What's all this then?

Well, there aren't many companies with the motor racing heritage of Jaguar. Le Mans winners in the fifties and again in the eighties, IMSA and Daytona in the states, Formula One... Well, maybe we'd better forget Formula One, but what was the old Jag F1 team did become Red Bull...

Get to the point...

Ok, Jaguar is coming back to front-line motor sport and is going to enter a team in Formula-E, the all-electric single-seat racing series.

Electric? It's hardly an XJR-14 now is it?

No, that's true, but this is about more than just entering and winning races. Jag wants to use the crucible of Formula-E competition to help improve the skill-sets of its 8,000-strong engineering team as they get ready for the first generation of all-electric, battery-powered Jags. You can expect to see the first of those, based on the F-Pace crossover, some time in 2018.

James Barclay, Jaguar Team Director, said: "We looked in detail at alternative ways of returning to motorsport. This was such an important decision for Jaguar and we wanted to get it right. With our future EV plans, Formula-E was the obvious choice and we believe that the benefits are enormous. The FIA and the promoter have exciting plans for the future of the championship and we are proud to be one of the first vehicle manufacturers to commit to the series with our own team. We have a lot of work to do ahead of the first race but it is a challenge we relish. We hope that we can welcome a new generation of fans to Jaguar through this exciting programme."

Jean Todt, President of the FIA said: "The FIA is pleased to welcome Jaguar as a new manufacturer to enter the FIA Formula-E Championship. We built this series to offer an alternative competition for manufacturers to step into the sport and develop road-relevant electric technologies. The choice of Jaguar to come back to motor racing with Formula-E is a proof of success. As it forges a path forward for the future of the electric car, Formula-E managed to attract one of the most prestigious and historical brand across the automotive industry. I wish them success ahead of their arrival in 2016/2017."