Jean-Eric Vergne is relishing the opportunity to partner Sam Bird in the upcoming FIA Formula E season at DS Virgin Racing.
Vergne was confirmed to be joining Virgin for season two after spending the majority of the first campaign with Andretti, finishing seventh overall in the final drivers’ championship.
The ex-Toro Rosso Formula 1 driver will balance his development driver duties with Scuderia Ferrari with his role at Virgin, replacing Jaime Alguersuari.
Vergne will race alongside Bird, who finished fifth overall in season one with two race wins to his name and will be looking to lead the team once again in the coming campaign.
In a post on his Instagram account, Vergne expressed his excitement about finally working with Bird, a driver and competitor that he respects and reveres.
“Really happy to be driving for DS Virgin Racing for this new season of Formula E, and to partner a very good and friendly driver,” Vergne wrote.
“There is only a few drivers you can race and fight to the limit knowing there will always be this mutual respect and room. @sambirdracing this season will be a good and exciting one!”
Pre-season testing for the second FIA Formula E season starts on Monday at Donington Park in England.
Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles
“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.
“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”
Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.
“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”
Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.
Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.
The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.
Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.
