DS VIRGIN RACING UPPING THE STAKES AHEAD OF LAS VEGAS ERACE ON 07 JANUARY

DS Virgin Racing is in Las Vegas this week to take part in Formula E's virtual Vegas eRace. The event takes place during the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show and is the biggest eSports event of its kind in history, with a $1m prize pot.

Taking place on 07 January, the event sees all 20 Formula E drivers plus 10 professional gamers go head to head in a series of qualifying rounds, in the same style as conventional Formula E events. Following that, the eRace itself will see the Formula E drivers and gamers compete for the million-dollar prize pool.

The gamers have been chosen by a series of Road to Vegas online elimination rounds. The Formula E teams have now 'adopted' a gamer each. Whilst not formally attached to the team, the gamers will be wearing team kit and colours. DS Virgin Racing's allotted driver is Graham Carroll.

Graham Carroll, in addition to being a professional gamer, is also a professional driver. Racing in Formula Ford, he won the 2015 Walter Hayes Trophy, having returned to motorsport following a seven-year hiatus. Previous to this, he podiumed seven times in the same series in 2008.

Currently in first position on the qualification leader board, Carroll represents a huge opportunity in coaching Formula E drivers Sam Bird and Jose Maria Lopez. Travelling down from his home in Musselburgh, Scotland, on 13 December, Carroll spent half a week with DS Virgin Racing driver Sam Bird. The pair trained together in Carroll's team simulator based in Gatwick, before flying to DS Virgin Racing's base in Satory, Versailles, to work together on the simulator there.

Speaking of his experience, Carroll said, "It's fascinating to experience the contrast in driving feel between a gaming simulator and a 'real driver' simulator like DS Virgin Racing's set up in Satory. I feel there's a lot both gamers and drivers can learn from each other – hopefully in time for Las Vegas!"

Sam Bird echoed the sentiment, "The major challenge with gaming, from a driver’s perspective, is learning to operate in a kind of vacuum. The car can't speak to you. The track doesn't move underneath you, so it's about learning to take your cues purely from the visual."

The eRace in Las Vegas will use the same Playseat and rFactor 2 set up as seen during the Formula E eRaces at tracks during the season. As with the location eRaces, the cars are branded in team colours but have a uniform set up – unlike the gamers’ own cars used during the elimination rounds which had been set up to individual specifications.

The Vegas event will also feature a Formula E development car demo run down the iconic Las Vegas Strip. Formula E has asked DS Virgin Racing driver Sam Bird to drive the car during the run, which takes place on Wednesday 04 January at 22:00hrs local time.

In between training, Graham Carroll met with Team Principal Alex Tai over dinner in London. Tai commented, “We're delighted to have Graham joining us for this innovative new chapter of Formula E. 1.1 billion people worldwide now engage with eSports. Who knows how many potential stars are out there who simply haven't had the financial means or opportunities to foster their skill set? Perhaps motorsport's next star won't be discovered behind the wheel of a physical car."

Speaking of his attachment to the team, Graham Carroll said, "I still can't believe it. One minute I'm sitting in the loft of my house, messing about in an online game, and next I'm sat with the Team Principal of my favourite Formula E team, discussing strategies for Las Vegas. I couldn't be more excited!"

The Visa Vegas eRace starts at 16:00hrs on Saturday, 07 January (Vegas time), and will be shown on Twitch whilst also streamed live on the Formula E website www.fiaformulae.com. A mini documentary following Sam Bird and Graham Carroll as they trained in different simulators in the UK and France will be shown ahead of the eRace. Alternatively, you can catch a preview of the mini-doc here.

For more information on the DS Virgin Racing Formula E Team, please visit www.ds-virginracing.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

KEVIN JONES – Head of Communications 02476 884215 kevin.jones@dsautomobiles.com

PRESS FLEET ENQUIRIES:

CRAIG MORROW – Press Fleet Officer 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, DS 4 and DS 4 Crossback, 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. 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.