DS VIRGIN RACING TO TAKE PART IN PARIS ePRIX EVENT ON 23 APRIL

After Beijing, Putrajaya and Punta del Este, Sam Bird and Jean-Eric Vergne, the DS Virgin Racing team drivers, will be racing their DSV-01 one-seaters through the streets of Paris on 23 April. The race route was recently announced at a press conference at the Paris Town Hall with Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, Patrick Kanner, Minister of Urban Affairs, Youth and Sport, Thierry Braillard, Secretary of State for Sports, and Jean Todt, President of the FIA, in attendance.

Xavier Mestelan Pinon, the Director of the DS brand’s motorsport division, DS Performance, and Jean-Eric Vergne were also present at the event, alongside one of the DS Virgin Racing team’s two DSV-01 racers competing in the second season of the all-electric championship.

The race will start from the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris on 23 April 2016.

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 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 Hybrid4x4 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 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.

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.