Reigning champions DS Techeetah today revealed a revised livery and confirmed the re-use of its 2019/20 car for Season 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The Franco Chinese team has been the dominant force of Formula E in recent seasons, with the outfit winning every championship title in Formula E’s Gen2 era which commenced at the close of 2018.
In Season 6, the squad wrapped up both the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles in record time, taking four wins, five pole positions and five further podiums in 11 races to finish ahead of nearest rivals, Nissan e.dams, by 77 points.
In an online launch today, DS Techeetah confirmed that it will continue to use last season’s car in 2021 as part of Formula E’s cost-saving regulations that were introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DS E-TENSE FE20 will be used over the first four races in Santiago and Diriyah, with a switch to a new powertrain scheduled for April’s Rome E-Prix.
“As a result of the health crisis, Formula E amended its regulations and instead of homologating a new car ahead of the season start, we’ve been given the opportunity to extend the homologation until the end of the 2021 World Championship,” explained DS Performance Director, Xavier Mestelan Pinon.
“We’ve chosen to take a new approach given this opportunity and we have developed two cars simultaneously.
“Given the tremendous results from Season Six and the DS E-TENSE FE20, we will start Season Seven with an upgraded version of the championship winning car and introduce the DS E-TENSE FE21 at the Rome E-Prix.
“Season Seven is a new challenge for us but our objectives remain the same – fighting for victories and titles.”
For the impending campaign, the team will continue to field Jean-Eric Vergne and Antonio Felix da Costa – Formula E’s most decorated team-mate pairing with the duo holding 50% of the series’ Drivers’ Championship titles.
“To have won my first Formula E title has given me so much more fire to win another one,” said da Costa, who enters Season 7 as the driver to beat.
“JEV and I, and all the other Formula E drivers who do give us a good run for our money, are going to have some epic battles this season, that’s for sure and I can’t wait.
“We are going for that first World Championship title and we’ll do everything in our power to get there. I’ve always said that cars that look quick, are quick – and just look at the livery for this year.
“You wouldn’t want to see that in your wing mirrors! I really can’t wait to show you guys what we’ve been working on, it won’t be in Valencia but do keep an eye out in Santiago. We’ll be going for it!”
Formula E’s only double-champion, Vergne, added: “Since I joined DS Techeetah four years ago, I’ve seen first-hand how this the team always continues to improve itself.
“Our Season Six results proved our competitiveness, and I am extremely excited to show what we’ve got in store for Season Seven.
“We always aim to keep improving and re-inventing ourselves, our approach and most importantly our long-term vision. The team did an incredible job and I look forward to testing again in Valencia ahead of the season opener next January in Santiago.”
