NIO Formula E Team Driver Line-Up and New Livery Unveiled at FIA Formula E Official Test

The NIO Formula E Team (formerly NextEV NIO Formula-e Team) has today announced its driver line-up and revealed the Season 4 livery for its 2017/18 challenger at the official FIA Formula E pre-season test at Valencia Circuit, Spain.

The team is delighted to welcome experienced racing driver Luca Filippi, from Savigliano, Italy, as its second driver alongside Briton Oliver Turvey, who remains with the team for a third full season behind the wheel of the squad’s all-electric race car, the NextEV NIO 003.

The NextEV NIO 003 sports an evolution of its familiar teal livery with a new dark, tonal teal contrast for Season 4. The fresh design also features accents of performance red and the team’s social media hashtag #BlueSkyComing – the meaning of the company’s Chinese name, Weilai.

Since the season 3 finale in Montreal back in July, the team has successfully completed 15 full days of private testing at the Calafat Circuit in Spain and exceeded its mileage target.

Gérry Hughes, Team Principal, NIO Formula E Team

“Two months after the last race event of Season 3, we are delighted to reveal the NextEV NIO 003 chassis in revised livery and with the team being renamed under the NIO Brand for Season 4.

Over the summer we completed multiple seasons worth of testing mileage with the NextEV NIO 003 development chassis which features an all new rear end, the design of which came under the leadership of Paul Fickers (Engineering Director – Performance Programme).

Season 4 sees us welcome Luca Filippi on-board with the NIO Formula E Team and I firmly believe that these two drivers will form a formidable driver pairing for the coming season. Whilst Luca is new to the series he brings with him a wealth of motorsport experience which our young dynamic team will be looking to exploit.

I am under no illusions that Season 4 will be any less competitive than last season, however I feel that we are in good shape preparation wise and the whole team is looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead. Bring on Hong Kong which is the home race for NIO!”

Oliver Turvey, #16 NIO Formula E Team

“Firstly, I would like to thank NIO for their continued belief and support in me. I am delighted to be continuing for a third season with the NIO Formula E Team. I believe we have grown together over the last two seasons and we have been able to make some good progress together.

The whole NIO team has been working extremely hard on the new Season 4 car and in the development testing I have felt some positive changes in the chassis and powertrain. I am confident the team has made a step forward and believe we have gained a greater understanding of the car.

The growth and progress of the FIA Formula E Championship is amazing and I am proud to be part of such a strong series with an exciting future. The competition is very high with the level of teams and drivers in the series although I am confident if we continue to build on last year, where I consistently qualified strongly and took my first FE pole position, we can achieve our aims together to challenge for podiums and race wins.

I would like to welcome Luca to the team; he brings a lot of experience, and having raced against him previously, I know he will make a strong team mate. I know we will work well together to develop the car and build a stronger team.

The new livery is stunning! I really like the contrast between the light and dark teal and the way it represents the NIO “Blue Sky Coming”. I can’t wait to get in the car at Valencia for the official test and for the first race in Hong Kong!"

Luca Filippi, #68 NIO Formula E Team

“Let me firstly thank everyone in NIO for the great opportunity given to me to race in the FIA Formula E Championship. It is a new electric world for me and a new racing system oriented to the future that is full of talent and clean technology, so I am extremely excited to become a part of it.

During our first test run together in Spain I immediately had a great feeling with the car and all the people in the team. To join NIO for S4 is a dream come true and I am very much looking forward to working with Oliver and Gerry and starting this journey with everyone in the NIO Formula E team.”

Following this week’s official test, the 2017/18 FIA Formula E Championship will get underway at the Hong Kong ePrix double-header event on 2^nd and 3^rd December 2017.

Connect with the NIO Formula E Team #BlueSkyComing:

@NIOGlobal Twitter, Instagram and Facebook   
@OliverTurvey Twitter            @Oliver_Turvey Instagram     @OliverTurveyRacing Facebook
@LucaFilippiLF Twitter           @lucafilippilf Instagram          @LucaFilippiOfficial Facebook

Notes to Editors:

About Oliver Turvey:

Oliver Turvey has a notable single-seater and sportscar racing career stretching over twenty years. He was the recipient of the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in 2006, the year he finished as vice champion in Formula BMW and was 2008 British F3 vice champion. Oliver has also competed in the GP2 Series, Formula Renault 3.5, the FIA World Endurance Championship and fulfilled the role of McLaren F1 test driver for six seasons. Since joining the Formula E series for the Season 1 finale in London, Oliver has become an important member of NIO Formula-e team line-up. His strong performance in qualifying allowed him to reach both Super Pole sessions in the London ePrix double header at the end of Season 2 and his form continued into Season 3 where he scored his maiden pole in Mexico and secured his place in eight consecutive Super Pole shoot-outs, a series record.

About Luca Filippi:

Born in Savigliano, Italy (9^th August 1985) Luca Filippi started racing in go-karts at the age of eight years old. In 2002, he won the "Astra & AUTOSPRINT Search for Drivers" competition which led to a race seat in the MazdaMX-5 Cup. The following year he took part in Formula Renault 2000 and won the 2005 Italian Formula 3000 championship. At the end of the year Luca had the opportunity to drive with the Minardi F1 Team and began his GP2 Series career. A brief stint as Honda F1 test driver followed with Luca remaining in the role until the Japanese team retired from Formula 1™. He was the recipient of the prestigious “Casco D’Oro”, the Oscar of racing presented by AUTOSPRINT magazine, in 2011.

Combining GP2 duties and racing in the Auto GP Championship, both with Super Nova Racing Team, Luca then flew over the Atlantic to participate in the 2013 IndyCar series. His best result came in the Grand Prix of Toronto where he finished second with CFH Racing in 2015 before he joined Dayle Coyne Racing in 2016.

About NIO:

Founded in November 2014, NIO is a global start-up with world-class research and development, design, manufacturing centres and user centres in Shanghai, San Jose, Munich, London and 15 other locations. NIO has more than 3,000 employees from nearly 40 countries. The NIO Formula-e team secured the inaugural Drivers’ Championship title in 2015 and in 2016 NIO unveiled the fastest electric car in the world, the NIO EP9. The NIO EP9 set the lap record for an electric vehicle at Nürburgring’s Nordschleife and three other world-renowned tracks. In 2017 the company unveiled its vision car, EVE, and set a new world speed record for an autonomous vehicle at COTA, Texas, with the NIO EP9. The ES8, NIO’s first mass production vehicle, was unveiled at the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show.