Williams Advanced Engineering has been confirmed as the technical partner of Jaguar for their return to motorsport in the Formula E Championship.

The engineering division of the Williams Formula One team has been a long-term partner of Jaguar and will be responsible for the operational running of the Jaguar Formula E race team.

Williams Advanced Engineering will also be working in close collaboration with Jaguar on research and development, with managing director, Craig Wilson, taking on the role of race director for the new team.

Mr Wilson said: “There is a saying that racing improves the breed and Jaguar’s entry into Formula E will be a powerful way of honing a new generation of EV technologies for its products.

“We are delighted that they have chosen Williams Advanced Engineering as their technical partner in this new and high profile chapter in Jaguar’s racing history.”

Williams has extensive Formula E experience as the sole supplier of the batteries that power the cars in the championship. This has included on-event technical support to each team – a role that will now transfer to Spark Racing Technologies for season three onwards.

Jaguar’s new Formula E project will give the manufacturer the opportunity to develop its own future EV powertrain including motor and battery technology on the track, which will be seen in the brand’s future range of road vehicles.

Jaguar team director, James Barclay added: “We looked in detail at alternative ways of returning to motorsport. This was such an important decision for Jaguar and we wanted to get it right. With our future EV plans Formula E was the obvious choice and we believe that the benefits are enormous.

“The FIA and the promoter have exciting plans for the future of the championship and we are proud to be one of the first vehicle manufacturers to commit to the series with our own team. We have a lot of work to do ahead of the first race but it is a challenge we relish.”