A graduate of a communication school in Milan, the Italian has spent his entire career with the former PSA group, which has become Stellantis. Director of the Italian subsidiary of DS since 2021, this car and motorsport enthusiast took the wheel of DS Performance last November.
LE FIGARO. – What is the balance of the first half-season?
Eugenio FRANZETTI. – We are learning Gen3. You have to adapt to the new tires and to the whole regeneration. For the drivers, the car is also more physical to drive, due in particular to the increased regeneration capacity.
How is the new Gen3 single-seater different from the previous car?
In addition to the extra power and weight reduction, the Gen3 regenerates 40% of the energy it consumes during the race. With Gen2 it was 30% and with Gen1 around 15%.
These advancements have been achieved with smaller and lighter batteries.
Would you say that with Gen3, pilots spend more time in the simulator?
At the start of the year, the low stock of spare parts for the development car forced us to spend more time there. We also had three new races: Cape Town, Hyderabad and São Paulo. In total, it takes a week to prepare for a race: two days of installing the software, two days with the development pilot and two to three days for the two pilots.
How does the transfer of technology between the competition and the series take place?
Competition has always been a laboratory of technologies. In Formula E, we are seven manufacturers experimenting and accelerating the process of electrifying cars. The bridges are important between the engineers who work on the racing cars and those of the production models of tomorrow. From 2024, DS will only launch electric cars. Formula E allows us to prepare for this revolution. This concerns above all the software for regeneration, charging and battery braking, the miniaturization of components, in particular the electric machine, the inverter and the box. The 350kW motor is no bigger than a book. We draw on our experience of eight seasons.
Do you have concrete examples of this transfer?
The regeneration software for the DS7 and DS9 360 Performance is the fruit of the experience acquired in Formula E. In 2024, with the new car, developments are still scheduled.
Are you confident for the second half of the season?
The performance is there. The team has shown that it is still capable of winning. Now, with seven constructors, the championship is very difficult but at the same time, that is what makes its magic. On the first part, Porsche managed the transition to Gen3 better, but Jaguar and DS are in ambush.
What are the main areas for improvement?
In terms of performance and regeneration ability, DS is among the best. On the other hand, we still have to improve on how to get the power to the track. It’s a software issue.