Teaming up with race winning firm
The Venturi Formula E team has announced a long-term technical partnership with ZF, a leader in driveline and chassis technology, as well as active safety development. The partnership with the Monegasque team is already underway, and the team will work with ZF to develop the powertrain for Generation 2 of the Venturi Formula E car, from season 5 onwards. ZF, a German company with a long history of design, research and development, and manufacturing, has a well-established racing division which has produced championship winning driveline, clutches and suspension components from Formula 1 to WRC and Le Mans endurance prototypes.
ZF’s CEO, Dr Stefan Sommer discussed ZF’s commitment to a partnership with the Venturi team, saying: “For us, the technology partnership with Venturi in FIA Formula E gives us impetus for new technologies that will ideally also find their way to daily street use. Electrification is the key to individual mobility of the future and, using the exciting Formula E platform, we aim to make a significant contribution to the success of Venturi. Winning will allow us to prove our exceptional competences as a lead development partner and technology leader and winning with Venturi will also strengthen our credentials in motorsports with electric powertrain competition cars. The FIA Formula E series, with its forward-looking and sustainability-oriented concept, provides the ideal setting for ZF to showcase our talents.”
“Winning force”
Venturi’s Chief Technical Officer Franck Baldet explained the rationale behind the partnership, adding: “The level of competition that we are now seeing in the FIA Formula E series requires access to an array of engineering disciplines, equipment, facilities and highly motivated and talented people. Our partnership with ZF unlocks these assets for Venturi and I’m confident that this will enable our team to grow and to become a winning force within the FIA Formula E series.”
Venturi’s drivers, Stephane Sarrazin and Maro Engel were positive in welcoming the ZF partnership, with Sarrazin commenting. “We have seen in the first two seasons of Formula E, an escalation in the resources and commitment from Formula e teams to compete for the prestigious FIA Formula E crown. Therefore, it is essential to have the commitment of a global automotive partner in order to be competitive and in ZF we could not have found a better partner. ZF’s experience and competences in powertrain and electronics coupled with a mature motorsport heritage and a highly skilled and motivated workforce will be a massive asset to Venturi.”
Engel comments
New signing, Maro Engel, added: “When you plan your strategy in any form of motorsport, you want access to the best technology and personnel available to you to move forward technically. If you sat down to analyse the best automotive partner that you could have in terms of experience, range of relevant competences to Formula E and understanding of motorsport you would arrive at ZF at the top of your list. I’m delighted to be starting my Formula E career at the beginning of this collaboration and I very much hope to make a worthwhile contribution to the success of the ZF technology partnership with the Venturi team.”
