Former F1 hotshoes Jarno Trulli and Nick Heidfeld are the latest big-name drivers to sign on for the all-electric Formula E series that kicks off later this year.
The two aces bring the total up to 40 drivers competing this season, which opens September 13 in Beijing. The depth of talent underscores just how seriously the drivers, and the 10 teams competing in Formula E, are taking the series and the effort the FIA is putting into making it succeed.
"Formula E is a really exciting project and a really big innovation in motor racing," says Sebastien Bourdais, who has competed in Champ Car, F1 and Le Mans. "You don’t get to be a part of such technological advances very often in a career."
While there is some hand-wringing over the viability of the sport--which, at this point, is essentially a spec series with Dallara providing the chassis and McLaren most of the electronics--any problems with e-racing won't stem from lack of talent. In January, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile launched the Drivers' Club as a talent pool for teams to draw on; the roster includes former F1 drivers Sebastien Buemi, Nick Heidfeld, Takuma Sato, Bruno Senna, Jarno Trulli, and Lucas di Grassi.
Even The Stig got a seat. Ben Collins, the 39-year-old former Formula 3, GT and stock car racer has signed on to race during this year's inaugural season, but he's most well known as one of the tame racing drivers featured on the insanely popular BBC show Top Gear. He's also done stunt driving work for Hollywood, including the latest James Bond movies, Quantum of Solace, Casino Royale, and Skyfall.
Trulli and Heidfeld were among four drivers announced Wednesday. Trulli is an old hand with open-wheeled racing, having competed in 256 grands prix between 1997 to 2011--a record that makes him one of the most experienced F1 drivers in history. Heidfeld spent 11 years in F1, racking up an impressive 13 podium finishes yet never winning a race. He's been kicking around in endurance racing since getting bumped from Renault in 2011 and is eager to get behind the wheel of a Formula E racer.
"Like many people in and outside the motorsport industry, I have watched its progress for a while," Heidfeld said in a statement. "To me it looks like the series of the future and the combination of the highest competition combined with challenging circuits in some of the best cities around the globe really gets me excited."
