French sports car ace Emilien Carde joins NXT Gen Cup
Emilien Carde is going to join the 2024 NXT Gen Cup grid as the 100% electric junior championship goes international with the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and DTM.
"This is an all-new challenge for me that I'm really excited to take on and race electric cars for the first time in my career," said Emilien Carde.
The French junior driver comes from a background of sports cars racing, having most recently raced in the LMP3 category of the Le Mans Cup.
"The step from LMP3 to NXT Gen Cup is obviously big, but I have raced a lot of different cars and I don't see it as an issue, but rather as a boosting challenge. I expect the opposition to be really tough and there is a lot of unknowns, but I always race to fight for the top positions," said Emilien Carde.
The 24-year-old got his first taste of the all-electric LRT NXT1 race car during the official pre-season test at Misano in Italy earlier this week, the same circuit where the 2024 season will kick off together with ABB FIA Formula E on April 13-14.
"We are delighted to welcome Emilien to our championship and it will be exciting to see what he can turn his experience into in NXT Gen Cup," said Fredrik Lestrup, NXT Gen Cup founder.
Emilien Carde makes it six so far confirmed driver nationalities for the 2024 season, adding France to Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Czechia and the Netherlands.
Are you interested in joining NXT Gen Cup? Get in touch.
About NXT Gen Cup
The NXT Gen Cup is the world’s first 100% electric junior touring car cup where young female and male drivers race the LRT NXT1, a fully electric race car based on the MINI Cooper SE road car - engineered and built by Lestrup Racing Team. The series races together with Formula E and DTM and is organised through an “arrive and drive” concept, enabling the junior drivers to focus on driving and creating the foundation for a professional racing career.
About Formula E
As the world’s first all-electric FIA World Championship and the only sport certified net zero carbon since inception, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings dramatic racing to the heart of some of the world’s most iconic cities providing an elite motorsport platform for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to accelerate electric vehicle innovation. The Formula E network of teams, manufacturers, partners, broadcasters, and host cities are united by a passion for the sport and belief in its potential to accelerate sustainable human progress and create a better future for people and planet.
About DTM
DTM is Europe’s premier and best-known racing series and is celebrating its 40th birthday in 2024. As one the most competitive racing series, DTM features seven prestigious brands in its anniversary season. The DTM has a German core, but a strong international fan base. Races are broadcasted live in 150 territories. The series is also a leader in sustainable motorsport. For the second season, all cars are powered by a sustainable fuel made of 50% renewable components. Not only the cars racing in DTM are in the center of sustainable project. For the events itself the ADAC as promoter of the DTM offers innovations like an initiative to reduce plastic waste and a digital carpool solution, which has been recognised and awarded by the FIA.
