Blomqvist joins Turvey at NIO 333 as team unveils 2020/21 livery

Blomqvist joins Oliver Turvey, who’s been at NIO 333 in its various guises since the inaugural 2014/15 Formula E campaign and returns for a sixth campaign with the team in 2020/21. 

Anglo-Swede Blomqvist already has experience in Formula E, with six races for MS&AD Andretti, with a best finish of eighth in Marrakesh, and he saw out the final two rounds of Season 6 with Jaguar Racing.

"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," said the 26-year-old. "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.

READ MORE: NIO 333 and Turvey eye progress with new powertrain after 'impressive' test

"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.”

After rising through the youth ranks as a multiple champion, having started in karts aged just eight, Blomqvist competed in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, placing second in 2014, before moving onto the highly competitive German DTM series in 2015. Before Pascal Wehrlein, Blomqvist had the honour of being the youngest race winner in the German touring car championship, taking his debut win in Oschersleben in 2015.

In recent years, Blomqvist has also gained experience in sports car racing, winning the prestigious 24 Hours of Spa in 2018 and finishing second in the demanding 12 Hours of Bathurst in 2020.

Covers off

The team has opted for a darker livery in Season 7, with black and bare carbon fibre contrasting its usual teal. Turvey and Blomqvist will run numbers 8 and 88, respectively, with 8 - pronounced Ba in Chinese - representing luck and fortune.

There's been plenty of hard work behind-the-scenes for the Chinese outfit since Berlin, with almost 3000 kms under its belt during nine days of testing at circuits around the UK as it seeks to bed in and prove its new Season 7 powertrain.

The team's new management, Shanghai Lisheng Racing, has overseen the injection of significant investment this year, with the manufacture of that all-new powertrain at the squad's UK research and development department accounting for a large proportion of that outlay.

Both Turvey and team principal Christian Silk like what they've seen so far from the advancements being made beneath the bodywork and with the team’s efforts over the off-season.

Powertrain promise

"Everyone has put a huge amount of effort into the new car, and the disruption to the race schedule last season has given the team a chance to focus on the development of the new powertrain," said Turvey. "We have made progress through testing and I am sure that the hard work everyone has put in will result in a more competitive package for the season ahead.

"I would like to welcome Tom into the team. I have known him for a number of years and I look forward to working closely with him to help push the team forward.

"Since 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," added team principal Christian Silk. "Season 7 will be a fiercely contested competition, however, I feel that we are in a great position, and the whole team at NIO 333 is looking forward to the exciting challenges ahead.

“We are very pleased to welcome Tom. He brings with him a wealth of motorsport experience, and we have a quick and experienced driving pairing now, with Oliver continuing with us for his sixth consecutive full season. I am confident that the pairing will be a successful one."

"I have been impressed by him ever since I was a broadcast commentator on Formula E events in China a few seasons ago," concluded NIO 333 CEO Vincent Wang. "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."