until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
The NIO 333 Formula E team has finalised a new senior management team ahead of the new season as part of an effort to pull itself up from the bottom of the points standings.
The Chinese owned team has finished at the tail of the field in each season of the Gen2 era, which began in 2018, and had already undergone restructuring in 2019 when its ownership changed hands.
That was when the Li Sheng Racing organisation, which promotes the Chinese Touring Car Championship, acquired a majority stake in the team formerly known as NIO on the eve of the 2019/20 season.
Since then, the team has stabilised and also embraced Gusto Engineering, the automotive accessory and development firm founded by team executive director Alex Hui, which formed a technical alliance with NIO 333 last year.
Now, Hui, who has worked for the team as an executive director since 2019, becomes team principal.
He succeeds Christian Silk, who has moved into environmental science education, research, and activism.
Hui also manages Hong Kong based Teamwork Motorsport, which has won multiple championship titles in China and Asia, including two further driver and team championship titles secured at the Guia races at Macau last weekend, the final weekend in the 2021 TCR Series calendar.
Russell O’Hagan (pictured above) will take on the role of deputy team principal alongside his duties in a newly created position of chief operations officer at NIO 333.
O’Hagan arrived at NIO 333 last March as operations director, after several years with the Craft Bamboo Racing operation in Europe and Asia.
Vincent Wang (pictured below with Hui) will continue in his role of chief executive officer for 333 Racing and the NIO 333 Formula E team.
“I look forward to preparing the team for the new Gen3 era of Formula E with Vincent and Russell, while helping to deliver NIO 333’s best performance in the coming FIA Formula E World Championship season,” said Hui.
“We are in the process of bringing the team towards the front of the grid and I am fully committed in supporting our colleagues to shorten this process.
“Together, we shall pursue not only on track improvements but also a new pathway to our sustainable future.”
O’Hagan added: “We have an exciting time ahead as we continue to settle into our new HQ at Silverstone and push forward ever harder with our Gen3 programme.
“I am relishing the challenge of the new season, commencing with the pre-season 8 test in Valencia next week, and to realising the fruits of our labour after a great team effort over the last six months.”
Further recruitment has also been announced by NIO 333 as it moves into new premises at Silverstone.
These include Gary Reynders, who joins in the role of chief mechanic from Williams Advanced Engineering/Jaguar Racing, and Matt Beers who joins the expanded engineering and controls department side of the business.
NIO 333 is expected to confirm its 2022 drivers by the end of the present week, with Dan Ticktum, Louis Deletraz and Jack Aitken all believed to be in consideration for a seat alongside the already contracted Oliver Turvey.
The Race revealed earlier this month that Turvey’s 2021 team-mate Tom Blomqvist was parting with NIO 333 and he has since been announced as part of Meyer Shank Racing’s Acura IMSA SportsCar line-up.
