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Tag: Mahindra Racing
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Indian National anthem sounds sweet as Lynn delivers victory for Mahindra Racing
London, 25 July 2021: Alex Lynn was disappointed to finish third in yesterday’s London E-Prix after starting from pole position; just under 24 hours later, the Mahindra Racing ace made amends in fine style, racing from third on the grid to his maiden ABB FIA Formula E World Championship victory on home soil. The sweet victory for the Indian outfit saw that the Indian National anthem, Jana, Gana mana… played at the London e-prix and the Indian flags were proudly displayed.
Watch the video clip here courtesy twitter @anandmahindra
As pole-sitter Stoffel Vandoorne (Mercedes-EQ) led away in the early stages, Lynn initially conceded a place to the Belgian’s team-mate Nyck de Vries – the Dutchman damaging his steering in the process.
Undeterred, Lynn subsequently reclaimed the spot with the dual benefit of FANBOOST and ATTACK MODE, going on to seal his first win in his 40th start in the all-electric single-seater series. In so doing, he completed a popular British double, following countryman Jake Dennis’ triumph for BMW i Andretti Motorsport yesterday around the ExCel circuit in the heart of London’s historical docklands district.
Right from the outset, this was a race that had a bit of everything. Up until mid-distance, Vandoorne looked odds-on to secure his second victory of the 2020/21 season as he established a small gap over the chasing pack and mastered a brace of safety car interventions, but a lock-up from Oliver Rowland at the hairpin resulted in contact that put both cars in the barriers, incurring the Nissan e.dams driver a five-second penalty.
That drama promoted de Vries to a net lead, pursued by Lynn – net, because Lucas Di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler) had driven through the pit-lane during the second safety car period to controversially vault to the front of the field.
Whilst the Brazilian would go on to take the chequered flag first, he was disqualified for having not brought his car to a complete standstill on his passage through the pits and then failing to serve a drive-through penalty handed down for the indiscretion.
The duel for honours, therefore, was between de Vries and Lynn, with the Mahindra man taking advantage of a later second ATTACK MODE to steal the initiative. Di Grassi’s post-race penalty left Lynn celebrating his breakthrough series success, whilst the runner-up spoils were sufficient to vault de Vries into a six-point championship lead with just two rounds of the season left to run.
Behind the top two, Mitch Evans produced an inch-perfect defence to tally his fourth third-place finish of the campaign, artfully fending off first Maximilian Günther (BMW i Andretti Motorsport) and then Envision Virgin Racing rival Robin Frijns to reach the bottom step of the rostrum for Jaguar Racing, despite nursing some damage and losing time when he missed the activation zone for his second ATTACK MODE and had to try again the following lap.
Frijns took fourth to keep the pressure on in the title fight, impressively battling past Günther with a bold round-the-outside move. TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein would similarly demote his compatriot before the flag fell as the pair wound up respectively fifth and sixth, while Envision Virgin Racing rookie Nick Cassidy continued his recent strong run in seventh from all the way down in 18th on the grid.
Dragon / Penske Autosport’s Sérgio Sette Câmara troubled the scorers for the first time since Diriyah in eighth, with Saturday star Dennis placing ninth. Joel Eriksson in the sister Dragon / Penske Autosport entry claimed his first Formula E point in tenth.
António Félix da Costa was also in the wars, the defending champion displaying fast and feisty form as he hauled himself almost into the points-paying positions from the penultimate row of the grid, until contact with André Lotterer’s TAG Heuer Porsche sent him crashing out of contention and earned the German a drive-through penalty.
In much the same fashion, Sam Bird – championship leader entering the E-Prix – was on the cusp of the top ten from a lowly 21st starting slot when a coming-together with ROKiT Venturi Racing’s Norman Nato in the closing moments propelled both drivers into the wall, dropping the Briton to equal-third in the overall table alongside Dennis, some 14 points adrift of de Vries.
The season will conclude in the German capital of Berlin on 14/15 August, where at the end of a truly thrilling and unpredictable title scrap, the seventh Formula E champion – and the series’ first world champion – will finally be crowned.
Alex Lynn – Mahindra Racing
“It’s hard for words to be honest. It’s as special as it gets. I’ve never felt something like this. Formula E has been a difficult one for me so to win is very special. I’ve got a huge crew behind me that I have to thank. I get the pleasure of driving around their hard work, and I can tell you there isn’t a group of guys and girls that stay longer and wake up earlier than them. I honestly can’t believe this has happened. It’s incredible.”
Nyck de Vries – Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team
“I have to admit I’m a bit disappointed with P2. First of all, I feel sorry for my team mate (Stoffel Vandoorne), he deserved the win today if it wasn’t for Oliver Rowland taking him out. We were a bit unlucky with the safety car when we just activated the attack mode, that made me a little bit vulnerable after the re-start. And then Lucas Di Grassi was there which I was surprised to see because he shouldn’t have been there. At the end, the energy targets were so high, so I wasn’t able to get alongside him. I made quite a lot of mistakes trying to push but the targets were too high to ever be in a position to make a move.”
Mitch Evans – Jaguar Racing
“A bit of an unexpected podium for me. At parts I actually thought I was out the race. I didn’t have a clean first few laps, and after the Rowland and Vandoorne incident I made a mistake, Günther got me and I made a stupid move into him and broke my front wing, and I thought I would be out the race. But with a bit of luck the wing flew off and I was able to continue. I missed my second attack mode which I couldn’t believe. I thought I gifted it to Frijns, but lucky I was able to activate it later and make good move on him and bring it home. A bizarre race and I’m a bit surprised to be on the podium, but roll on Berlin.”
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Mahindra racing become 1st manufacturer to commit to Gen3 era: Formula E
Mahindra Racing today announced its commitment to the Gen3 era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, becoming the first automotive manufacturer to sign up for the generation that commences with the 2022/23 season.
As Formula E begins its first season as an FIA World Championship, Indian manufacturer Mahindra has reaffirmed its strong, long-term relationship by committing to the Formula E Gen3 era, starting in 2022. The Mahindra Group aims to put half a million electric vehicles on Indian roads by 2025 and believes in Formula E’s ongoing role as an essential proving ground for future race-to-road electric vehicle and sustainable mobility technologies.
One of Formula E’s founding teams – and the only Indian manufacturer – Mahindra Racing has so far claimed four E-Prix victories, 18 podiums, and 690 championship points. Mahindra Racing was also the first Formula E team to be awarded the FIA Environmental Accreditation Three-Star rating, demonstrating excellence in sustainability practices.
Gen3 marks a new era of performance and efficiency benefits including more powerful, lighter cars, fast charging and cost controls, all with the aim of increasing the intense and unpredictable racing Formula E has become known for. The work that FIA and Formula E have done together to shape the Gen3 era focuses on delivering a new generation of progress, reaffirming Formula E’s position as the pinnacle of electric racing while increasing road relevance for manufacturers even further.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is currently testing in Valencia ahead of its Season Seven debut in Santiago, Chile in January with two races each staged at 19:00 CET (15:00 local time) on January 16 and 17.
Jean Todt, FIA President, said: “Ahead of another important technical milestone for the FIA Formula E World Championship, I salute Mahindra Racing as the first manufacturer to commit to the next era of the discipline. The Gen3 race car will indeed further establish the principles that have made the championship successful. It is positive to see a founding team continue with us on a shared mission to develop electric vehicle technology and promote sustainable mobility.”
Jamie Reigle, Chief Executive Officer of Formula E, said: “We see Mahindra Group as a key player in the future of mass-market electric vehicles. It’s a testament to the shared purpose of Formula E and its partners that we have one of our founding teams, Mahindra Racing, already committing to Gen3 in anticipation of the 2022/23 season. Gen3 brings with it an unparalleled opportunity for innovation from a sporting perspective on the track and technological advancement on our roads. We’re thrilled to have Mahindra Racing joining us on that journey.”
Dilbagh Gill, CEO and Team Principal of Mahindra Racing, said: “By committing early to Gen3 Mahindra Racing is continuing its journey, which it started by becoming the first OEM to sign up to the championship back in 2013. As the greenest team in motorsport, Formula E is the perfect home for us; a place where we can demonstrate our performance and sustainability credentials both on and off the track. Our future focus is on race winning performances that we can all be proud of and some exciting new projects in the engineering services space. In short, we’re here for the long run; we are not building something for today, we’re building something for tomorrow.”
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Mahindra Racing’s Alex Lynn tops times: Formula E test Day 2
Valencia, 29 Nov 20: Mahindra Racing’s Alex Lynn shot to the top of the timing screens on day two of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship test in Valencia today (29 November), as teams took part in a race simulation as part of their season seven preparations.
For much of the second day’s running around the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in the Mediterranean port city, defending champion António Félix da Costa’s morning benchmark for DS Techeetah looked unlikely to be troubled, but Lynn – who contested the six end-of-season Berlin races for Mahindra back in the summer – had other ideas.
As the chequered flag was unfurled at the end of the afternoon session, the Briton flashed across the line in a time of 1:11.941, a scant seven thousandths-of-a-second quicker than da Costa’s earlier effort. Indeed, on the combined timesheet, scarcely seven tenths-of-a-second covered the entire 24-car field – promising a sensational season of racing ahead in the all-electric single-seater series.
As he was yesterday, da Costa was a factor throughout and ended up second overall on a 1:11.948, with the following three drivers all similarly posting their fastest laps in the morning. Maximilian Günther placed third for BMW i Andretti Autosport (1:12.049), ahead of Nissan e.dams’ Oliver Rowland in fourth (1:12.161), with two-time title-winner Jean-Éric Vergne putting both DS Techeetah cars inside the top five in fifth (1:12.184).
Impressive rookie Jake Dennis improved three places on his Saturday form to claim sixth position with a best lap of 1:12.306 for BMW i Andretti Autosport, not far behind team-mate Günther.
Underlining the close and competitive nature of the championship heading into the forthcoming campaign, the next four drivers all finished within barely three hundredths-of-a-second of Dennis’ time. Sam Bird wound up seventh for Panasonic Jaguar Racing (1:12.315), with Saturday morning pace-setter Edoardo Mortara eighth for ROKiT Venturi Racing (1:12.323). Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing) and Lucas Di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler) completed the top ten, both stopping the clocks with an identical time of 1:12.338.
Former champion Sébastien Buemi placed 12th for Nissan e.dams (1:12.350), just ahead of last season’s championship runner-up Stoffel Vandoorne (Mercedes-Benz EQ) in 13th on a 1:12.376. After leading the way yesterday, Porsche’s André Lotterer concluded day two in 16th position (1:12.422).
During the afternoon session, all of the drivers participated in a full-length ‘test race’ simulation, which included full-course yellows and a safety car intervention.
Following a day of off-track activities tomorrow, testing will conclude on Tuesday (1 December) with one final six-hour session beginning at 09:00 local time.
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Formula E: Hong Kong to host the 50th e-prix
Hong Kong to host the 50th Formula E race on Sunday. An FIA image Hong Kong, 8 March 2019: Round six of the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship marks the 50th race in the series’ history this weekend (10 March), with the stars and cars heading to Hong Kong to do battle on the narrow harbourfront streets.
Having hosted the opening rounds of the championship for the past two seasons, Hong Kong has been a significant event on the calendar, and with the spectacular city skyline the backdrop for this landmark race, it’s sure to be another memorable showdown when the lights go out on Sunday.
Last time out
The Mexico City E-Prix provided one of the most intense races in Formula E history two weeks ago, with Lucas di Grassi snatching a sensational win as he crossed the line sideways overtaking race-long leader Pascal Wehrlein who agonisingly ran out of energy exiting the final corner.Following a lengthy stoppage early on to recover the crashed Panasonic Jaguar Racing machine of Nelson Piquet Jr, who dramatically collided with the back of reigning champion Jean-Eric Vergne’s DS TECHEETAH machine and ended his race in the barriers, the race became a classic battle of energy management. Wehrlein wasn’t the only driver to struggle in the closing moments of the race, with both Nissan e.dams drivers Oliver Rowland and Sebastien Buemi slowing to a crawl with the team having misjudged the 45 minutes +1Lap race format which is new for this season.
With Wehrlein’s Mahindra machine slowing, Antonio Felix da Costa and Edoardo Mortara were able to snap up the final podium positions for BMW i Andretti Motorsport and Venturi Formula E Team respectively.
Audi on the charge
Di Grassi’s Mexico City win was the first for the German marque this season, and the third consecutive win at the circuit for the team. Last year, Daniel Abt’s victory there set the Audi squad on-course to turn around a dismal start to the year and end up as the overall Teams’ Champions.It was Abt who crossed the line first on-track in the second race of the season four opener in Hong Kong, and while he was later excluded for a technical infringement, the team will surely be one to watch as the championship returns to the tricky 1.86km circuit this time around.
The circuit layout remains unchanged from previous years, with the only addition being the Attack Mode activation zone positioned at the exit of Turn 6. As it was in Mexico City, it will be a challenge for the drivers to activate their higher power mode – the number and duration of activations will be announced by the FIA no later than one hour before the start of the race.
Mahindra’s podium streak
Mahindra Racing has scored a podium every time the championship has visited Hong Kong, and both of its drivers have been in the headlines with an impressive start to the Gen2 era of Formula E. While Pascal Wehrlein narrowly missed out on his first victory last time out, it’s his team-mate Jerome D’Ambrosio who is leading the standings having had a consistently strong first four events.The Belgian’s fourth place in Mexico, third in the season-opener in Ad Diriyah and a nail-biting victory in Marrakesh give him a seven-point advantage over BMW’s Antonio Felix da Costa, but these results have come mainly through impressive drives through the field, and D’Ambrosio will surely be focusing on his qualifying performance in a bid to maintain that championship advantage.
Coupled with Wehrlein’s podium finish in Santiago, the Indian squad is currently leading the Teams’ Championship by ten points from Envision Virgin Racing.
FIA Smart Cities – Disruptive Urban Mobility Solutions
This edition of the FIA Smart Cities Forum will be centred on “Disruptive Urban Mobility Solutions” and will take place in one of the global technological centres of the world, Hong Kong – a first for the initiative.Overlooking the iconic Victoria Harbour, the Forum will seek to shape the vision of the future of smart urban mobility, taking a look at both the ground-breaking technology disrupting traditional transport and logistics, and the visionary public-policy bringing out the best in these transformative technologies.
Speakers from the Government of Hong Kong, Transport for London, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the World Economic Forum (WEF), will join panel discussions with high level private sector representatives.
The day’s events will culminate in the unveiling of the second winner of the FIA Smart Cities Global Start-Up Contest, powered by global start-up incubator MassChallenge.
Click here to find out more.
Championship Standings
Drivers’ Championship
Jerome D’Ambrosio MAHINDRA RACING 53
Antonio Felix da Costa BMW i Andretti Motorsport 46
Sam Bird Envision Virgin Racing 45
Lucas di Grassi Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 34
Pascal Wehrlein MAHINDRA RACING 30
Andre Lotterer DS TECHEETAH 29
Robin Frijns Envision Virgin Racing 28
Jean-Eric Vergne DS TECHEETAH 28
Mitch Evans Panasonic Jaguar Racing 28
Edoardo Mortara VENTURI Formula E Team 27
Daniel Abt Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 22
Alexander Sims BMW i Andretti Motorsport 18
Sebastien Buemi Nissan e.dams 15
Oliver Rowland Nissan e.dams 6
Oliver Turvey NIO Formula E Team 4
Felipe Massa VENTURI Formula E Team 4
Jose Maria Lopez GEOX DRAGON 2
Nelson Piquet Jr. Panasonic Jaguar Racing 1
Maximilian Gunther GEOX DRAGON 0
Tom Dillmann NIO Formula E Team 0
Gary Paffett HWA RACELAB 0
Stoffel Vandoorne HWA RACELAB 0
Felipe Nasr GEOX DRAGON 0
Felix Rosenqvist MAHINDRA RACING 0
Teams’ Championship
MAHINDRA RACING 83
Envision Virgin Racing 73
BMW i Andretti Motorsport 64
DS TECHEETAH 57
Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 56
VENTURI Formula E Team 31
Panasonic Jaguar Racing 29
Nissan e.dams 21
NIO Formula E Team 4
GEOX DRAGON 2
HWA RACELAB 0
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Sam Bird holds off Mahindra’s Pascal Wehrlein to win in Santiago
Sam Bird wins on Saturday 26jan2019 An FIA image Santiago (Chile), 27 Jan 2019: Sam Bird handled the heat under pressure from Pascal Wehrlein to win his first race of the season in the sweltering Santiago sunshine.
With Wehrlein hot on his heels in the closing stages of the warmest Formula E race on record, Bird held his nerve with a peerless performance around the perimeter roads of Parque O’Higgins in the centre of the Chilean capital.
Bird had to keep a close eye on his mirrors with both drivers on alternative ATTACK MODE strategies. Without any activations left, Bird found himself vulnerable from behind – as Wehrlein saved his final burst of energy in a bid to vault ahead with only minutes to spare.
Despite his best efforts and clawing Bird in, Wehrlein couldn’t make a move and had to settle for second as his hopes of victory faded with rising temperatures.
Fellow countryman Daniel Abt rounded out the podium places, inheriting a position from Alexander Sims after the BMW i Andretti Motorsport driver incurred a penalty for causing a collision with Edoardo Mortara.
Contact with Sims sent Mortara spinning, but the VENTURI Formula E Team driver valiantly fought back to finish fourth.
Buemi wasn’t so lucky to avoid the barriers, crashing out of the lead in close quarters with Bird at the Turn 6/7 chicane – the same corner he encountered trouble with in practice earlier in the day.
The 2015/16 champion led away from the front – after being promoted to pole position following the exclusion of Lucas di Grassi for an infringement. However, Buemi couldn’t convert a first win for the newly-named Nissan e.dams outfit.
Winner in Marrakesh and championship leader coming into the race, Jerome D’Ambrosio, came home in eighth – but later dropped to 10th after being handed a five-second penalty for speeding under Full Course Yellow.
The result means D’Ambrosio relinquishes his place to Bird at the top of the driver standings – with title protagonists Antonio Felix da Costa and Jean-Eric Vergne failing to add to their points tally.
After another searing showdown in Santiago, Formula E now heads to Mexico City and the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for round four of the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship on February 16.
Sam Bird said: “We went with Audi for a reason. Through the help of Audi Sport, the skillset of the data engineers who pulled back the pace and mechanics, I’m here, and we’ve been able to claw back time and learn from mistakes. Everyone was struggling out there so I’m absolutely delighted to bring it home.”
Pascal Wehrlein said: “I was pretty close. I was just starting to move into T12 when the team told me I should slow and manage the gap behind as we were critical on temperatures – and I wanted to finish the race! It was a bit of a shame and I was a bit angry in the car. Out of the car, now, it’s a good feeling. The team and I a perfect fit and a perfect match. In the first race everyone was so kind to me and were saying what Jerome achieved I could’ve probably achieved as well. They’re giving me a lot of trust, confidence and I want to deliver the best.”
Daniel Abt said: “It was a really, really tough race and was super-hot out there. It wasn’t the best race I’ve had but sometimes you just have to take it easy and stay cool even though it’s hard with the heat. We’ve got our first podium, which is very important for everyone in the team and they really deserve this. Now, it’s important that we make progress, get better and just keep pushing hard.”
Race Results:
1 Sam Bird Envision Virgin Racing 47:02.511s (25)
2 Pascal Wehrlein MAHINDRA Racing +6.489s (18)
3 Daniel Abt Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler +14.529s (16)
4 Edoardo Mortara VENTURI Formula E Team +17.056s (12)
5 Robin Frijns Envision Virgin Racing +20.276s (10)
6 Mitch Evans Panasonic Jaguar Racing +23.755s (8)
7 Alexander Sims BMW i Andretti Motorsport +27.590s (6)
8 Oliver Turvey NIO Formula E Team +45.059s (4)
9 Jose María Lopez GEOX DRAGON +45.376s (2)
10 Jerome D’Ambrosio MAHINDRA Racing +46.984s (1)
11 Nelson Piquet Jr. Panasonic Jaguar Racing +48.635s 12 Lucas di Grassi Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler +1:03.552s 13 André Lotterer DS TECHEETAH +1:14.706s 14 Gary Paffett HWA RACELAB 1 Lap -
Big win for Jerome D’Ambrosio and Mahindra Racing: Formula E
Jerome wins for Mahindra Racing at Morocco on Saturday. An FIA image Morocco, 12 Jan 2019: Jerome D’Ambrosio sprinted to victory in a dramatic last lap dash to the finish in Marrakesh, after a late safety car bunched up the pack following a collision between BMW i Andretti Motorsport pairing Antonio Felix da Costa and Alexander Sims.
Despite picking up his third victory in Formula E, it’s the first time D’Ambrosio has actually stood on the top step of the podium – having benefitted from a post-race disqualification on both previous occasions.
The win marks his first win since the Mexico City E-Prix in 2016 – and his first in MAHINDRA RACING colours. D’Ambrosio started down the field in 10th, but steadily progressed up the ranks to find himself sat behind the leading BMW duo.
With less than 10-minutes left on the countdown clock, Da Costa and Sims looked set to bring home a one-two for the team – topping off a perfect start to the season after a win last time out in Ad Diriyah.
However, it wasn’t to be – as a moment of madness cost the team a large points haul. Sims – who was on the tail of his team-mate for the duration of the race – pulled alongside Da Costa into the braking zone of Turn 7 in an attempt to snatch the lead.
Both drivers locked-up and touched with neither making the corner. The coming together and slow recovery back to the racing line dropped Sims to fourth. But Da Costa came off worse with his race ending parked-up in the run-off area after contact with the barrier.
With the cars lined-up in close formation, the safety car pulled in as the clock hit zero – leaving one lap to the chequered flag. Running wide over the kerb in the final corner – D’Ambrosio gave the fans a grandstand finish with Robin Frijns chasing him to the line.
Frijns was joined on the podium by Envision Virgin Racing team-mate Sam Bird, who started on pole position and tangled with reigning champion Jean-Eric Vergne on the run down to Turn 1.
Vergne lined-up on the front row alongside Bird and made an ambitious dive up the inside through the long left-hander. The pair made contact and Vergne was sent spinning ahead of a flurry of oncoming traffic. From last, Vergne valiantly fought back to fifth.
Adrenaline still flowing after an exhilarating race, there’s not long to wait for another episode of electric street racing with the Santiago E-Prix on 26 January – round three of the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship.
Jerome D’Ambrosio said: “The race was really hard-fought and incredibly intense. At least that’s what it felt like from inside the cockpit. I knew I could achieve a top five result as the race pace was amazing in Ad Diriyah and here also. A couple of things played out to our advantage and winning this race means a lot for the team and the hard work over the past few weeks. We enjoy tonight, but tomorrow we get back to work.”
Robin Frijns said: “It was an exciting race, but the start was a bit of a mess. The only thing I saw was smoke and I didn’t see any cars. It was really a great day for the team – ending up in second and getting two cars on the podium. Being in this position for the first time with the team, I thought the points were more valuable then risking everything with Jerome.”
Sam Bird said: “After getting hit from behind, I felt like I was nursing the car and had a bit of an issue. I didn’t feel very competitive in a straight line today, but that’s how it goes. We collectively got an amazing result for the team and we show paced in qualifying, which is promising. As one of the only customer teams, what we’re doing is really impressive. Without any testing, I wonder how competitive we’ll be in a few races time.”
Race Result – 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship – Marrakesh E-Prix
1 Jerome D’Ambrosio MAHINDRA RACING 46:45.884s (25)
2 Robin Frijns Envision Virgin Racing +0.143s (18)
3 Sam Bird Envision Virgin Racing +0.461s (18)
4 Alexander Sims BMW i Andretti Motorsport +0.740s (12)
5 Jean-Eric Vergne DS TECHEETAH +1.232s (10)
6 Andre Lotterer DS TECHEETAH +1.457s (8)
7 Lucas di Grassi Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler +1.633s (7)
8 Sebastien Buemi Nissan e.dams +2.455s (4)
9 Mitch Evans Panasonic Jaguar Racing +2.980s (2)
10 Daniel Abt Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler +4.014s (1)
11 Jose Maria Lopez GEOX DRAGON +4.528s 12 Maximilian Gunther GEOX DRAGON +6.034s 13 Edoardo Mortara VENTURI Formula E Team +6.790s 14 Nelson Piquet Jr. Panasonic Jaguar Racing +6.833s 15 Oliver Rowland Nissan e.dams +7.529s 16 Oliver Turvey NIO Formula E Team +9.241s 17 Tom Dillmann NIO Formula E Team +9.665s 18 Felipe Massa VENTURI Formula E Team +10.250s DNF Antonio Felix da Costa BMW i Andretti Motorsport 25 Laps DNF Gary Paffett HWA RACELAB 3 Laps DNF Pascal Wehrlein MAHINDRA RACING 1 Lap DNF Stoffel Vandoorne HWA RACELAB 1 Lap Driver standings:
Jerome D’Ambrosio MAHINDRA RACING 40
Antonio Felix da Costa BMW i Andretti Motorsport 28
Jean-Eric Vergne DS TECHEETAH 28
Andre Lotterer DS TECHEETAH 19
Robin Frijns Envision Virgin Racing 18
Sam Bird Envision Virgin Racing 18
Mitch Evans Panasonic Jaguar Racing 14
Alexander Sims BMW i Andretti Motorsport 12
Sebastien Buemi Nissan e.dams 12
Lucas di Grassi Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 9
Oliver Rowland Nissan e.dams 6
Daniel Abt Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 5
Nelson Piquet Jr. Panasonic Jaguar Racing 1
Jose Maria Lopez GEOX DRAGON 0
Maximilian Gunther GEOX DRAGON 0
Oliver Turvey NIO Formula E Team 0
Edoardo Mortara VENTURI Formula E Team 0
Tom Dillmann NIO Formula E Team 0
Stoffel Vandoorne HWA RACELAB 0
Felipe Massa VENTURI Formula E Team 0
Felix Rosenqvist MAHINDRA RACING 0
Gary Paffett HWA RACELAB 0
Pascal Wehrlein MAHINDRA RACING 0
Team standings:
DS TECHEETAH 47
MAHINDRA RACING 40
BMW i Andretti Motorsport 40
Envision Virgin Racing 36
Nissan e.dams 18
Panasonic Jaguar Racing 15
Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 14
GEOX DRAGON 0
NIO Formula E Team 0
VENTURI Formula E Team 0
HWA RACELAB 0
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Formula E: Sirtokin, Dejonghe to get behind Mahindra Racing’s M5Electro
M5Electro during the launch in India on Dec 10th. A Mahindra Racing image Morocco, 7 Jan 2019: With days to go until the second race of the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship season takes place on the majestic streets of Marrakesh, Morocco, the full line up of fresh talent taking part in the official rookie test on Sunday January 13 has been revealed.
After driving for Audi Sport ABT Scheaffler in last season’s rookie test, Dutch Formula 2 driver Nyck de Vires will get behind the wheel of the number two Envision Virgin Racing car, joined by French Audi Sport Factory driver and three-time Le Mans winner Benoit Treluyer who will take out the number four car.
For Panasonic Jaguar Racing, Brazilian driver Pietro Fittipaldi – Grandson of Formula One champion Emmerson Fittipaldi – returns to the British team for the second year running alongside Le Mans 24 Hour winner Harry Tincknell, who tested for the NIO Formula E team last year.
New Formula E entrant HWA Racelab will put Mercedes DTM driver Daniel Juncadella to the test behind the wheel. The Spanish driver is joined by Italian Raffaele Marciello who clinched the Blancpain GT Series Championship title last year.
For NIO Formula E Team, Formula Three race winner and 2015 British GT Championship winner Jamie Chadwick will return to the team after taking part in the in-season test following the opening round in Saudi Arabia. Chadwick will be one of two female talents taking to the track on January 13.
For all-American team Geox Dragon, Antonio Fuoco will take out the number seven car. The Italian joined Geox Dragon for pre-season testing in Valencia alongside new full-time Dragon driver Maximilian Guenther. The team are yet to confirm a second driver for the rookie test.
Joining reigning champions Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, is Audi DTM driver Jamie Green who will get behind the wheel of the Audi e-tron FE05. Alongside Green will be Nico Muller, who returns to the team following a record-breaking session at the rookie test in Marrakesh last season, as well as time with the team following the opening round of the season in Saudi Arabia.
Venturi Formula E Team will put forward Arthur Leclerc – brother of Formula One driver Charles Leclerc – who joined the team’s new electric motor sport academy last year. The Monagasque driver will be joined by Frenchman Norman Nato in the number 48 car.
For newcomers Nissan e.dams, NISMO driver and winner of the 2017 Japan F3 championship Mitsunori Takaboshi will rejoin the team for the rookie test after taking part last year. Takaboshi will be joined by seasoned GT driver Jann Mardenborough, who graduated from the marque’s GT Academy in 2011 and embarked on a career as a professional racing driver.
DS Techeetah will test it’s development driver James Rossiter alongside Formula One test driver Tatiana Calderon, who took part in the in-season test after the season opener in Saudi Arabia.
BMW i Andretti Motorsport will front BMW DTM drivers Bruno Spengler and Marco Wittmann at the test on Sunday, January 13. Completing the grid will be Sergey Sirotkin and Sam Dejonghe who will get behind Mahindra Racing’s M5Electro following the 2019 Marrakesh E-Prix on Saturday, January 12.
RACE #
TEAM
CAR
DRIVER
2 Envision Virgin Racing Audi e-tron FE05 Nyck de Vries (NLD) 3 Panasonic Jaguar Racing Jaguar I-Type III Pietro Fittipaldi (BRA) 4 Envision Virgin Racing Audi e-tron FE05 Benoit Treluyer (FRA) 5 HWA RACELAB Venturi VFE05 Daniel Juncadella (ESP) 6 GEOX DRAGON Penske EV-3 TBA 7 GEOX DRAGON Penske EV-3 Antonio Fuoco (ITA) 8 NIO Formula E Team NIO Sport 004 Jamie Chadwick (GBR) 11 Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler Audi e-tron FE05 Jamie Green (GBR) 16 NIO Formula E Team NIO Sport 004 TBA 17 HWA RACELAB Venturi VFE05 Raffaele Marciello (ITA) 19 Venturi Formula E Team Venturi VFE05 Arthur Leclerc (MCO) 20 Panasonic Jaguar Racing Jaguar I-Type III Harry Tincknell (GBR) 22 Nissan e.dams Nissan IM01 Mitsunori Takaboshi (JPN) 23 Nissan e.dams Nissan IM01 Jann Mardenborough (GBR) 25 DS TECHEETAH DS E-Tense FE 19 James Rossiter (GBR) 27 BMW i Andretti Motorsport BMW iFE.18 Bruno Spengler (CAN) 28 BMW i Andretti Motorsport BMW iFE.18 Marco Wittmann (DEU) 36 DS TECHEETAH DS E-Tense FE 19 Tatiana Calderon (COL) 48 Venturi Formula E Team Venturi VFE05 Norman Nato (FRA) 64 MAHINDRA RACING Mahindra M5Electro Sergey Sirtokin (RUS) 66 Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler Audi e-tron FE05 Nico Muller (CHE) 94 MAHINDRA RACING Mahindra M5Electro Sam Dejonghe (BEL) -
Podium For D’Ambrosio On His Debut With Mahindra Racing
- Jerome D’Ambrosio finishes on the podium on his debut for Mahindra Racing, finishing in third position at the season opener in Saudi Arabia
- Jerome leaves Riyadh in third place in the Driver’s Championship, with Mahindra Racing in third position in the Team standings after scoring 15 points
- Felix Rosenqvist was forced to retire with a mechanical fault on his car on lap 8 of the race
Riyadh, 15 Dec 2019 : The new era of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship got underway today with the 2018/19 season opener in Saudi Arabia marking the series’ first ever race in the Middle East plus the debut of the new Generation 2 cars.
The SAUDIA Ad Diriyah E-Prix had a disrupted start to the day when unexpected heavy rain forced organisers to cancel Free Practice 1 and delay Free Practice 2. Due to the timing delay the qualifying format was then amended to two groups of 11 drivers, rather than the usual four groups, and Super Pole was called off. In the wet qualifying session, on a drying track, Jerome D’Ambrosio went out in Group A and set a fastest lap time of 1:19.077, securing a sixth place start. Felix Rosenqvist headed out in Group B but was unable to complete his qualifying lap, due to a mechanical failure on the car which resulted in an accident when he was on course for a top six time, and was forced to begin the race from 17thon the grid.
Jerome was able to comfortably maintain position at the start and, on lap 21, overtook Sebastien Buemi to move up to fifth. A lap later Jean-Eric Vergne and Andre Lotterer were handed drive through penalties for technical infringements, pitting from first and second, which moved Jerome up into the top three behind Antonio Felix Da Costa and Jose Mario Lopez. On lap 23 Jerome overtook Lopez for second position and was running comfortably there until a safety car bunched up the pack. On lap 30, after the restart, reigning Champion Vergne overtook him, putting him P3, the position in which he took the chequered flag after 33 laps to secure his and Mahindra Racing’s first podium of the 2018/19 season.
Unfortunately it was a different state of affairs for Felix. Despite an impressive start which saw him move up to 14th by the end of the first lap and then overtake Gary Paffett and Nelson Piquet Jr by lap 6, which saw him in reach of points, he was forced to retire the #94 on lap 8 after suffering the same technical issue that halted his qualifying run.
The second round of the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship will take place on 12 January 2019 in Marrakesh, Morocco.
JEROME D’AMBROSIO, P3: “It’s an amazing way to start Season 5 and I think there are good days ahead of us if we keep working the way we do. I played it safe at the beginning to try to save some energy but stay close enough to fight for position. I’ve had a difficult couple of seasons so it’s great to start this new relationship with the team in this way. Going forward, we have to start fighting for the championship. There are some tough competitors out there as Formula E is becoming one of the most competitive championships in the world.”
FELIX ROSENQVIST, DNF: “The car felt like it had a lot of speed but it was a bit tricky to drive; it wasn’t one of those days when you felt really confident but we didn’ have much practice so everything was a bit of a guess. Then we had a mechanical failure in qualifying which caused us to have a big shunt and in the race the same thing happened but I was able to park the car. I’m sad I couldn’t score any points for the team and it’s a shame as I think we could have had a really good result today but it was fun to be back and I’m really happy for Jerome and for Mahindra on the podium today.”
DILBAGH GILL, TEAM PRINCIPAL: “I am absolutely thrilled for the whole team and Jerome- the perfect way to start a season is with a podium and this is the fourth season in a row that we have scored a podium in the season opener.I am really sorry that Felix suffered with a technical issue in both qualifying and the race as, without that, I am sure he would also have had a very good result this weekend. It’s a good start for us and we will enjoy this, although our attentions are now firmly focused on the next race in Marrakesh and improving – we want both of our cars at the front as we showed this weekend we have the pace.”
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Mahindra Racing’s Futuristic All-New M5Electro Race Car Makes Its India Debut
Mumbai, 10 Dec 2018: Mahindra Racing’s M5Electro race car made its India debut today, in full race livery, days ahead of the start of the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship– Season 5.
The first race is scheduled on December 15 in Ad Diriyah, Saudi Arabia with a total of 13 races across various cities in the world (it will be broadcasted live on Sony ESPN SD/HD– qualifying at 1:00pm and race at 5:00pm IST). Shell, with a heritage of more than 100 years in motorsports, has also come onboard as the latest sponsor for Mahindra Racing. The Shell logo is part of the new race car livery of the M5Electro which was displayed in India in its race-ready avatar.In addition, Mahindra Racing and Shell will work on the joint development of lubricants and fluids for electric vehicles.
The M5Electro is based on generation two of the Formula E race car, featuring cutting edge EV powertrain technology that has been aggressively developed through the rigour of four seasons of top level Formula E racing. It will be able to touch 100km/h in just 2.8 seconds and go on to a top speed of 280km/h.The design sees an evolution of the team’s iconic and unique red, white and blue colour scheme, updated and created to reflect the exhilarating new design of the Gen2 car. The new team kit draws inspiration from iconic Indian symbols, the Bengal tiger and the Lotus flower.
DR. PAWAN GOENKA | Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and Chairman, Mahindra Racing
“Formula E represents the cutting edge of EV technology and plays a strategic role in realizing Mahindra’s vision of the Future of Mobility through our ‘Race to Road strategy. Racing is at the pinnacle of global EV motorsport, it puts Mahindra on the fast track toward the development of an entirely new generation of EVs that offer clean, exciting yet affordable mobility to our customers.We are geared up to begin racing in Season 5 of Formula E in the next few days and will push hard toward victory. We look forward to growing interest and support from our Indian fans for a championship that is helping to develop sustainable mobility solutions for the future.”
DILBAGH GILL | CEO and Team Principal, Mahindra Racing
“We have set a razor-sharp focus to build on our base from the last few seasons and continue to be one of the top teams in season 5 of Formula E. The ultimate objective, is to claim the championship title. Our team coupled with our strong pool of partners, will enable us to achieve this aspiration. We are thrilled to have Shell onboard as it will help us explore powerful opportunities in the area of lubricant technology and engineering, the results of which will be visible on and off the race track.”
PATRICK CARRE | Vice President, Shell Global Lubricants
“We see great opportunities from the association between Mahindra Racing, a founding Formula E team with a powerful brand and credibility in India, and Shell Lubricants with our deep global automotive expertise and technology capabilities. We are pleased to join forces to develop lubricants and fluids that will make electric vehicles more efficient and unlock great opportunities for continued growth in the Indian market.”
Mahindra Racing team is also supported by Renesas, Lear Corporation, AVIS, Umicore, Pininfarina, Voxdale, Errea, Bahco, Nippon, Alpinestars and Greenhills as sponsors for the upcoming championship.
EVOLUTION OF E-PRIX RULES IN SEASON 5
The race will now last for 45-minutes and an extra lap without any pit stops. Drivers can use the ‘Attack Mode’, which lets them pick up an extra hit of power and to arm this they will need to drive their cars off the racing line, through the Activation Zone. As a reward for taking a slower line through the corner, they will be able to collect an extra 25 kW of power. In another groundbreaking Formula E initiative, the five drivers who receive the highly-acclaimed FANBOOST from fan voting ahead of the race, are awarded a significant burst of power, which they can deploy in a five-second window during the second half of the race.
MAHINDRA RACING
Mahindra Racing is one of ten founding teams – and the only Indian team – to compete in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first all-electric racing series. Mahindra Racing has impressive credentials; after scoring it’s breakthrough win at the Berlin E-Prix in 2017, the squad now has three race victories to it’s name in addition to 15 podiums, six pole positions and 516 points from 45 starts. After four seasons with the first generation race car, all eyes now turn to season five. Mahindra Racing has high ambitions with the Gen2 M5Electro, a technical innovation that will see the car last the duration of a race as Formula E continues to push the limits of technology and electrification.
MAHINDRA GROUP
The Mahindra Group is a USD 20.7 billion federation of companies that enables people to rise through innovative mobility solutions, driving rural prosperity,enhancing urban living, nurturing new businesses and fostering communities.It has a leadership position in utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership in India and is the world’s largest tractor company, by volume. It also enjoys a strong presence in agribusiness,components, commercial vehicles, speedboats, consulting services, energy,industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, steel, aerospace, defence and two wheelers. Headquartered in India, Mahindra employs over 240,000 people across 100 countries. Learn more about Mahindra at www.mahindra.com
Supporting Mahindra Racing is Tech Mahindra which was recently ranked in 15th on the Forbes’ Digital 100 list-the highest-ranked non-US company to feature. After receiving previous accolades for its sustainability vision, Tech Mahindra was honoured for the fourth consecutive year as a leader in the 2018 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).
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Mahindra’s Felix Rosenqvist wins again: Formula E Marrakesh e-prix
Felix Rosenqvist has won for the second time in the first three races of the 2017/18 FIA Formula E Championship with victory in a closely-fought Marrakesh E-Prix. The Mahindra driver started the race from third but eventually overcame pole-man Sebastien Buemi in the closing stages to secure the win and take the lead in the championship standings for the first time in his Formula E career.
Buemi made a strong getaway in his Renault e.dams machine, leading second-placed starter Sam Bird in the DS Virgin Racing car with Rosenqvist third. The top trio was undoubtedly the class of the field, pulling out a healthy margin to the chasing pack, although Bird was struggling with a car issue in the first half of the race and was passed by the Mahindra on lap 16.
Reigning champion Lucas di Grassi was also having technical difficulties and endured a difficult day despite showing strong pace. After getting into the super-pole shootout, he began experiencing issues with his Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler car which meant that, despite starting the race well, he would eventually be forced to retire with the issues from qualifying appearing to recur.
As the top three broke away and Di Grassi dropped out of the running, Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s Nelson Piquet Jr had another strong showing to finish fourth for the second time this year. He had dropped behind Lopez in the early laps but got past during the mid-race car swaps and stayed there for the remainder of the laps
With the front three having broken away there was intense racing further back from fifth to tenth place. The TECHEETAH of Jean-Eric Vergne would take the chequered flag in fifth to continue his consistent run of strong scores, while Lopez ended up an impressive sixth on his Dragon debut.
The battle for seventh was perhaps the most heated of all, with several drivers clashing in the latter stages in a bid to make a pass stick. Ultimately a robust defence from winner Rosenqvist’s team-mate Heidfeld netted him the position, while the two Venturi cars made contact with each other and then the Mahindra, resulting in Edoardo Mortara dropping back with damage and Maro Engel receiving a penalty for causing the collision that put him down to 12th.
This late drama meant that Tom Blomqvist was able to impress on his Formula E debut for Andretti in eighth, while Alex Lynn and Daniel Abt completed the top ten for DS Virgin Racing and Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler respectively.
This third round of the 2017/18 FIA Formula E Championship has left an intriguing championship order, with Rosenqvist leading Bird by four points ahead of Vergne, Piquet Jr and Mortara. The next round takes place for the first time in Santiago de Chile on 3 February.
Felix Rosenqvist, Mahindra Racing, said: “At one point of the day I was going to be settling somewhere in the middle of the mid-field after free practice as we were struggling a lot. We then made some analysis and in qualifying we found out how to work the tyres properly, so that was a really good comeback before the race. Before the race, Spark told me I had to change my battery thirty-minutes before jumping in the car before the grid, so I was praying that my second car would be ready. Big thanks to the Mahindra guys. I think I was a little bit lucky with Lucas dropping out of the race quite early on, and obviously Sam had a problem with his car on the main straight as well. I tried to keep calm and look at my energy, because this race wasn’t really about the temperature but more about energy, and when the moment was right I went for it – super happy!”
Sebastien Buemi, Renault e.dams, said: “I had an issue with the water pump and it wouldn’t start so we had to switch cars, so the car I started with was supposed to be the second one. Because of this we didn’t get FANBOOST sorted properly, so I think Felix had a bit more pace in the second stint, not much, but then I was overtaken at the end and I thought I would leave it to the last minute to use FANBOOST, but it didn’t work. I was annoyed, I didn’t properly move over to the inside and he managed to pass me, otherwise I would’ve closed the door a bit better, so I don’t know what happened. He had a little more pace and he deserved the win, so I don’t really think second is bad, but a big disappointment when you lead for most of the race.”
Sam Bird, DS Virgin Racing, said: “We’ve had an issue since Hong Kong which you wouldn’t have noticed from the outside. We had tried to address it but it came back, and it came back big time in the race. We actually noticed it a lot in FP2, during a 200kW lap attempt – I noticed some difficulties with the rear of the car and I came in early from my run. We thought ‘do we change it, do we not’, and anyway we said no, let’s not change the component and unfortunately it’s come to bite us a little bit in the race. But still, third place is strong points and it’s a third place with a big issue! I didn’t think I was going to finish the race in the first car, I thought I was going to be pulling over and retiring so actually we were quite relieved with the full course yellow came and saved my bacon a little bit.”
2017/18 FIA Formula E Championship Round 3 – Marrakesh
1 – Felix Rosenqvist, Mahindra Racing, 48:04.751s (25)
2 – Sebastien Buemi, Renault e.dams, +0.945s (21)
3 – Sam Bird, DS Virgin Racing, +5.762s (15)
4 – Nelson Piquet Jr, Panasonic Jaguar Racing, +6.554s (13)
5 – Jean-Eric Vergne, TECHEETAH, +12.238s (10)
6 – Jose Maria Lopez, DRAGON, +16.491s (8)
7 – Nick Heidfeld, Mahindra Racing, +28.381s (6)
8 – Tom Blomqvist, Andretti Formula E, +32.380s (4)
9 – Alex Lynn, DS Virgin Racing, +33.520s (2)
10 – Daniel Abt, ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport, +40.951s (1)
11 – Mitch Evans, Panasonic Jaguar Racing, +46.278s
12 – Maro Engel, Venturi Formula E Team, +46.915s
13 – Nico Prost, Renault e.dams, +53.099s
14 – Antonio Felix da Costa, Andretti Formula E, +1:01.116s
15 – Jerome D’Ambrosio, DRAGON, +1:13.805s
16 – Luca Filippi, NIO Formula E Team, +1 Lap
17 – Edoardo Mortara, Venturi Formula E Team, +3 LapsDNF – Oliver Turvey, NIO Formula E Team, 17 Laps
DNF – Andre Lotterer, TECHEETAH, 14 Laps
DNF – Lucas di Grassi, ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport, 7 LapsDriver standings
Felix Rosenqvist, Mahindra Racing – 54
Sam Bird, DS Virgin Racing – 50
Jean-Eric Vergne, TECHEETAH – 43
Nelson Piquet Jr, Panasonic Jaguar Racing – 25
Edoardo Mortara, Venturi Formula E – 24Team standings
Mahindra Racing – 75
DS Virgin Racing – 58
TECHEETAH – 43
Panasonic Jaguar Racing – 40
Venturi Formula E Team – 30
Renault e.dams – 28
Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler – 12
Andretti Formula E – 12
NIO Formula E Team – 9
DRAGON – 8eom/FIA press release
Felix Rosenqvist celebrates after winning the e-prix on Saturday, 13 Jan 2018. An FIA image
