DS AUTOMOBILES AND TECHEETAH R3ADY TO WIN AGAIN!

Mark Preston, DS TECHEETAH Team Principal:

“What a season we had this year! These are memories that we will cherish forever, but as we look back with warmth and pride in our hearts, the team is already looking forward and have been rather busy behind the scenes with the preparation for season 7. If you look at the results from the previous two seasons, we couldn’t really aim for anything else but another double championship win, but this time as the first World Champions of Formula E.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the partners who have been with us along the way and extend a warm welcome to the partners who have joined us for the coming season. Our partners play a pivotal role in our team, both technically and financially, and our partnerships are based on the mutual goal of continuous evolution and a will to be the best in what we do. That winning mentality is key for us as it echoes everything that we do, and it lives within our partners, suppliers, team and beyond. That is what we are taking with us into Season Seven and we are feeling very well equipped and strengthen by their involvement.”

Xavier Mestelan Pinon, DS Performance Director:

“As a result of the health crisis, Formula E amended its regulations and instead of homologating a new car ahead of the season start, we’ve been given the opportunity to extend the homologation until the end of the 2021 World Championship. We’ve chosen to take a new approach given this opportunity and we have developed two cars simultaneously. Given the tremendous results from season 6 and the DS E-TENSE FE20, we will start Season Seven with an upgraded version of the championship winning car and introduce the DS E-TENSE FE21 at the Rome E-Prix. Season 7 is a new challenge for us but our objectives remain the same – fighting for victories and titles.”

Béatrice Foucher, DS Automobiles CEO:

“DS Automobiles has made its mark in Formula E history with a new double title in season 6 against the big names in the automotive industry. Thanks to the men and women involved in this innovative program, we have become a benchmark in 100% electric competition. I’m proud of our team and our drivers for their fantastic performance; grateful of the entire commitment of DS teams; and of course, thrilled that the 2021 season will start very soon.

“We started our Formula E journey in 2015, as the first premium manufacturer in the series. Formula E is one of the most exciting forms of competition and became the first sport in the world to be certified "carbon net zero” in 2020.

“Moreover, Formula E has the business commitment to electrification, and there is no place we’d rather strengthen our commitment as electrification is at the heart of DS’ strategy. The entire DS range is electrified, with DS 3 CROSSBACK E-TENSE, fully electric and the DS 7 CROSSBACK E-TENSE, plug-in hybrid version. Our flagship DS 9 with plug-in hybrid 360hp is due on the market soon and we see a real interest and appeal in this segment as 33% of our sales in Europe this year have been electrified vehicles. This has allowed us to achieve something outstanding: we had the lowest CO2 levels in the market at the end of sept 2020, with as little as 81g per km.”

Antonio Félix da Costa, Reigning ABB FIA Formula E Champion:

“To have won my first Formula E title has given me so much more fire to win another one. JEV and I, and all the other Formula E drivers who do give us a good run for our money, are going to have some epic battles this season, that’s for sure and I can’t wait. We are going for that first World Championship title and we’ll do everything in our power to get there. I’ve always said that cars that look quick, are quick – and just look at the livery for this year. You wouldn’t want to see that in your wing mirrors! I really can’t wait to show you guys what we’ve been working on, it won’t be in Valencia but do keep an eye out in Santiago. We’ll be going for it!”

Jean-Éric Vergne, ABB FIA Formula E Double-Champion:

“Since I joined DS TECHEETAH, I’ve seen first-hand how this the team always continues to improve itself. Our season 6 results proved our competitiveness, and I am extremely excited to show what we’ve got in store for season 7. We always aim to keep improving and re-inventing ourselves, our approach and most importantly our long-term vision. The team did an incredible job and I look forward to testing again in Valencia ahead of the season opener next January in Santiago.”

Next up for DS TECHEETAH is the official Formula E test in Valencia, Spain, on 28th November to 1 December before the cars are being shipped to Santiago for the first race of the season 7, which will commence in Santiago, Chile, on 16 January 2021.

PRESS CONTACTS :

DS Performance : Nathalie Dumas : +33 (0) 6 60 26 10 37 –nathalie.dumas@ext.mpsa.com

Kristian Cholmondeley – 07831 315892 – kristian.cholmondeley@dsautomobiles.com – Head of Communications – DS Automobiles.

Jeremy Townsend – 07827 896480 – jeremy.townsend@mpsa.com – UK Communications Director – Groupe PSA

ABOUT DS TECHEETAH

DS TECHEETAH Formula-E team is a Chinese racing team in the all-electric street racing series, ABB FIA Formula E. The team is owned by SECA (Shanghai) Limited.

2018/19 season saw DS TECHEETAH secure both the Drivers’ Championship with Jean-Éric Vergne and the Teams' Championship in the first year of our partnership with DS Automobiles.

In the 2019/2020 season, DS TECHEETAH claimed its second back-to-back Teams' and Drivers’ Championship titles, this time with Antonio Félix Da Costa at the helm.

TECHEETAH holds the record of most Driver back-to-back wins with Jean-Éric Vergne and Antonio Felix Da Costa securing the Driver titles in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

ABOUT CHINA MEDIA CAPITAL (CMC)

China Media Capital ("CMC"), founded and chaired by Ruigang Li, is one of the most prestigious names in media and entertainment investment and operation in China and global markets. CMC has created and grown a number of champions and emerging leaders in the sectors of media and entertainment, Internet and mobile, and life style, covering film, television, music, sports, location-based entertainment, financial media, financial data service, online-video, smart TV, advertising, social network, game, online-education, e-commerce, O2O and etc.

ABOUT SECA

Headquartered in Shanghai, SECA is a leading Chinese sports marketing and management company specializing in sports talent representation, event management and content/IP development. The company's investors include China Media Capital (CMC) Holdings and member of NBA Hall of Fame, Yao Ming.

ABOUT DS AUTOMOBILES

Driven by the spirit of the avant-garde and backed by an exceptional heritage - that of the 1955 DS, the DS brand, launched in 2015, aims to embody French luxury savoir-faire in the automotive industry. DS Automobiles is Groupe PSA's Premium brand.

Designed for a customer base looking for personal expression and eager for new technologies, the second generation of DS models combines refinement and cutting-edge technology. With DS 7 CROSSBACK, DS 3 CROSSBACK and DS 9, the DS brand is launching a range of six vehicles worldwide, all offered in an electrified version under the E-TENSE label.

DS 3 CROSSBACK E-TENSE, 100% electric, DS 7 CROSSBACK E-TENSE 225 and DS 7 CROSSBACK E-TENSE 4x4, a plug-in hybrid with 300 horsepower and 4-wheel drive for only 30 grams of CO2 per km, benefit from DS savoir-faire acquired with the Formula E Drivers and Teams Championship titles in 2018/2019.

For its discerning customers, DS Automobiles has created "ONLY YOU, the DS Experience", its exclusive service programme for a unique brand experience.

With a presence in 39 countries, the DS brand has created and is developing an exclusive distribution network that includes 427 DS STORES and DS SALONS throughout the world.

Follow all the news from DS on www.DSautomobiles.co.uk @DS_UK