- Panasonic Jaguar Racing unveil concept Jaguar I-TYPE 3 livery
- Nelson Piquet Jr completed successful and reliable shakedown of Gen 2 race car in Spain
- Team focus on maximising points as electric street racing debuts in Rome
Whitley, Monday 9 April: Panasonic Jaguar Racing today unveiled the concept livery for the Jaguar I-TYPE 3, their Gen 2 race car for season five of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. As the British team continue their mission 'Race to Innovate', this marks another historic moment in Jaguar Land Rover's electrification strategy.
The Gen 2 race car is a bold, futuristic and dynamic design and a big step forward in speed and performance. Maximum power increases to 250kW (the equivalent of 335bhp) available during qualifying and 200kW available during the race. An improved battery has allowed teams to move to one race car per driver and drop the mandatory car-swap demonstrating the rapid technological development in battery electric vehicles. The Jaguar I-TYPE 3 will also feature an LED Halo after the FIA implemented new safety regulations earlier this year.
James Barclay, Team Director Panasonic Jaguar Racing said: "This is a really exciting day for Panasonic Jaguar Racing as we take the next step on our electrification journey. We joined the championship so that we could take learnings from Formula E and directly transfer them from race to road to help shape future electric vehicles for Jaguar Land Rover. The concept livery of the Jaguar I-TYPE 3 is a progression from this season's race car which we will unveil later this year. In parallel we remain very focused on this season and continuing the positive progress we are making as a team. We are looking forward to racing in Rome in front of passionate Italian motorsport fans."
Nelson Piquet Jr, #3: "I had the chance to drive the Jaguar I-TYPE 3 development car in a closed test event last month. It was a big moment for the team, the championship and for electric vehicles. The car made a promising, reliable start but there is a lot of development to do before we start racing at the end of this year. Now my focus turns to Rome. I love new tracks and am up for the challenge."
While the team are busy developing the season five race car, Panasonic Jaguar Racing are having their best season to date with one or both drivers finishing in the points at every race, and their focus remains on continuing their success as the European leg of the championship commences with the inaugural Rome E-Prix.
Mitch Evans, #20: "We're now halfway through the season and as a team we have scored points in every race, which is a huge improvement from last year. Each race we are getting closer to a podium, and we have some new tracks coming up, including Rome and Zurich, so I'm looking forward to some competitive racing in Europe."
FanBoost opens for the seventh E-Prix of the season at 17:00 BST on Monday 9 April and closes at 15:10 BST on Saturday 17 April.
Tweet your boost using #MitchEvans or #NelsonPiquetJr and #FanBoost, or visit: http://fanboost.fiaformulae.com/
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EDITORS' NOTES
ABOUT PANASONIC JAGUAR RACING
Jaguar returned to racing in October 2016, becoming the first premium manufacturer to join the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E Championship street racing series.
Jaguar's Formula E programme will create tangible R&D benefits for the electrification of future Jaguar Land Rover road cars and is designed around the team's founding principle, 'Race to Innovate'.
Manufacturers can design their own powertrain, which includes the motor, transmission, inverter and rear suspension. Common components across all teams to control costs include the carbon fibre chassis and battery. The focus is on developing electric vehicle powertrains.
Beyond its all-electric concept, Formula E is unique in the world of motorsport for its choice of venues. With the exception of the Mexico City E-Prix, every round of the championship takes place on temporary street circuits in the centre of the world's major cities. All track action including practice, qualifying and racing takes place in a single day. The 2017/18 calendar includes 12 races in 10 cities, including double-header races in Hong Kong and the finale in New York.