Paul Jeffrey
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Electric GT, a new and exciting all electric zero emissions GT championship has received its first public airing at the 2017 Autosport International show in Britain to positive reception from fans, as the new Tesla Model S racing machine wowed spectators in the Live Action Arena in front of a packed audience.
Although the championship was announced last year details have been rather thin on the ground with regards to what fans can expect once the racing commences later this year. EGT have planned a wave of announcements over the three days at AIS as well as public demonstrations of the admittedly impressive new electric racing machine.
The car has undergone many kilometres testing already with both the highly experienced former Grand Prix winner Heinz-Harald Frentzen and former driver and Sky Sports presenter Karun Chandock getting in on the action.
Chandock, who drove the car at the little known Calafat circuit last month was effusive in his praise of the new machine.
Chandock said "I was glad to take up Electric GT's invitation to come and drive the car that the team are working on ahead of their first season in 2017. As a racing driver, you're always curious to test new and different machines and driving a raceprepared Tesla was clearly something I was keen to try.
“The car handles remarkably well and is very balanced despite being in the early stages of development. I'd be interested to see what it's like when they get the P100based version 2.0 up and running next year, as that should have a lot more power. Mark, Agustin and their team have great ambitions for the series and I look forward to seeing how the project develops over the next six months!"
The likeable Indian has not been the only one to be impressed by the new Tesla GT racer. Former Sauber, Williams and Jordan driver Frentzen is a talented racing driver with an enviable CV to his name and known as a gifted technical driver. The German had his chance to try out the electric car back in October at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France.“The car handles remarkably well and is very balanced despite being in the early stages of development. I'd be interested to see what it's like when they get the P100based version 2.0 up and running next year, as that should have a lot more power. Mark, Agustin and their team have great ambitions for the series and I look forward to seeing how the project develops over the next six months!"
Frentzen said "As a long time owner of this manufacturer it was great fun to drive one of the first race-prepared Teslas,” said Frentzen. “It was a fantastic opportunity to experience the potential of E-racing performance cars. Mark [Gemmell, CEO] and his EGT team are definitely heading in the right direction."
EGT Series trailer
CEO, Mark Gemmell, said: “The Electric GT V2.0 design is the fastest way towards the ‘Age of Light’. I am very excited to be using the Tesla Model S P100D as it is incredibly quick and innovative. This week we opened the subscription period for teams and the new car announcement is an exciting prospect for those who want to join us.”
The drivers:
The EGT series offers drivers an opportunity to announce their interest in the series without committing themselves to an actual team or seasons entry in the category, much like the tactics employed by the similarly electric Formula E series when that championship was first announced back in March. Despite having only recently opened up their books to driver signings many big names have already thrown their hat into the ring, including popular Dutchman and WTCC mainstay Tom Coronel.
The list of drivers already having registered an interest in the series includes:
- Stefan Wilson
- Leilani Münter
- Tom Coronel
- Ricardo Texeira
- Emma Kimiläinen
- Vicky Piria
- Dani Clos
- Alice Powell
- Tom Onslow Cole
- Oliver Webb
- Jeroen Bleekemolen
- Kevin Ceccon
With a 20 driver grid to fill before the lights go green on the inaugural 2017 season expect many more names to add to the list in the very near future.
The schedule:
The EGT series will visit seven classic European circuits in its inaugural season, including Paul Ricard, Barcelona, Assen, Estoril and the Nürburgring, before staging three non-championship races in the Americas. The full schedule and dates have yet to be finalized and could be subject to change ahead of the season start later this year.
About Electric GT Championship
The championship was announced on 9 March 2016, with the Tesla Model S chosen for the first season, which will get underway in 2017. There will be 10 teams and 20 drivers, who will compete across seven races during season one. Weekends will consist of a 20-minute practice session, 30-minute qualifying, a day race (60km) and a dusk race (60km). Each round will be a weekend-long festival of technology and innovation for sustainability, in and around the circuits. Fans will be able to stream races via Periscope, Twitch and YouTube, as well as interact directly with the teams using social media platforms
Electric racing seems to be growing in popularity as we head into the new season. It will be very interesting to see what becomes of EGT when the racing kicks off later this year. With drivers to quality of Coronel and Olly Webb already paying close attention to the new championship one must take this venture seriously. It will be interesting to see if the championship can do a better job of capturing the racing fans attention that has been seen with Formula E so far.
What do you think of Electic GT? Who would you like to see in the series? Will you be watching the championship this year? Do you think electric racing has a place in motorsport? Let us know in the comments section below!
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