MB Partners are delighted to announce that Tom Blomqvist has signed with NIO 333 for the 2021 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Returning to the Formula E Championship; Tom participated in six races of the 2017/18 season for BMW Andretti and in the final two rounds of the 2019/20 season in Berlin for the Jaguar FE Team. Tom joins NIO 333, a Formula E Team that has participated (under different ownerships) in the FIA Formula E Championship since its inception and won the inaugural Drivers' Championship title as Team China Racing in 2015.
'333 Racing' partnered with the team in September 2019 and entered into the sixth season of the all-electric racing series as the NIO 333 FE Team. The new organisation is fully managed and operated by motorsport management company, Shanghai Lisheng Racing Co. Ltd in China, while its European subsidiary is responsible for Research and Development, technical support, marketing and media, is based in Oxfordshire, UK.
“I am extremely happy to be joining NIO 333 for the 2021 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season and cannot wait to get started with the team. I’m very grateful for the opportunity and the trust that the team has placed in me, and I can’t wait to repay them with success on track.
To be back in Formula E full-time is fantastic as the series has gone from strength to strength over the years and I feel very proud to be back on the grid for Season 7. It has been great to get to know the team recently and build those relationships - together we are all highly motivated for the season ahead and the positive atmosphere is brilliant to be a part of.”
In Season 7, Tom, in the #88 NIO 333 FE 001, will line up alongside Oliver Turvery and the pair will sport an evolution of the team’s familiar teal livery, introducing a dark, tonal blue contrast against the striking black carbon bodywork. The new design also features white pin-striping detail for a more dynamic aesthetic and provides an opportunity to distinguish the cars from previous livery concepts (S7 3D rendered images below).
For new team managers and operational organisation, Shanghai Lisheng Racing, it was a chance to incorporate the familiarity of NIO (who continue as Primary Partner) brand identity with the striking red from the 333 Racing brand. In China red represents fire, and is the national colour symbolizing happiness, beauty, vitality, good luck, success and good fortune.
In the team’s venture toward the Championship’s goal of “racing for a cleaner future – faster”, the material used to adorn the NIO FE 001 cars is 3M wrapping grade PVC free vinyl - the most environmentally friendly wrapping film currently available.
Since the Season 6 finale in Berlin, August 2020, the team has successfully completed nine full days and 2828.4kms of private testing on tracks around the UK. Following this week’s official test, round 1 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will get underway in Santiago, Chile, with a double-header event on 16th / 17th January 2021.
Christian Silk, Team Principal, NIO 333 FE Team
“We are very pleased to welcome Tom to the NIO 333 Formula E Team and reveal our stunning Season 7 car livery today. Tom returns to the ABB FIA Formula E Championship bringing with him a wealth of motorsport experience behind him, including recent outings in 2020 endurance racing. We have a quick and experienced driving pairing now, with Oliver [Turvey] continuing with us for his sixth consecutive full season, and I am confident that the pairing shall be a successful one.
Since the Season 6 finale in Berlin we have completed an impressive amount of testing mileage with the NIO 333 001 development chassis and made a very promising start with our new powertrain package in terms of reliability. Season 7 will be a fiercely contested competition; however, I feel that we are in a great position going into the FIA World Championship and the whole team at NIO 333 is looking forward to the exciting challenges ahead.”
Vincent Wang, CEO, NIO 333 FE Team:
“I am pleased to introduce to you our new driver for the new season, Tom [Blomqvist]. I know that he is very well known within the motorsport community and I have been impressed by him ever since I was a broadcast commentator on FE events in China a few seasons ago. When I saw him again in Berlin last season, he reminded me of that. There is an old saying in China, "A thousand miles to meet." I believe that Tom's joining the NIO 333 FE Team is also the embodiment of fate.
The Team is very clear about our target for the new ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season. We hope that Tom can work with Oliver [Turvey] and the team to do his best to achieve our goal!”
In association with MBP
