Formula E partners with ONE DROP

LAS VEGAS, NV, March 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ - Organisers of the FIA Formula E Championship have announced a joint partnership with ONE DROP, showing their support for the non-profit organisation which strives to ensure that water is accessible to all, today and forever.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140326/MO656)

Beginning this September in Beijing, Formula E is the FIA's global motorsport championship featuring fully-electric open-wheel cars racing in 10 of the world's leading cities including Los Angeles, London and Buenos Aires. The debut of Formula E ushers in an innovative age where a race on the world stage has become the platform to showcase and promote sustainable technology for the environment. Together Formula E and ONE DROP will be part of a global movement to engage people worldwide.

The announcement was made during ONE DROP's 'One Night for ONE DROP' fundraiser held at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, USA, to celebrate World Water Day and featured an original one-off performance by artists from the eight resident Cirque du Soleil productions. The evening also gave guests the chance to view the emission free Formula E race car - the Spark-Renault SRT_01E - capable of speeds in excess of 150mph and accelerating from 0-62mph in three seconds.

ONE DROP was created in 2007 by Cirque du Soleil Founder Guy Laliberté and aims to significantly and sustainably improve people's health and standard of living, as well as their ability to care for themselves and their families. The organisation is most active in Central America, West Africa and India and builds strategic partnerships in order to increase the sustainability, scale and scope of its programming to resolve the global water crisis.

"Both Formula E and ONE DROP are game changers in their respective fields," said Catherine B. Bachand, CEO of ONE DROP. "Formula E's commitment to sustainability from the outset and ONE DROP's dedication to sustainable water access make us strongly aligned. We are absolutely thrilled to be embarking on this journey with Formula E and have huge confidence that together we can drive action on the global water crisis."

Enrique Bañuelos, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Formula E, said: "We are great advocates of ONE DROP and their commitment to sustainability, which lies at the heart of the FIA Formula E Championship. Clean water and clean air are the two key elements to life. ONE DROP's dedication to sustainable water access, combined with Formula E's drive to reduce environmental impact go hand-in-hand. We're looking forward to working together to help make a real difference in people's lives around the world."

For more information on Formula E visit www.fiaformulae.com, or for further details on ONE DROP click onto www.ONEDROP.org.

Notes to editors:
Photo captions:
1) [From left to right]: Catherine B. Bachand, CEO of ONE DROP, Guy Laliberte, Founder of Cirque du Soleil, and Formula E representatives Chris Schroeder and Robert Lavia beside the Formula E car during the announcement of the new Formula E and ONE DROP partnership.

Follow Formula E:
Twitter: twitter.com/FIAformulaE (@FIAformulaE)
Facebook: facebook/fiaformulae
Youtube: youtube/fiaformulae
Website: www.fiaformulae.com

About FIA Formula E Championship:
Formula E is a new FIA championship featuring Formula cars powered exclusively by electric energy. It represents a vision for the future of the motor industry over the coming decades, serving as a framework for research and development around the electric vehicle, accelerating general interest in these cars and promoting sustainability. Commencing in September 2014, the Championship will compete in the heart of 10 of the world's leading cities - including London, Beijing and Los Angeles - racing around their iconic landmarks. For the inaugural season, 10 teams, each with two drivers, will go head-to-head creating a unique and exciting racing series designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fans. Operating as an 'open championship', the series gives car manufacturers and constructors the opportunity to showcase their electrical energy innovations in a racing environment, designing cars to the technical specifications set out by the FIA.

About ONE DROP
ONE DROP—a non-profit organization created in 2007 by Cirque du Soleil Founder Guy Laliberté—strives to ensure that water is accessible to all, today and forever. ONE DROP significantly and sustainably improves living conditions through innovative projects which promote self-reliance in communities worldwide. To learn more, visit www.ONEDROP.org.

About FIA & Michelin - Today's partners for tomorrow's mobility:
As well as being the official Formula E tyre supplier, Michelin is an official partner, at the international level, of the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign. This programme is designed to support the Decade of Action for Road Safety initiated by the UN, the aim of which is to save five million lives over the next ten years. This program is set up to educate and advocate for safer roads, vehicles and behaviours around the globe.

SOURCE One Drop