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Renault has confirmed it will leave the FIA’s Formula E at the end of the forthcoming season.
The French carmaker, which, in partnership with racing team DAMS has been at the fore of the young racing series since it started in 2014, claiming three teams’ championships and winning the drivers’ championship in season two, is to leave in order to focus on its works F1 team.
The move bucks the trend seen elsewhere in the automotive world, with several manufacturers recently making the switch to Formula E from other, more conventional series.
Groupe Renault executive vice president of sales and marketing, explained the decision. “We had an incredible championship run during our first three years in Formula E and look forward to a competitive fourth season with the benefit of a very stable environment at Renault e.dams. As a pioneer in EV, we have learned a tremendous amount about high-performance electric vehicles and energy management that directly benefits our EV customers.
“After season four [2017/2018] we will focus resources on our aggressive goals for Formula 1 and we look forward to continuing to gain benefits from motorsport racing across the Alliance with Nissan.”
The move, along with the announcement that Renault’s group partner Nissan will be entering the sport, effectively means the Japanese firm will be taking Renault’s place. This was highlighted in an official statement from Renault: “Given the competitiveness of the environment, Renault and Nissan will work together to ensure a smooth transition, leveraging the expertise and development already available,” it read.
