MAHINDRA RACING REVEALS NEW NAMES FOR SEASON THREE OF FORMULA E
22 August 2016, Donington: The Mahindra Racing Formula E Team today announced that Swedish driver Felix Rosenqvist will join Nick Heidfeld as part of a revised driver line-up for the team’s third season in the competitive FIA Formula E Championship.
Rosenqvist, 24, joins Mahindra Racing on the back of an impressive growth curve in motorsport which saw him win the 2015 FIA Formula 3 European Championship. More recently, in July, he came second overall in the Spa 24 Hours.
Rosenqvist and Heidfeld have already acquired a taste for the new M3Electro, which will make its race debut at the season three opener in Hong Kong in October. The duo aims to build on the team’s success from the second season of Formula E. After scoring two podiums and seven double-points finishes, Mahindra Racing has even higher hopes for season three.
Mahindra Racing completed nearly 2,200km of running over 15 days of testing in July across multiple tracks in Spain.
Felix Rosenqvist said, “I’m thrilled to join Mahindra Racing at this exciting time. Racing in Formula E will be something genuinely brand new to me. It’s a step into the unknown, but I’ve had a very warm welcome by Mahindra Racing and I have a strong and experienced team-mate in Nick. I’ve tested the car already and I look forward to intensifying our preparations during the two pre-season tests at Donington. I love new challenges and this is going to be a massive one, for sure. I’m fully aware that it will take some time to learn the trade of electric racing, as the technology in Formula E is so different to what I’m accustomed. You need to be fast, as always, but you also have to be clever and energy-efficient. I also find the calendar highly exciting. We’ll be racing on street tracks in some incredible locations, and I can’t wait for Hong Kong.”
German driver Heidfeld continues with Mahindra Racing for season three after delivering the team’s first ever podium finish at the Beijing ePrix in 2015. He has been instrumental in the development of the M3Electro and completed over half of the distance covered in testing.
Nick Heidfeld said, “I am excited to continue with Mahindra Racing into season three of Formula E and welcome my new team-mate, Felix. We had very productive private testing sessions with the M3Electro last month and are prepared for the challenges ahead. The new car is a significant evolution for Mahindra Racing, one which I am very passionate about and I’m confident that we can be competitive. Personally, I am also really looking forward to some of the new Formula E circuit venues coming up!”
Dilbagh Gill, Team Principal, Mahindra Racing Formula E Team said, “We are thrilled to welcome Felix to the Mahindra Racing family, and of course to welcome Nick back for another season. As a Formula 3 champion and accomplished driver across a number of race series, Felix has proven his skill on many levels and, crucially, tight street circuits such as Macau. In season three of the Formula E championship, we want to maintain the momentum built in season two. Our first podiums are behind us and our aim is now set much higher. The new M3Electro has undergone extensive testing at the hands of both Nick and Felix in Spain, and we look forward to continuing our car preparations at Donington this week. The M3Electro is an important milestone in our evolution-revolution cycle and reflects our greater ambitions in Formula E. I would like to personally thank Bruno Senna for his contribution to Mahindra Racing during our first two years in Formula E. Bruno has been a highly-valued member of our team in developing the car and it is only with his help that we have been able to lay solid foundations for the future.”
Mahindra Racing is also proud to welcome a brand new partner, technical-athletic apparel company, Erreà Sport S.p.a. Founded in 1988 at San Polo di Torrile (Parma, Italy) by the Gandolfi family, Errea has a long and proud history in producing quality sports apparel for some of the best teams in the world in football as well as volleyball, basketball, rugby and other sports.
In a move facilitated by Swiss-based sponsorship agent and Errea motorsport manager Jon Wilde, Mahindra Racing chose Errea because of its high performing products and sustainable practices. Errea was the first clothing manufacturer to obtain the Oeko-Tex certification in 2007, guaranteeing that its products do not release harmful or carcinogenic substances during use, and it certifies that they are totally safe for human health. It remains the only company to do so today.
Errea produces the Mahindra Racing Formula E Team official team apparel and merchandise.
Dilbagh Gill, Team Principal, Mahindra Racing Formula E Team said, “It is a pleasure to welcome Errea as our official team kit supplier. Italy is a country that is very passionate about motorsport and Errea shares our commitment to technology development, improvement and sustainability.”
Roberto Gandolfi, Vice Chairman, Errea Sport S.p.a. said, “It is a pleasure for Erreà to partner with Mahindra Racing in the exciting Formula E Championship. We were attracted to Formula E because the series’ core values and ethos are perfectly aligned with ours and we believe that the partnership with Mahindra in Formula E will enable us to communicate our positioning with regard to technology, fabrics, sustainability and an ongoing commitment to research and development.”
Mahindra Racing is aiming to raise the bar for its third season in Formula E with greater ambitions on and off the track.
The team has established itself as a leader in fan engagement and its latest initiative was a livery competition called #DrivenByDesign. The winner’s design will become the new livery for the team’s M3Electro and will be revealed later today prior to the first official pre-season test at Donington Park, UK, where Rosenqvist and Heidfeld will share driving duties in the team’s four cars.
The 2016-17 FIA Formula E Championship starts on 9 October in Hong Kong.
Driver Profiles
Felix Rosenqvist
Driver Number: #19
Born: 7 November 1991, Värnamo, Sweden
Overview:
2016 FIA Formula E (Mahindra Racing), Indy Lights, Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, DTM (test and reserve driver)
2015 FIA Formula 3 European Championship: Champion
2014-2015 Macau Grand Prix: two-time winner
2011-2014 FIA Formula 3 European Championship
2010 ATS Formula 3 Cup
2009 Formula Renault 2.0 Sweden / NEZ: Champion
2008 Formula Asia 2.0: Champion
2007 Asian Formula Renault: Rookie of the Year
Nick Heidfeld
Driver Number: #23
Born: 10 May 1977, Mönchengladbach, Germany
Overview:
2015-2016 FIA Formula E (Mahindra Racing), 24h Le Mans LMP1
2014 FIA Formula E (Venturi)
2014 World Endurance Racing LMP1 Endurance Trophy: Champion
2013 Petit Le Mans: 1st place
2012 24h Le Mans LMP1: 4th overall
2000–2011 Formula 1: 13 podiums; 5th 2007 Drivers’ Championship
1999 FIA Formula 3000: Champion
1997 German Formula 3: Champion
1995 Formula Ford 1800: Champion
1994 Formula Ford 1600: Champion
