DAMS
DAMS or Driot -Arnoux Motorsport is a French racing team, which was founded in 1988 by Jean -Paul Driot and former Formula 1 racing driver René Arnoux. The team is based in Le Mans and is currently active in the Auto GP, the Formula 1 junior series GP2, Formula BMW and Formula Le Mans.
History
In the year after its inception, the team raced in the Formula 3000 and remained there until 2001. DAMS was one of the many French teams that took part in the Elf Trainee program for young drivers. In addition to involvement in Formula 3000, the team tried in 1995 with a model developed by Reynard Motorsport car entry into Formula 1, but failed for financial reasons.
From 1997 to 2001 DAMS was also active in the sports car sector.
The team is currently traveling in the GP2 series, the Auto GP, Formula BMW and Formula Le Mans. As of 2006, took the driver of the Toyota - up program, in vehicles of DAMS part in the GP2 series.
GP2 Series and Formula 3000
In the Formula 3000 the team won the championship several times: in 1990 with Érik Comas, Olivier Panis in 1992 and 1994, with Jean -Christophe Boullion. In the thirteen years from 1989 to 2001 DAMS won in Formula 3000 four times the team standings, three drivers' titles, brought 21 wins and 19 pole positions and 19 fastest laps went. DAMS thus belongs together with Supernova Racing and Arden International of the most successful teams of this racing series.
In the GP2 Series, the successor series F3000 DAMS drives since the first season in 2005 and won with the driver José María López debut year in a race. As part of the Toyota junior program since 2006 drove each a funded driver for DAMS. 2006, this was Franck Perera and 2007 Kazuki Nakajima, the sixth overall and was denied the last Formula 1 race of the season in Brazil for Williams F1. Second driver in 2007 was Nicolas Lapierre. 2008 DAMS took Jérôme D'Ambrosio and Kamui Kobayashi, who was also a test driver in Formula 1 teams Toyota.
A1 Grand Prix and Formula Renault
2003 and 2004 took part in the Formula Renault V6 DAMS Eurocup and won for the second year with José María López. 2005, the team competed in the World Series by Renault.
As of 2005, DAMS in the A1 Grand Prix racing team for several teams: A1 Team France (until today ), A1 Team Switzerland (2005/ 2006), A1 Team Mexico (2005/ 2006 and 2006 /2007) and A1 Team South Africa (2006 / 2007 and 2007 /2008). With the French team DAMS was after victories in 13 of the 22 races the first winner of this race series.
Sports car racing
In 1997, in partnership with the Team Panoz entry into the FIA GT Championship. After the separation of DAMS Panoz went the following year in the FIA Sportscar Championship at the start and won four races. The team also drove in the American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
2000 and 2001 DAMS worked with General Motors. Starts in the American Le Mans Series, the FIA Sports Car Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, however, remained without countable income.
2002 drove DAMS again at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2003, the team wanted to return to the FIA GT Championship with two Nissan 350Z; However, lack of funds prevented the further development of the cars. In 2004, DAMS with Lamborghini and joined together with two Murciélago R- GT cars in the last rounds of the FIA GT Championship.
Formula E
2014/2015 the team grew as e.dams into the newly established formula E. DAMS is cooperating in the formula E with Alain Prost.