CUPRA EKS ETCR drivers.
CUPRA EKS has unveiled its exciting driver line up for this year’s FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup – with Tom Blomqvist and Adrien Tambay joining reigning ETCR champion Mattias Ekström and Jordi Gené in the all-electric touring car team.
Blomqvist, son of the 1984 World Rally champion Stig Blomqvist, became the youngest ever Formula Renault UK champion when, aged just 16, he won the title in 2010. Since then the Swede has raced in German Formula 3, DTM, Formula E and challenged for victory several times at the Macau Grand Prix. The 28-year-old has also raced in the Blancpain GT Series, FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship – winning both the 24 Hours of Spa (2018) and Daytona 24 Hours (2022), finishing second in LMP2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2021) and third at the Petit Le Mans (2019).
“I’m very motivated. I believe this is going to be a massive experience for me, as the FIA ETCR championship is a step forward in electric racing. I’m proud to have joined CUPRA EKS for this adventure. We are really determined, and the goal is to win.” said Tom Blomqvist, CUPRA EKS driver.
Having started his racing career in Germany, Paris-born Tambay, son of former Formula 1 race winner Patrick Tambay, has raced in the Formula 3 Euroseries, Auto GP, GP3 (winning at Spa-Francorchamps) and in the DTM. Like Blomqvist, the 31-year-old will make his FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup debut with CUPRA EKS this year.
“I can’t wait to start the season. Last year the team made history. This year, the challenge is to go for the FIA ETCR championship and I am here to help achieving this objective. My passion for racing has no limits and sharing this passion with such a great team will inspire me to perform my best on the track.” said Adrien Tambay, CUPRA EKS driver.
Gené needs no introduction to CUPRA, as he’s been with brand for most of his illustrious racing career. As one of the world’s top touring car test drivers, Gené – who finished fourth in the ETCR drivers’ standings last year – is instrumental in the continued development of the CUPRA e-Racer, the world’s first 100% electric touring car.
Ekström is the reigning ETCR champion and founder of EKS. The 41-year-old Swede is regarded as one of the world’s most versatile drivers, having competed in the FIA World Rally Championship, NASCAR, the Bathurst 24 Hours and the Dakar Rally. He is a FIA World Rallycross champion (2016), a two-time DTM champion (2004 and ‘07), Swedish Touring Car champion (1999) and a three-time winner of the Race of Champions (2006, ’07 and ’09).
CUPRA has formed an exciting new partnership with EKS Racing to defend its all-electric touring car title and will compete in its 2nd season of the FIA ETCR all-electric Touring Car World Cup, hoping to build on last season’s victory. The announcement reinforces CUPRA’s commitment to electric racing and a more sustainable, innovative and exciting era of motorsport.
EKS Racing is a proven race-winning team owned by the reigning Pure ETCR champion (and former DTM and FIA World RX champion) Mattias Ekström, who won both the manufacturer’s and drivers’ titles with CUPRA last year. Based in Fagersta, 175km northwest of Stockholm, Sweden, EKS Racing has a rich history of success across a wide variety of motorsport categories, including track racing, rallying and rallycross. It most recently took the top two finishes in the T3 category of the Dakar Rally.
Running under the new team name, CUPRA EKS Racing, the partnership will continue to develop and race the CUPRA e-Racer – the world’s first 100% electric touring car. Powered by four electric motors on the rear axle and a 65kWh liquid-cooled battery, the CUPRA e-Racer generates a combined maximum power output of 500kW (680 PS) and delivers maximum torque of 960Nm. The advanced electric race car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 270km/h.
When it makes its 2022 race debut at the opening round of the FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup at Pau Ville in France (6-8 May), the CUPRA e-Racer will appear in a brand-new livery. The multi-layered and chameleonic body colour, with vivid and morphing green and violet hues scattered by neon yellow kinetic accents, is a design inspired and influenced by the digital world and signals a revolutionary change in the brand’s aesthetics.
There will be innovations under the skin too. The CUPRA e-Racer’s weight optimisation has been enhanced, while reinforced parts make it even more robust. The car will also feature a new roof hatch above the driver’s helmet and removable plastic windows which will allow medical access to the cockpit where entry via the doors is otherwise compromised.
