Gutierrez to replace Ma Qing Hua

Esteban Gutierrez

Esteban Gutierrez’s first foray into Formula E will be with Techeetah after he turned down an offer for Dragon Racing.

Following his exit from Formula 1 the Mexican announced in January that he was looking to drive in the all-electric series for his home ePrix, even describing the move as a ‘radical decision’.

He was rumoured to be close to a deal with Dragon Racing who are looking for a replacement for Loic Duval while he is on duty for Audi in DTM.

However Autosport are reporting that he has instead chosen to drive for Techeetah, replacing Ma Qing Hua for the rest of the season.

The Chinese driver has disappointed this season, totally failing to live up to the results achieved by his team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne.

Ma is one of only three drivers yet to score a point this season, and while Vergne has often been at the front of the field Ma’s best finish to date was 15th in Marrakesh.

It is believed that the Chinese driver will continue as a reserve, but the team are yet to confirm the change.

In the meantime, Dragon Racing have said they are still in discussions about a replacement for Duval, and tem owner Jay Penske said that former Venturi driver Mike Conway was one of the drivers under consideration.

Penske told Autosport, “I’d say that we are currently sitting down with Faraday and talking about a couple of guys."

“We haven’t made a decision yet. There are an interesting set of F1 guys that are taking a serious look here [at Formula E].

“Also guys like Mike Conway, who we know well, can get in and do a good job but we want to continue to build."