PRESS RELEASE Paris, 11th December 2015 DS VIRGIN RACING AIMING TO POWER HOME IN URUGUAY DS Virgin Racing will be looking to round off 2015 in style, when the FIA Formula E Championship returns to Uruguay next weekend. After securing the team’s first podium finish of the 2015-16 FIA Formula E season during an eventful race in Putrajaya, Malaysia, last month, Sam Bird will be looking for another strong performance on the streets of Punta del Este in order to consolidate his position within the top 3 of the driver championship standings. For team-mate Jean-Éric Vergne, Punta will bring back some fond memories – it was here where the Frenchman made his Formula E debut last season, storming to pole position before his race was ultimately cut short. To celebrate the run-up to the holiday season, the DSV-01 car livery will be given a special festive make-over. Named after Holly and Bellie Branson, each car’s unique ‘flying lady’ graphic will be adorned with Christmas holly and bells for one-race only. The Punta del Este Street Circuit is one of the most recognisable on the Formula E calendar. Often dubbed the St. Tropez of South America, the circuit features 20 turns as it snakes around the city’s spectacular harbour. Speaking ahead of the race in Uruguay, Bird said: “After Malaysia the whole team was on a high, so we need to use that energy and channel it into another positive performance in Punta. We’re in a good place but there’s still a lot that we can improve on with the car too, which gives us plenty of optimism going into the weekend. I didn’t have the best of times in Uruguay last year, but it’s a circuit that all of the drivers enjoy and so I’m hoping we can round off the year on a high.” DS – PRESS DEPARTMENT 6 rue Fructidor 75835 Paris Cedex 17 - TÉL. : +33(0) 1 58 79 73 94 [email protected] – www.driveDS.com Ahead of his return to Punta del Este, Jean-Éric Vergne, said: “It’s nice for me personally to come back to a track that has some good memories from last year. I’m hoping I can use that experience to get off the mark for the team, and give them an early Christmas present in the process.” DS Virgin Racing Team Principal, Alex Tai, said: “We can’t wait to come back to Punta, which is always a great race to round off the year. It took a huge effort from the entire team to get the result that we did in Malaysia and we will need to show the same level of desire and determination to succeed in Uruguay.” Fanboost is now open for the Punta del Este ePrix and DS Virgin Racing are giving fans a chance to win exclusive prizes every day with the ’12 Days of Fanboost’ competition. To enter, fans need to vote via Twitter and/or Instagram by posting the #Fanboost hashtag alongside either #SamBird or #JeanEricVergne, or vote via the official app or website at www.fiaformulae.com/fanboost, and post a screenshot of their vote using one of these same hashtag combinations. Following the race on Saturday 19th December, the DS Virgin Racing team will remain in Punta del Este for a further day of testing on Sunday 20th December. This session will be open to accredited media. FIA Formula E Championship 2015-16 – Round Three, Punta del Este, Uruguay – Key Race Timings Friday 18 December 2015 Shakedown 3.00pm Qualifying Group Lottery (e-village) 4.45pm Saturday 19 December 2015 Non-qualifying practice 1 8.15am Non-qualifying practice 2 10.30am Qualifying Group 1 12.00pm Qualifying Group 2 12.10pm Qualifying Group 3 12.20pm Qualifying Group 4 12.30pm Super Pole 12.45pm Race 4.04pm FIA Formula E Championship 2015-16 – Driver Standings Pos No. Driver Team Points 1 11 Lucas DI GRASSI ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 43 2 9 Sébastien BUEMI Renault e.Dams 35 3 2 SAM BIRD DS VIRGIN RACING FORMULA E TEAM 24 4 23 Nick HEIDFELD Mahindra Racing Formula E Team 17 5 27 Robin FRIJNS Andretti Formula E Race Team 16 6 4 Stéphane SARRAZIN Venturi Formula E Team 14 7 6 Loïc DUVAL Dragon Racing 12 8 21 Bruno SENNA Mahindra Racing Formula E Team 10 9 7 Jérôme D’AMBROSIO Dragon Racing 10 10 88 Oliver TURVEY NEXTEV TCR Formula E Team 8 11 55 Antonio FELIX DA COSTA Team Aguri 8 12 66 Daniel ABT ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 6 13 77 Nathanaël BERTHON Team Aguri 4 14 1 Nelson PIQUET JR NEXTEV TCR Formula E Team 4 15 8 Nicolas PROST Renault e.Dams 1 16 12 Jacques VILLENEUVE Venturi Formula E Team 0 17 25 Jean-Éric VERGNE DS Virgin Racing Formula E Team 0 18 Simona DE SILVESTRO Andretti Formula E Race Team 0 FIA Formula E Championship 2015-16 – Team standings Pos Team Points 1 ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 49 2 Renault e.Dams 36 3 Mahindra Racing Formula E Team 27 4 DS VIRGIN RACING FORMULA E TEAM 24 5 Dragon Racing 22 6 Andretti Formula E Race Team 16 7 Venturi Formula E Team 14 8 NEXTEV TCR Formula E Team 12 9 Team Aguri 12 For more information on the DS Virgin Racing Formula E Team, please visit the website: http://www.ds-virginracing.com DS VIRGIN RACING PRESS CONTACT: Chris Soult Pitch PR : +44 7745 377 405 - [email protected] DS BRAND PRESS CONTACT: Adrien da Cunha Belvès DS Performance PR : +33 685 262 791 - [email protected] About the DS brand DS is a Paris-based automotive brand officially launched on 1 June 2014 with the stated ambition of driving an upmarket comeback in the French automotive industry. Inspired by the best in French automotive know-how, DS perpetuates the values of innovation and distinction inherited from the legendary 1955 DS. The DS range is designed for customers seeking personal expression. It currently comprises DS 3, DS 3 CABRIO, New DS 4, DS 4 CROSSBACK, New DS 5, DS 5LS and DS 6. DS cars stand out for their remarkable style, refinement down to the tiniest detail, quality materials, and advanced technologies such as the hybrid diesel drivechain, Hybrid 4x4, available on New DS 5. In Europe, they are sold through DS Stores or at special showrooms across the CITROËN dealer network. In China, DS runs a dedicated network of dealer outlets. DS customers enjoy a brand experience that extends beyond the cars themselves to cover exclusive premium services, as through the DS PRIVILEGE club. Sales top 580,000 since the brand came into existence. www.driveDS.com Keep up with DS on @DS_Official. 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 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 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. .