Current Formula E 2014/2015 championship leader, Nelson Piquet Jr, has signed a long-term, multi-year deal with his team NEXTEV TCR to continue racing in the championship for the next three years.
Piquet currently leads the championship heading into the final two races in London in two weeks time. He has a 17 point lead after having won twice in the Long Beach and Moscow ePrix.
“I am very happy to confirm that I will be racing with NEXTEV TCR in Formula E for the foreseeable future,” Piquet Jr said. “We have had some amazing results together this season and as we build our experience together we are looking to grow as a force in this championship and be consistent championship contenders.
“I have loved racing in Formula E, I think it’s an exciting place to be in racing. The grid is strong, the car technology will keep developing and we’re offering something really exciting for fans racing in cities. For now our focus turns to the remainder of this season and aiming for the title in London next week.”
Piquet dabbles in many different racing series, having previously driven in Formula One, NASCAR, RallyCross and most recently in Indy Lights last weekend. For team principal Steven Lu, this new long-term commitment from Piquet is a fantastic achievement:
“I am delighted to continue working with the most talented driver in Formula E.” Said Lu,
“With strong support from NEXTEV, Campos Racing, Omni Gear, Henkel and other partners, we are very close to finishing in style in both the team and driver championships. Nelson will also be the key to the success of our future power-train development and industrial plan. We all believe electric cars are the future, and we are winning from the very beginning.”
More driver news has recently been announced in the run up to the London ePrix. Simona De Silvestro and Sakon Yamamoto will make their debuts in the championship for the final event, with Andretti Autosport and Amlin Aguri needing substitutes for Scott Speed and Antonio Felix da Costa.
Both drivers have driven a Formula E car previously in demonstrations. De Silvestro drove the Formula E car in Geneva, with Yamamoto showcasing the car for Japanese TV in Miami.
Another substitute driver is yet to be announced, with Trulli needing to replace Vitantonio Liuzzi who has clashing commitments. The London ePrix event will consist of two races on Saturday June 27th and Sunday June 28th.
