MAHINDRA RACING CELEBRATES THIRD IN FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH PODIUM FINISH TO BEST-EVER SEASON
30 July 2017, Montreal: Mahindra Racing has capped off its best ever season in the FIA Formula E Championship with second place at the Montreal ePrix.
Swedish racing driver Felix Rosenqvist delivered the team’s final podium in round 12, while teammate Nick Heidfeld followed in fifth to lock down third in the Teams’ Championship. It was a far cry from Saturday’s race and a fitting end to a whirlwind journey for Mahindra Racing.
Two points for ninth in the first race was wholly unrepresentative of the pace that Rosenqvist demonstrated within the top four for the majority of the race. Heidfeld recovered from P14 to P11 until a clash with Loïc Duval ended his challenge for points on Saturday.
The team mounted a comeback plan overnight to turn its fortunes on the 2.75km street circuit in the heart of the city. Both drivers converted their M3Electro racecar’s potential to outright pace to nail qualifying and enter the Super Pole shootout for the fifth and sixth time since the opening round in Hong Kong.
Pole for Rosenqvist meant he was able to lead the 20-strong field from the start for the third time in his short Formula E career and went on to control the race for almost 30 laps. For Heidfeld, qualifying on the second row in fourth position was a vast improvement on Saturday’s race and he was able to convert to a worthy fifth to contribute to the teams’ overall championship standing.
It caps off a stunning season from the Mahindra Racing team, who finished down in sixth for the previous 2015-16 FIA Formula E Championship. Right from the outset, the team showed it had the combination of speed, reliability and driving talent to seriously contend for podiums at every race since the start of the season. Starting from the Monaco ePrix, Mahindra Racing has collectively out-scored every other team in the paddock.
The breakout rookie of the season, Rosenqvist has delivered five podiums including a maiden victory for himself and Mahindra Racing in Berlin. His three pole positions have also helped him to third in the Drivers’ Championship in his maiden Formula E season.
Heidfeld collected a further five podiums for the team, including four at consecutive race venues from Monaco up to the previous round in New York City.
Mahindra Racing statistics for the 2016-17 FIA Formula E Season
- 1 win
- 10 podiums – more than any other team!
- 2 double podiums
- 3 Julius Bär Pole Positions – tied for most per team!
- 2 VISA Fastest Lap Awards
- 6 Super Pole appearances
- 215 points
- 1 FanBoost
- Most improved team
Looking ahead
During the summer period, Mahindra Racing will continue to develop its 2017-18 FIA Formula E Championship challenger – the M4Electro. The results from this season will fuel the team to hunt for more podiums and victories in this closely fought, all-electric competition.