Jean-Eric Vergne is counting on his new single-seater to win a third FE title
On the occasion of the presentation of the new DS E-TENSE FE25, which will participate in season 11 of Formula E, Jean-Eric Vergne gave an interview to Motors Inside.
New season and intact ambition for Jean-Eric Vergne. A few weeks before the first race of season 11 of Formula E which will take place on December 7th in Sao Paulo, the driver of the DS Penske team aims to regain the top step of the podium. During the presentation of the team’s new single-seater which inaugurates the era of the Gen3 EVO, Motors Inside took the opportunity to hand the microphone to the only double champion of the discipline.
Hello Jean-Eric.
You are about to start your 8th Formula E season with DS Automobiles. Why such an attachment to this brand?
It’s like in a marriage. You move it forward in good and bad times. I really like this company and the people working in the team, they are amazing. We are here to win and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I consider myself at the top of my performance in Formula E and very motivated to continue for a long time. As long as my goals and those of the team are aligned, there will be no reason to change. I am certainly the driver who has stayed the longest with the same team. This demonstrates the trust I have and my loyalty. I think the best years are ahead of us, so I have no reason to leave Stellantis’ motorsports division.
You have already been able to test the Gen3 EVO at Nogaro in September. How is it different to drive compared to the previous Gen3?
There is already a little more grip at the tire level. The all-wheel drive makes a huge difference, we gain about two seconds per lap. It radically changes the car. With 350 kW, these are really fast cars. So it’s nice to have developments that allow us to gain so many seconds.
Do you think that with the developments made especially on the powertrain, you can get closer to Porsche and Jaguar?
It’s always the same. We have to wait and see the first race to get a clear idea. We know about our improvements, but I absolutely don’t know about those of the other teams. If we improve our car by five tenths per lap and the others improve it by eight tenths, the gap will widen even more, and we will be even further behind. So we will wait to see several races to get a clear idea.
Like you, several drivers participate in both the Formula E World Championship and the Endurance World Championship. What advantages do you draw from this dual commitment for both championships?
We are in a job that we love. It is an ideal situation to have a job that is our passion. Racing in beautiful championships, in beautiful programs, is something great, I have nothing to complain about. It is true that there are a lot of travels with many races and pressure that remains high throughout the season but above all it is a lot of fun. It is a job that I have been doing for many years now so we learn to manage all of this.
What would be more beautiful: winning a third title in FE with DS or the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot?
Both!
