Silk joins NextEV as chief race engineer

Formula 1 engineer Christian Silk has joined NextEV as chief race engineer ahead of the third round of the 2016/17 season in Buenos Aires.

Silk’s appointment is the latest by the team after Gerry Hughes was promoted to the role of team principal. This will be Silk’s first role outside of F1 since undertaking work as a race engineer for Benetton in 1998.

He held other roles within Formula 1 including working as a chief test engineer at Renault, F1 project manager at Marussia and engineering project manager at Williams during the last 15 years, leaving the Grove outfit in December.

Silk says that he is excited to begin work on a new electric challenge.

“I am obviously delighted to join the NextEV NIO Formula E team and am really looking forwards to working with such a talented team,” he said.

“As anyone who knows me will testify, I have always been very environmentally aware, and joining a team that is working so hard to improve the technology that will improve all our futures is a real privilege.

“Motor racing is always about pushing the boundaries of new technologies and in this aspect Formula E really excels. I can’t wait for Buenos Aires.”