Just Electric

Mortara stays with Venturi for season five

Edoardo Mortara has opted to continue with Venturi for his second season in Formula E.

The Swiss racer will run alongside the already confirmed Felipe Massa at Venturi, where he made his FE debut last year.

After a strong rookie season, Mortara had a number of other options for his second year, but decided to continue with Venturi after receiving “phenomenal support” from the Monaco based team.

“The exponential growth and appeal of this revolutionary competition demonstrates that Formula E really is the future of motorsport,” he said. “As part of the team last season, I felt a strong will to succeed and I enjoyed the innate potential within Venturi.

“Moreover, on a personal level, I received phenomenal support from the team. You can’t underestimate the importance of this for a driver, alongside huge support and goodwill from our fans, which I’m very grateful for.

“I’m also very proud to compete alongside Felipe Massa, one of the most experienced and fastest drivers in the world.”

Mortara finished 13th in his first season in the electric racing championship, with a best result of second in just the second race of the season in Hong Kong.

The 31-year-old had the potential to finish higher in the championship standings, but was forced to miss three rounds late in the season due to DTM commitments.

However, this year Formula E is said to be “at the forefront” of Mortara’s focus, suggesting more skipped rounds are not expected to be on the table.

“The decision to extend our journey with Edoardo came after careful consideration,” said team principal Susie Wolff. “We’re convinced that he and Felipe Massa will form a solid pairing at the wheel of these new Gen2 cars.

“We know Edoardo had other options so we’re pleased that he has committed to Venturi and to focussing on Formula E. His experience will be a valuable asset to our team as we move forward.”

Venturi president Gildo Pastor added: “I have every confidence in [Mortara’s] ability to achieve more podium finishes in Formula E. It’s a great pleasure to have him with us again this season, he’s one of the most skilled drivers of his generation.”

The announcement makes Mortara the ninth driver to be confirmed for the upcoming season. One driver still unconfirmed for season five is Mortara’s 2017-18 team-mate Maro Engel, who has been with Venturi for the past two seasons.

Bethonie Waring

Privacy Policy

Click here to read our Privacy Policy.

%d bloggers like this: