Oliver Turvey’s academic preparation, NIO 333 driver in Formula E, has been an asset for his adaptation to this demanding and innovative series of electric single-seaters, which already has the World Championship endorsement by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
A Cambridge University engineering graduate, the Briton acknowledges his education will enable him to establish for many years to come in this increasingly complex series of cars.
He majored in aerodynamics and mechanical engineering to relate his career to racing, and subsequently became the first winner of the prestigious Cambridge Blue award for Motorsports.
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Turvey, who also won the 2006 McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year award, now sponsored by Aston Martin, which helped launch his career, considered that this background would favor him for the new Gen3 cars’ arrival in 2022.
Besides a power increase to 470 hp and a weight reduction of 120 kg, the automobiles will have a front axle regenerative braking system, bringing total regeneration from the current limit of 250 kW to a possible 600 kW.
Great Technical Preparation
The driver assures that difficulties and increased areas of energy management required by the category would work to his advantage due to his studies. “I have always liked the technical aspect. Studying engineering has given me good experience in that.”
“The more complex it is, the better for me. Formula E is already one of the most challenging series from a driver’s point of view. There’s a lot of things to manage during the race, really a lot of energy management,” added Turvey.
The Englishman expects that with the new Gen3 rules he will perform better in future racing. “As a series, it fits me pretty well in that sense. I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge of the third-generation cars.”
The racer has acknowledged during various interviews that his experience on the engineering side could place him as a team manager when he retires from behind the wheel. “Yes, definitely. There are other drivers who have moved from driving, into a team role. It’s something I’m interested in.”
“As a driver, you get a great overview of the entire team: how it works, how to succeed, the potential for failure. You learn a lot. “In the future, it’s something I would definitely consider and look at. When I’m done racing, that would be the natural step,” Turvey stressed.
At 33 years of age, however, the NIO 333 driver still doesn’t see himself off the track. “I still feel young and I’m getting better every year. I’m not ready to hang up my helmet yet, but in the future, for the right opportunity, I would consider running a team,” he finished.
Written by I Jhonattan González
