Billionaire Richard Branson A Formula E NYC ePrix Reserve Driver
The upcoming Formula E doubleheader race weekend in New York City on July 15th and 16th will see celebrity billionaire Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, present as a reserve driver for the DS Virgin Racing team.
The reason for this is that DS Virgin Racing driver Jose Maria Lopez will be competing at the World Endurance Championship’s “6 Hours of Nürburgring” race.
As recounted by Branson himself recently, “I heard about the situation at the team and offered my services! As you know, I’ve always loved a challenge, and Alex, Sam, and myself are the three plucky Brits ready to take on New York.”
That last bit is in reference to the other DS Virgin Racing driver, Sam Bird, and to Branson’s fellow reserve driver, Alex Lynn.
Autoblog provides more: “That means the team’s entire lineup for the race will be made up of British talent, and Branson is excited to fill the role. The 66-year-old business magnate said he has arranged for some testing time in the car to prepare himself in case he’s called up to race.
“As for Alex Lynn, the DS Virgin Racing Team Principal Alex Tai has faith in the 23-year-old driver. ‘I’ve long been an admirer of Alex as a driver, so it will great to see what he is capable of and how quickly he can adapt to the competitive world of Formula E,’ Tai said. ‘As it’s a new track, it will be a level playing field for all drivers, so, combined with our quick car, hopefully we can achieve the results we deserve.’ He added, ‘And besides there’s always Richard to fall back on!'”
As a reminder here, the Formula E New York City ePrix is slated to take place on the streets of Brooklyn on Saturday, July 15th, and Sunday, July 16th.
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