Formula will be all-electric E Spark Renault SRT_01E seems Podracers

As bad as The Phantom Menace was, you can't say that the podrace scene didn't have some cool sounds. If

you liked the way that Ben Quadinaros or Gasgano sounded as they roared past the digital camera on screen, you might like to know that the upcoming Formula E race series is apparently an audio sibling.

"The sound of Formula E is going to be a big surprise for everyone" - CEO Alejandro Agag

Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag told The Malay Mail that the sound that the Spark-Renault SRT_01E makes as it races by is reminiscent of the famous Star Wars sport. "We think the sound of Formula E is going to be a big surprise for everyone," he said. "The sounds that comes out [are] completely futuristic, new, different." He also promised to release a video next week so the rest of us can hear the sound. Hopefully, it will have fewer whiny children involved.

In similar news, Grand Prix winner Jarno Trulli recently had a chance to test drive the SRT_01E and came away impressed. In a statement, he said that being in the cockpit "feels like driving a proper Formula One car." He didn't share much about what the car sounds like going by, but said that from the inside, "the sound is different but you still hear the sound of the electrical engine and gearbox, so in terms of feeling it's perfect for a racing driver."

JARNO TRULLI APPLAUDS NEW FORMULA E CAR

- Grand Prix winner impressed with electric single-seater test with full battery

LA FERTÉ GAUCHER, FRANCE (25, March 2014) – Grand Prix winner Jarno Trulli has applauded the fully-electric Formula E car – the Spark-Renault SRT_01E – following a recent test drive at the La Ferté Gaucher circuit near Choisy-le-Roi, France.

The 39-year-old Italian, who last week signed up to the Championship's Drivers' Club, spent a whole day at the wheel of the now fully-tested single-seater using the final race-going 200kw (270bhp) battery.

Trulli is one of the most experienced drivers in the history of F1, competing in 256 Grand Prix and lying third on the all-time entry list, behind Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher and joint with Riccardo Patrese. He was renowned for his qualifying pace and during his 15-year F1 career has driven for Minardi, Prost, Jordan, Renault – where he secured a memorable win on the streets of Monte Carlo – Toyota and Lotus (now Caterham).

Trulli said: "From inside the cockpit it feels like driving a proper Formula One car, the sound is different but you still hear the sound of the electrical engine and gearbox, so in terms of feeling it's perfect for a racing driver. Maybe from the outside it seems different but inside you don't notice it. So far I have enjoyed it because it's a nice car to drive.

"As a first day I expected something different and it certainly is, but having a feeling of a racing car was the most important thing. I have been racing for 30 years, 15 in Formula One, so I have seen more or less everything so I anticipated finding something unlike anything else but it gave me the same feeling of the old days."

The SRT_01E has been designed and built by Spark Racing Technology together with a consortium of the leading manufacturers in motorsport, and will compete in the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship - the world's first global electric race series beginning in September. The chassis has been constructed by Dallara, with McLaren Electronics Systems providing the electric motor, gearbox and electronics, Williams Advanced Engineering the batteries, Renault the overall systems integration and Michelin the bespoke 18" treaded tyres.

Speaking on the forthcoming Formula E Championship, Trulli added: "There is a lot of potential in this series and it's going to be fun because you are going to be driving in street circuits bringing the cities into the fans' house."

To date, the SRT_01E has completed more than 1,500km of trouble-free testing and will shortly go into production with the first cars delivered to teams at the Championship's new Donington Park headquarters in mid-May.

For more information on Formula E visit www.fiaformulae.com. To watch the video of Jarno Trulli driving the Formula E car click here.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Photo captions:

1, 2 & 3) Former F1 racer Jarno Trulli test driving the new Spark-Renault SRT_01E Formula E car.

For further media information, including high-res images, visit www.fiaformulae.com/media. Broadcast quality footage of the test is also available upon request. Alternatively for further details contact:
Tom Phillips, FIA Formula E Press Officer
+44 (0)7812 206260 // tom@fiaformulae.com

Follow Formula E:
Twitter: twitter.com/FIAformulaE (@FIAformulaE)
Facebook: facebook/fiaformulae
Youtube: youtube/fiaformulae
Website: www.fiaformulae.com

About FIA Formula E Championship:
Formula E is a new FIA championship featuring Formula cars powered exclusively by electric energy. It represents a vision for the future of the motor industry over the coming decades, serving as a framework for research and development around the electric vehicle, accelerating general interest in these cars and promoting sustainability. Commencing in September 2014, the Championship will compete in the heart of 10 of the world's leading cities - including London, Beijing and Los Angeles - racing around their iconic landmarks. For the inaugural season, 10 teams, each with two drivers, will go head-to-head creating a unique and exciting racing series designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fans. Operating as an 'open championship', the series gives car manufacturers and constructors the opportunity to showcase their electrical energy innovations in a racing environment, designing cars to the technical specifications set out by the FIA.

About 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 programme 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.

SOURCE The Malay Mail