Formula E remembers Cyril Blais after tragic passing: 'We'll be racing for him'

Several Formula E drivers have shared their thoughts and feelings following the tragic passing of Citroën team principal Cyril Blais, who sadly died aged 43.

The Frenchman passed away last week, with his absence being felt throughout the paddock at this weekend's Tokyo E-Prix double-header.

Tributes are scheduled throughout the event, including a minute's silence ahead of Saturday's race at the Tokyo Big Sight. Several books of condolences have been set up in the Formula E paddock.

It is a major loss not only for Citroën and Formula E, but for motorsport in general, with Blais having played a role in the careers of so many drivers.

Many in the Formula E paddock had the privilege of working with Blais, including Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein, who had him as his race engineer at Mahindra at the start of the German's Formula E career in 2019 and 2020.

"Well, I am, and I was, incredibly sad when I heard the news," Wehrlein told RacingNews365. "I worked with him for over a year at Mahindra. 

"He was my race engineer, and we stayed in contact ever since, not only in the paddock but also by phone. And yeah, it was shocking news. It was almost like I couldn't believe it. 

"So yeah, all I can say is condolences to his family, his team, and his friends. It's a big loss in many ways."

One driver who knew Blais for well over a decade is Jaguar's António Félix da Costa. Blais was da Costa's performance engineer back in 2012 in Formula Renault 3.5, when he drove for Arden Caterham.

Da Costa felt as though he and Blais grew up together through motorsport, following similar paths all the way to Formula E. As expressed by the Portuguese driver, and shared by the entire paddock, the grid is racing for Blais in Tokyo.

"Yeah, this one really hit me, to be honest," da Costa told RacingNews365. "I've known Cyril since 2012. 

"In Formula Renault 3.5, he was my performance engineer back in those days, and I've seen him go from a performance engineer to a race engineer, to a chief engineer, and now a team principal. So we kind of grew up together and kept moving up in life together, and in the same paddocks, across all these years. 

"And yeah, very sad news. Just a dark weekend for the whole paddock. We'll be racing for him, his family, and his team. I can't imagine how difficult it must be in the Citroën garage this weekend."

'We will all miss him'

Blais left Mahindra ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, the same season reigning world champion Oliver Rowland returned to the Indian manufacturer after initially making a one-off appearance for the team in 2015.

While Rowland never worked with Blais, he was more than aware of his work in Formula E and the junior categories, describing him as "super successful".

"It's very sad," Rowland told RacingNews365. "I mean, we're all on this circus together a little bit. It's a difficult one to take. 

"I think he was well motivated, a hungry competitor that everybody respected and liked. After many years in Formula 2, Formula 3, GP3, Formula Renault 3.5 and Formula E, he had been super successful, and it's just really sad, to be honest. I think we will all miss him."

Mitch Evans is another driver whose career Blais impacted from a young age, with the New Zealander having known him since leaving his home country to race in Europe.

Blais was the race engineer for Evans' GP3 team-mate at Arden in 2012, the year the Jaguar driver secured the title in the junior category.

Remarkably, while remembering Blais, Evans revealed he had tried to get him to join the Big Cat, describing him as a "really clever, thinks-outside-the-box kind of guy".

"I mean, just shocked," Evans told RacingNews365. "I've known Cyril since I came to Europe. When I won GP3, he was the engineer on my team-mate's car. I've known him for years. 

"Yeah, super sad. When I found out, I was just shocked. I see him at every race and always had a really good relationship with him. I tried a few times to get him to come to Jaguar as well, because I really respected him as an engineer, just a really clever, thinks-outside-the-box kind of guy. 

"So yeah, really sad, and I feel for everyone at Citroën. It's one of those things you just can't really believe. You know, one moment you see him at a race, and then a few weeks later you're never going to see him again. It's just hard to comprehend."

RacingNews365 sends its condolences to Blais' family, friends and the Citroën Formula E operation.