Venturi Automobiles today announced a joint venture with award-winning actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio to enter a team in the new FIA Formula E Championship – the world’s first fully-electric race series beginning in September 2014.
Based in Monaco, the new Venturi Grand Prix Formula E Team has been co-founded by DiCaprio and Gildo Pallanca Pastor, founder of pioneering EV manufacturer Venturi Automobiles, together with Bert Hedaya and Francesco Costa.
“The future of our planet depends on our ability to embrace fuel-efficient, clean-energy vehicles,” DiCaprio said. “Venturi Grand Prix has shown tremendous foresight in their decision to create an environmentally friendly racing team, and I am happy to be a part of this effort.”
“It’s an honour and a pleasure to welcome the Venturi Grand Prix team as the tenth and final team of the FIA Formula E Championship,” said Alejandro Agag, CEO of series promoters Formula E Holdings. “Gildo Pastor is a true pioneer in electric racing. From the desert of Salt Lake to Antarctica, his passion and vision pushes forward the technology barriers of what can be done with an electric car. But Gildo is not alone in this venture. Global entrepreneurs Francesco Costa and Bert Hedaya bring great experience and energy to the team.
“And of course, I want to give a very special welcome to our Championship to Leonardo DiCaprio. Very few environmental leaders have helped more than him to spread the message of sustainability around the world. Having people like him and Richard Branson – global ambassadors for the environment – is a privilege for our Championship and will greatly help us to spread the use of electric cars in cities around the planet.”
For over 10 years, Venturi is witnessing the implementation of the principles, means and tools of sustainable mobility.
Just like participants in the first automobile rallies in the early 20th century, we have paved the way for an industrial sector of the future.
Our history is marked by several world premières, records for speed, distance and endurance, expeditions in unlikely places for electric vehicles, the development of innovations for applications involving extreme conditions as well as daily use, the production of technology demonstrators and the manufacturing of standard cars.
Whatever the problems, climate conditions or nature of the terrain, our teams have designed and implemented solutions over the past ten years which have proven to be efficient and effective in every field.
Sports cars, urban and utilitarian vehicles, our range of models and our achievements embody all the various capabilities of the electric car.
We have established this industrial reality without sacrificing the seductiveness of either performance or esthetics, the two main attractions behind the car of everyone’s dreams.
