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29.11.2019
The upcoming e-Trophy Andros, a championship focusing completely on ice racing and held mainly in the French Alps and Pyrenees, seems to be experiencing a rise in popularity with some of the biggest names in the business flocking to the competition. It has also gained the support of French car manufacturer Renault. To celebrate this popularity, the Max Mamers organisation, along with Motul, kicked off the season in truly theatrical style at the Olympia Hall in the heart of Paris.
The new 2020 season of the e-Trophy Andros starts with a change for the 2019-2020 competition. After a few years of mixed competition between V6-engined cars and electric cars, the championship is continuing to innovate and going fully electric. This comes as no surprise because the championship has always emphasised innovation and electric cars have been a staple of the series for years. As a matter of fact, the first electric car made its appearance in the championship exactly ten years ago. The switch to exclusively electric propulsion has put the series in the spotlight and attracted many big names such as Yvan Muller and rally legend Sebastien Loeb – and, most notably, the interest of a major manufacturer.
Renault has joined forces with D.A Racing, the team run by the Dubourg family, and Motul to develop an ice-racing version of its highly popular Renault Zoe. The team will enter two Zoes into the upcoming series with none other than four-times champion Jean-Baptiste Dubourg behind the wheel. He will be joined by all-round race ace and Andros champion Nicolas Prost. This duo will be joined by Emmanuel Moinel in the Elite category.
For Jean-Baptiste Dubourg, who has always raced Renault-based cars, having factory support is a big deal. “I’ve raced a Clio, and a Captur before, but getting the support from Renault with this new electric Zoe is a great honour for me. It feels like I’ve gone full circle. I’m very excited about racing in this car. In the past, I’ve always raced with the V6 engine, so getting used to this one will be a bit of a challenge."
Nicolas Prost raced an electric car in last year’s championship, so he might have a bit of an advantage over his teammate. “This car is completely different from last year’s car. The power train has remained similar but everything else is different. It’s a proper upgrade from the previous car. None of us has ever driven it so we’re very keen to get going in Val Thorens next week.”
This is certainly not the first time that Motul is teaming up with DA Racing. In fact, Motul has been a strong partner in their rallycross effort in both French and global competitions, so extending this to the Andros Trophy is a logical step. Motul France’s communication manager Romain Bouteiller adds: “Although the V6 engines have been replaced, Motul still sees the Andros Trophy as a crucial partnership. At Motul we are constantly looking at developing new technologies for the future. Many people don’t realise it, but the electric vehicles in Andros Trophy have been using our products for some time already."
