot better today, but the engineering capabilities of this team are extremely strong, qualifying proved that,” he said. “Starting from pole position the expectation was of a podium finish at a bare minimum, and I would have delivered that if not for the error. But I’m pleased that I could still bring some points home for the team.”

Further down the grid Jean- Éric Vergne was in a battle of his own fending off Antonio Felix Da Costa who was slowly climbing back through the pack. Vergne eventually finished 13th.

“I’m looking forward to Paris, there’s still half of the season to play for and I am going to work hard to better understand the car so I can improve,” said Vergne. “Today was another difficult race and I believe it’s time to turn it around looking ahead to the European races.”

Despite the setbacks, Team Principal Alex Tai remains confident: “These things happen, the DS Virgin Racing drivers work very hard and it was an unfortunate error for Sam. What we need to focus on is that both our drivers did extremely well during qualifying, proving once again that we are a competitive team. Sam is still 3rd and as a team we are 4th overall in the championship.”

Amidst the disappointment on a podium lost, Head of DS Performance, Xavier Mestelan Pinon commented: “With regards to Jean-Éric, he has damaged the suspension during this race and I think he’s felt a little handicapped. We’ve worked hard to improve the DSV-01 and we will continue to do so, especially with Paris on the horizon.”

The Formula E series will be heading to Europe for the remainder of the season, starting with a specially-made track around Les Invalides in Paris, home to DS, which will take place on 23 April.

Pos

Driver

Team

Points

1

Lucas DI GRASSI

ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport

101

2

Sébastien BUEMI

Renault e.Dams

100

3

SAM BIRD

DS VIRGIN RACING FORMULA E TEAM

71

4

Jérôme D’AMBROSIO

Dragon Racing

64

5

Stéphane SARRAZIN

Venturi Formula E Team

48

6

Loïc DUVAL

Dragon Racing

48

7

Nick HEIDFELD

Mahindra Racing Formula E Team

39

8

Nicolas PROST

Renault e.Dams

38

9

Robin FRIJNS

Andretti Formula E Race Team

31

10

Daniel ABT

ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport

31

11

Bruno SENNA

Mahindra Racing Formula E Team

22

12

Antonio FELIX DA COSTA

Team Aguri

16

13

Oliver TURVEY

NEXTEV TCR Formula E Team

10

14

JEAN- ÉRIC VERGNE

DS VIRGIN RACING FORMULA E TEAM

6

15

Nelson PIQUET JR

NEXTEV TCR Formula E Team

4

16

Nathanaël BERTHON

Team Aguri

4

17

Simona DE SILVESTRO

Andretti Formula E Race Team

2

18

Mike CONWAY

Venturi Formula E Team

1

19

Jacques VILLENEUVE

Venturi Formula E Team

0

20

Oliver ROWLAND

Mahindra Racing Formula E Team

0

21

Salvador DURAN

Team Aguri

0

FIA Formula E Championship 2015-16 – Driver Standings

FIA Formula E Championship 2015-16 – Team standings

Pos.

Team

Points

1

Renault e.Dams

138

2

ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport

132

3

Dragon Racing

112

4

DS VIRGIN RACING FORMULA E TEAM

77

5

Mahindra Racing Formula E Team

61

6

Venturi Formula E Team

49

7

Andretti Formula E Race Team

33

8

Team Aguri

20

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.

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About Virgin group

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About DS Automobiles

A French brand born in Paris, DS Automobiles 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 Automobiles 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 DS 3, 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 New DS 5. Marketed in Europe in DS Stores and dedicated showroom areas, 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. The brand has sold more than 600,000 vehicles since launch. www.DSautomobiles.co.uk. Follow the latest DS news via @DS_UK_Official.

*Available in China only

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 was 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 when 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

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