Formula E

NIO 333 FE Team in high spirits for Diriyah season opener

Motorsport Technology
23 Feb 2021
3 min read

The NIO 333 FE Team, partnered by Acronis, is hopeful of starting the 2021 season on a high as the new ABB FIA Formula E World Championship kicks off in Ad-Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

Making the opening race of the season an even more special event is the fact that the Diriyah circuit plays host to the first ever back-to-back night races in the world’s premier electric racing series, low-power LED technology powered by sustainably sourced biofuel generators illuminating the circuit, pitlane and Team garages.

“I’m really excited for the start of the new Formula E season in Diriyah, especially as it will be the first ever night race and as the series becomes an official FIA World Championship,” commented veteran Formula E driver and team stalwart Oliver Turvey. “It’s one of my favourite tracks, with a series of high-speed corners and undulations making it a real challenge that will look even more spectacular this year under the lights.

“After a positive final day at the Valencia test, I have been training hard and preparing with the team in the simulator. The whole NIO 333 team has put in a huge amount of effort to develop the new powertrain for this season, so I can’t wait to get out on track and go racing again!”

Joining Turvey in the team for the first time is Anglo-Swedish driver Tom Blomqvist, who has previous experience of driving in the series for both Andretti and Panasonic Jaguar Racing.

“It’s been a long break since the last Formula E race, and even the test in Valencia, so anticipation for the new season has really built up over the past few weeks,” said Blomqvist. “Everyone in the team is really looking forward to getting stuck in. They’ve been working extremely hard on all the developments we’ve had since last season, so we’re excited to get back on track and see where we stand.

“Diriyah is not an easy place to start the season, in my opinion. The track is pretty challenging, especially for a rookie; it’s not very forgiving and there’s not a lot of practice in Formula E. This weekend I ultimately just want to be proud of what I achieve by the end of it.

“I’m not going to put too much expectation on myself; what’s important for me is to get the best out of the weekend. Everything’s a work in progress for us, so if we can extract the potential out of our package, I believe we should come away with some decent results. Let’s see.”

With changes to its operational and technical staff and operating a bespoke powertrain, principal Christian Silk is confident the team can make significant strides forward.

“I have spent all my career in motorsport, and have seen the start of many seasons, but I don’t think it would be an over exaggeration when I say this is one of the most keenly anticipated season openers I have ever experienced,” added Silk.

“The engineers are still working hard preparing for the coming races whilst in their hotel rooms and back at base, and the mechanics have plenty of work to complete making final changes to the cars when they get to the circuit. But there is an underlaying feeling of great excitement amongst us all – we are extremely eager to get back to racing.

“At NIO 333 we know there is still plenty we can do to improve our performance, but this coming weekend will be our first chance to see the results of all our hard work so far and we really can’t wait.”

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