More than two decades ago, the Formula One world was captivated by the legendary battles between Alain Prost and the late Ayrton Senna. Now, Prost’s son and Senna’s nephew will be going head-to-head in Formula E.
Today, French squad e.dams-Renault (co-owned by Alain and Jean-Paul Driot) announced that World Endurance Championship drivers Sebastien Buemi and Nicolas Prost will suit up for their side in the inaugural F-E championship that begins in September.
The addition of Nicolas to the F-E grid ensures a “Prost vs. Senna” revival, as Bruno Senna is set to drive at Mahindra Racing.
Former Toro Rosso F1 racer Buemi remains involved in that world as the current tester and reserve driver for four-time defending World Champion Red Bull.
As for Nicolas, he has past open-wheel experience as a tester for Lotus F1 and a racer in multiple leagues such as Spanish Formula 3, Euroseries 3000, and A1GP.
Said Driot in a Renault statement: “We have recruited two very talented drivers for this exciting new challenge. In addition to his driving skills, Nicolas Prost will bring his ability to think outside of the box to the table, as well as his technical background and his ability to analyze the technical aspects of this all-electric formula.
“Sébastien Buemi will bring his reputation and speed, along with the fact that he is extremely popular with the public and motor racing fans.”
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Also making a driver announcement today was Jarno Trulli’s TrulliGP team, which has now paired Italian driver Michaela Cerruti with the longtime F1 veteran.
Cerruti becomes the second female driver on the F-E grid, joining Amlin Aguri’s Katherine Legge. She currently competes in both the AutoGP open-wheel series (where she won this past month at Imola) and in the Blancpain Endurance Series.
“Michela is a very talented driver with a natural skill,” Trulli said of his new teammate in a statement. “I was impressed by her recent results considering the very limited time she has spent in single-seaters.
“I’m extremely happy to share my long Formula 1 experience with Michela to make our team successful. I’m convinced that Michela is an up and coming star, the one to watch for this season and the future.”
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Adding to the busy Monday around F-E was the confirmation of Battersea Park in South London, England as the site for the London ePrix, which will serve as the 2014-2015 season finale on June 27, 2015.
London Mayor Boris Johnson said that the ePrix would “provide an awesome addition to the capital’s sporting calendar.”
“…Hosting the championship final of this all-electric race is a fantastic feather in our city’s sporting cap,” he added. “It shows that there is great confidence in London’s ability to stage the biggest and the best global sporting events, which play such an important role in boosting our economy and our international reputation.”
As part of the announcement, a fleet of Spark-Renault machines took to the city’s Westminster Bridge. You can check out the demonstration below:
