Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsFormula E

Villeneuve to join Formula E ranks with Venturi

Former Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve will be joining the burgeoning Formula E series for its second season and racing for the Monaco-based Venturi GP outfit.

Villeneuve was offered a full day of running in Venturi's electric powered car last week at Circuit Paul Ricard, with the test obviously satisfying both parties as the Canadian has now been contracted to race alongside Frenchman Stéphane Sarrazin in 2015 and 2016.

"This is the first time in several years that I will participate in a full championship,” Villeneuve said.

“I am excited because the atmosphere while working alongside the Venturi team is great and that has a very big influence. Also I know Stephane Sarrazin well, we trust each other."

“It had been ten years since I had driven on that kind of track with a single-seater, but it’s like riding a bike, you never forget. It was real happiness. There was a very good ambiance with the Venturi team and one of the engineers with Venturi happens to be a guy I worked with early in my career.”

Since retiring from Formula 1 in 2006, Villeneuve has competed in a variety of different categories, including NASCAR, V8 Supercars and even Rally Cross. He last outing in a single-seater was at the Indy 500 in 2014 in which he finished 14th for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.