Banbury: Andretti relocates motorsport operations to Thorpe Way site
Motorsport business Andretti Autosport has relocated its UK-based Formula E team operations from Donnington Park in Leicestershire to Banbury, Oxfordshire, in the heart of the motorsport valley.
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is a class of auto racing that uses only electric-powered cars. The series was conceived in 2011, and the inaugural championship started in Beijing in September 2014. The series is currently in its fifth season.
Andretti, headquartered in Indianapolis, USA, is involved in a number of motorsport series including the NTT IndyCar Series, FIA Formula E Championship and the four-time US rallycross championship team Andretti Rallycross. The team is headed and owned by former CART Series champion Michael Andretti and has strong ties to several marques including BMW, Honda and Volkswagen.
Andretti Formula E has taken a unit on the Thorpe Way Industrial Estate, an 11,000 sq ft site. The company will benefit greatly from the pool of talented and skilled workforce within the region and the Silverstone technology cluster.
JF Thormann, president of Andretti Autosport, said: “We’re thrilled to be relocating to Banbury for our Formula E team operations. The people at White Commercial Property Consultants were instrumental in helping us find the perfect location, and we thank them for their support in our transition. We look forward to meeting many of the local businesses and becoming part of the community.”
Harvey White, commercial property negotiator at White Commercial Surveyors, said: “We are seeing a great deal of occupiers in the automotive industry relocate to the region currently. From those dealing in artificial intelligence, robotics, competition racing teams; both traditional and electric, as well as haulage businesses and various part manufacturers.”
