Formula E: Trulli to persevere with powertrain

The Trulli Formula E team will stick with its own powertrain for the 2015-’16 season, despite completing no timed laps in testing.

Ex-Formula 1 driver Jarno Trulli’s outfit is continuing with the Motomatica JT-01 after season-two drivers Vitantonio Liuzzi and Salvador Duran were finally able to log installation laps in the final Donington Park test. A parts supply delay meant the team missed the first four days of testing, and while the car was fired up within its Donington base it also failed to appear for the first day of the final test.

Liuzzi emerged on Tuesday morning for an installation lap, although hardware problems caused the Italian to bring out two red flags during further runs, the car stopping on the exit of the pitlane on one occasion and at the final corner on the other.

Trulli will persevere “100 percent” with the single-motored, four-geared concept, though, rather than follow Andretti Autosport’s lead in reverting to the season-one Spark SRT_01E. The team also told AUTOSPORT that Italian Trulli’s decision to stop driving was pre-planned.

“Jarno entered this project wanting to be team owner only,” the team said, “but due to the driver deadline of season one he chose to drive the #10 car, too, in order to help the team.”