Share this article on LinkedIn Email

The DS Techeetah ABB FIA Formula E partnership is "feeling the growing pains ease off" ahead of the Rome E-Prix after its breakthrough win in Sanya last time out.

The privateer Techeetah squad won the 2017/18 drivers' championship with Jean-Eric Vergne, narrowly missing out on the teams' championship to Audi at the New York finale.

Techeetah then switched from its status as a Renault customer to a fully-fledged manufacturer with DS for 2018/19.

Its first year together has been impacted by Jean-Eric Vergne's early struggles with its Gen2 car and the new qualifying format for 2018/19 which often placed Vergne and Andre Lotterer in the midpack and involved in incidents.

Vergne proved the DS Techeetah package's potential with victory in Sanya and team principal Mark Preston says it has helped his squad's momentum.

"It's fair to say that we're back on a roll now," he said.

"Both Andre and Jean-Eric are on top of their game and razor sharp at the moment, so we're looking forward to seeing what they'll deliver in Rome.



"We've been back at base in Versailles to prepare and there is a really nice atmosphere in the team which is good.

"It's never easy merging two successful teams like we have this year but we're feeling the growing pains ease off and we're coming together as a team more and more each week.

"We're a really strong combination and the alliance between performance and avant-garde is starting to shine through."

The FE drivers' title race currently has the top six drivers split by just 10 points going into Rome.

Techeetah is fourth in the teams' standings but trails leading outfit Envision Virgin Racing by just two points.

Xavier Mestelan Pinon, DS's performance director, added that the close competition at the front of FE proves "what an exceptionally high level we must perform at to be competitive".

Vergne paid tribute to Techeetah for helping steer him through a slump in form in which he failed to score points in three consecutive races before his Sanya win.

He had previously called on the team to end its "negative spiral" after Hong Kong.

"Racing isn't just a physical game but it's a mental one too and it is really hard work to keep the same mentality when you're not getting the results you aim for," Vergne said.

"I'm lucky to have such a strong team around me as its when you don't have the results that it's more important than ever to stick together and move forward as a team, and that's what we've done, so bring on Rome."