Formula 1 Grand Prix winner Jarno Trulli has praised the fully-electric Formula E car following a recent test drive at the La Ferte Gaucher circuit near Choisy-le-Roi, France.
|Last Updated: Mar 26, 2014, 04:15 PM IST|Source: IANS
La Ferte Gaucher, France: Formula 1 Grand Prix winner Jarno Trulli has praised the fully-electric Formula E car following a recent test drive at the La Ferte 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 treaded tyres.
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.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.