After a disappointing race in Mexico City two weeks ago, DS Virgin Racing is aiming for a podium finish this weekend at the Punta del Este ePrix in Uruguay.
The DS Virgin squad opened season four with a strong showing in performance as Britain's Sam Bird claimed victory at the opening round of the season in Hong Kong before finishing on the podium in Marrakesh in January while Alex Lynn has finished inside the points regularly, with a collective effort placing the team in fourth in the championship, four points adrift of Jaguar Racing.
Recent technical problems have plagued the team, however, with Bird and Lynn being handed ten-place grid penalties in Mexico City for a gearbox change which compromised the pair in the race on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.
After taking only one point away from the last round and with the all-electric championship approaching its halfway point of season four, it is vital for DS Virgin Racing to revive its season.
“It’s great to be coming back to Punta del Este," said DS Performance Director Xavier Mestelan Pinon. "Our target is to keep fighting for a place on the podium and to continue to score highly in both championships.”
Although Bird has raced on the circuit twice in his career, the driver has failed to finish on both occasions, with DS Virgin Racing's best result at the race coming in season one through a fifth place finish that was scored by Jaime Alguersuari.
“It’s great to be returning to Punta del Este, the fast-paced nature of the circuit makes it a highly enjoyable race," said Bird. "The last race didn’t go as planned, so we’re hoping to show how competitive we are this weekend.”
By comparison, Lynn has never experienced racing on the streets of Punta del Este as one of this season's rookies, and is hoping to replicate his pace from Mexico City:
“I’m excited to be racing in Punta del Este for the first time, it’ll be another new track for me, so I’ve been working hard in the simulator, since Mexico City, to prepare for the race," said Lynn.
"As a team, we showed we had the pace to compete at the top last time out, and I’m hoping to replicate that again in Uruguay,” he added.
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