Ma confirmed as NIO reserve driver

Ma Qing Hua is back in the Formula E paddock, as NIO appoints the Chinese racer as their reserve driver. An important step for the team, ahead of the first race of the season.

It has been confirmed today that Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua will be NIO’s reserve driver for Season 4. Ma will be in the paddock ahead of the first race of the season, supporting the team’s drivers Oliver Turvey and Luca Filippi.

NIO is the third team the Chinese ace joins in Formula E, after being part of Team Aguri in Season 2, and taking part in the three first races of Season 3 with compatriot squad TECHEETAH.

“I am extremely proud to be appointed as the Reserve Driver for the NIO Formula E Team for the upcoming season. I see NIO as an exciting new brand and rising star in the industry, having accomplished so much already in a few short years from tremendous R&D work to participation in Formula E racing”, expressed Ma.

Gérry Hughes, Team Principal, has conveyed his enthusiasm for the team’s new member. “It is with great pleasure that we welcome Ma Qing Hua in to the NIO Formula E Team family in the role of Reserve Driver. We have been working with Ma over the course of the summer manufacturer testing period and this appointment concludes our driver line-up for Season 4 nicely”.

With the arrival of Ma to the squad, NIO becomes the third team to confirm a reserve driver on their lineup. In a series with such a potential growth like Formula E, the role of a reserve driver has a significant importance, as it allows the test and improvement of new technologies to apply in upcoming seasons.

For a young and up and coming start-up like NIO, securing a reserve driver plays a fundamental role in the development, not only of the Formula E car, but also the company’s products.