Luca Salvadori will join the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY grid at this weekend's Rome E-Prix, occupying the cockpit of the championship's VIP car for the fifth round of its inaugural season.
Salvadori, 27, has a prime focus on motorbike racing, winning the Pirelli National 600 Championship while also competing in the Supersport World Championship and European Superstock 1000 Championship.
The fifth round of the I-PACE eTROPHY's inaugural season will mark Salvadori's first all-electric motorsport event although the Milan-born racer has previous experience racing single-seaters.
"Taking on the Circuito Cittadino dell’EUR in Rome is a special moment for me as I have the opportunity to race in the modern Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY racecar in the historic surroundings of my home country," he said.
"There are 21 corners I’m going to have to master in a short space of time in my Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY. Utilising the track walk on Friday to decide the best racing line and approach for the race is going to be key.
"I am incredibly excited to test myself against the impressive line-up of regular eTROPHY drivers."
After four previous rounds this season, the series has seen four different winners in Simon Evans, Katherine Legge, Bryan Sellers and most recently, Caca Bueno, with the Brazilian driver being the most recent competitor to stand on the top step of an I-PACE eTROPHY podium:
"After a tough beginning of the season, in the last two races I was where I expected to be," said Bueno.
"I managed pole back to back in Hong Kong and China and, finally, the win came in Sanya as a reward for the hard work myself and the Jaguar Brazil Racing team have put in.
"I’m really looking forward to Rome, as the championship battle is really close. It would be excellent to maintain this momentum and achieve a third pole position and another win for Jaguar Brazil Racing."
Despite failing to emulate his performances in Ad Diriyah, New Zealand's Evans currently leads the Drivers' Championship for Team Asia New Zealand, holding a one point advantage over Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Legge.
"I’m really excited to start off the European leg as the championship leader," said Evans. "It’s only by one point but it’s always nice to be on top.
"Four races so far and four different race winners, as well as the top five cars in the championship all within a handful of points, is a real credit to Jaguar for how close the cars are.
"This weekend is going to be tough and the circuit in Rome looks really exciting."
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