Fe – José Maria Lopez at DS Virgin Racing

As we announced to you in issue 2059 of AUTOhebdo last April, José Maria Lopez will make his debut in Formula e within the DS Virgin Racing team, replacing Jean-Éric Vergne who should join Techeetah.

The Argentinian distinguished himself with Citroën in the WTCC with two world titles collected and seems well on his way to securing a third coronation in a row at the wheel of the C-Elysée. He will play alongside Sam Bird who finished the Formula E season in fourth place.

“This is a very exciting step for my career and I look forward to taking on the challenge of Formula E with DS Virgin Racing, comments the new DS recruit. I have already been able to work with DS Performance on the season 3 car. I am confident that we can accomplish great things together. Formula E is a category that continues to go from strength to strength and I am particularly looking forward to returning to Buenos Aires, where the team enjoyed a real triumph last season! »

“This year has been another big step forward and I sincerely believe that DS Virgin Racing will go far, adds Sam Bird. We showed solid pace in the second half of the season. If we can convert that with more wins, then we should have a car capable of challenging for the title next year. I feel at home with the team and I can’t wait to see what this season has in store for us. »

“I am absolutely delighted to formalize our duo for next season and thus welcome José María to the DS Virgin Racing family, comments Alex Tai, Director of DS Virgin Racing. He is a world champion who has proven himself at the highest level while demonstrating his innate speed and consistency in every category he has competed in. I am convinced that he will be able to do the same in Formula E alongside Sam, who has continued to prove that he is one of the fastest and most talented drivers in the field the previous two years. I am certain that by combining the strengths of Sam, José and our team, we will obtain the winning formula in a discipline requiring enormous pilot talent, consistency and hard work. The character of our two drivers, whose sporting approach greatly reflects my objectives in this sport, is also an additional asset. »

“José is a fantastic asset to DS Virgin Racing. He is a world-class driver who has dominated the WTCC for the past two years and is currently leading the 2016 season, concluded Xavier Mestelan Pinon, Director of DS Performance. “He worked closely with DS Performance on our car for Season 3. Having finished our first year in Formula E in third place, we believe the duo he will form with Sam will allow DS Virgin Racing to compete as hard as possible. high level next season. »