DS VIRGIN RACING AIMING FOR ELECTRIFYING FINALE TO SEASON TWO

DS Virgin Racing currently sits in third place in the FIA Formula E Championship team standings, and will be looking to use the home support in London to their advantage to consolidate their position.

Sam Bird, whose DSV-01 will feature a special one-off Union Jack livery for the Battersea Park double-header, will be hoping to repeat his success of last year on home soil, when he claimed a sensational victory at Battersea Park as the season reached a dramatic conclusion.

Bird, currently sitting in third place in the FIA Formula E Drivers’ Championship, also plans to make up further ground on Sébastien Buemi and Lucas di Grassi who lie first and second in the driver standings.

Ahead of the race weekend, the team headed to Marble Arch in central London with DS E-TENSE – a unique vehicle from DS Automobiles featuring a high-performance electric drivetrain, embodying the brand’s future.

DS E-TENSE will be on display for Formula E fans throughout the London ePrix at Battersea Park, and will be completing demonstration laps on the 2.925km track.

The Battersea Park circuit features 17 turns, including a number of high-speed corners and chicanes, and is one of Sam’s favourite tracks. “I can’t wait to race again in London – partly because it’s sort of my home city, and because Formula E has created a spectacular track in a sublime setting,” he says. “Not only that, of course. It holds very special memories given my success here last season. Winning the race was a brilliant way to end Season 1 and I’ll be going all out to ensure the team and our fans have a similar reason to celebrate at the end this, our second season of Formula E.”

For Jean-Éric Vergne, the London ePrix represents another opportunity to continue his recent upturn in fortunes, which saw him pick up pole position in Berlin to follow up an impressive second place in Paris.

“The last two races have been really good for me personally, so hopefully I can continue that momentum into London and have a strong end to the season,” said Vergne, who picked up a third-place finish in the opening round of last year’s London ePrix. “I got a good podium here last season which gives me confidence going into the race. The technical team have done a great job to make the car really competitive so we want to give the home crowd something to cheer and really get them behind us throughout the weekend.”

DS Virgin Racing Principal, Alex Tai, added: “Looking back at this season, it’s certainly been full of drama and excitement. It was fantastic to lead the team through it, and as a unit I think we’re in a really good place right now. The fact that we have earned poles in each of the last three races not only shows that we have the pace, but that we also have two exceptionally talented drivers. Sam’s win in London last season was a near perfect finale and I hope we can top that this year to really lay down a marker for season three.”

Head of DS Performance, Xavier Mestalen Pinon, said: “With its fast corners the average speed of the London ePrix should be among the fastest of the season, after Punta del Este and Long Beach, despite the bumpy nature of the track. Our simulations have shown that the pilots' ability to regenerate energy during braking will be especially put to the test during the race. It is vital that we avoid mistakes in these two rounds to ensure that we maintain our position in the championships. This last ePrix of the season will also be the opportunity to celebrate the first anniversary of our partnership between the DS brand and the team DS Virgin Racing, so it would be fantastic to celebrate this landmark in style!”

Virgin Group Founder, Sir Richard Branson, said: “I’m really looking forward to cheering the team on in London and supporting Sam and Jean-Eric. Whatever happens on track, we can all celebrate a successful second season for Formula E. The series has well and truly proven its concept and keeps going from strength to strength, and at Virgin we’re delighted to be playing a central role in that success. I believe it is the future of motor sport.”

DS Virgin Racing has proved popular with Formula E fans this season, picking up more Fanboost wins than any other team. Fans can submit a Fanboost vote via the official app or website http://fanboost.fiaformulae.com or via Twitter and Instagram by posting the #Fanboost hashtag alongside either #SamBird or #JeanEricVergne.

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

Nathanaël BERTHON

Team Aguri

4

18

Simona DE SILVESTRO

Andretti Formula E Race Team

4

FIA Formula E Championship 2015-16 – Team Standings

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:

http://www.ds-virginracing.com

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

ANDREW DIDLICK 02476 884309 andrew.didlick@mpsa.com

JOHN HANDCOCK 02476 884548 john.handcock@driveds.com

KATIE READ 02476 884570 katie.read@driveds.com

MICHAEL ARNOLD 02476 884580 michael.arnold@driveds.com

CRAIG MORROW 02476 884261 craig.morrow@mpsa.com

FOLLOW DS ON TWITTER AT: www.twitter.com/ds_uk_official

FIND DS ON FACEBOOK AT: www.facebook.com/dsukofficial

FOLLOW DS ON INSTAGRAM AT: www.instagram.com/ds_uk

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 ranging from mobile telephony, travel, financial services, leisure, music, holidays and health & wellness. Virgin employs more than 55,000 people, operating in over 50 countries and had global branded revenues of £15bn ($24bn) in 2013.

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 New DS 3, New DS 3 Cabrio, New DS 4 and DS 4 Crossback, New DS 5, DS 4S*, 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 Hybrid4x4 hybrid diesel drive train available on New DS 5. Marketed in Europe in DS Stores and 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. 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

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 program 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 ten years. This program is set up to educate and advocate for safer roads, vehicles and behaviours around the globe.