27 APRIL 2019, PARIS, FRANCE – The eighth round of the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship took place today on the city streets of Paris on Circuit des Invalides. Pascal Wehrlein, driving the #94 M5Electro, finished in tenth position, collecting the final point, with Jérôme D’Ambrosio forced into retirement in the #64.

Very changeable weather conditions throughout the day provided a challenge for all the teams. Sunshine regularly made way for rainfall and high winds, making each session highly unpredictable. This morning’s free practice sessions were both disrupted by yellow and red flags, with numerous drivers falling foul of the treacherous conditions and narrow margin for error on the tight street circuit. Mahindra Racing had a solid and productive morning of testing.

When it came to qualifying, initial joy was unfortunately followed by disappointment. The squad put on a strong performance, with Pascal and Jérôme finishing the group stages in second and fifth respectively and both progressing to Super Pole. A fantastic lap from Pascal saw him secure Pole Position by over three tenths of a second, with Jérôme securing a third row starting spot from sixth. However, the pair were later disqualified after the organisers judged a technical infringement on the cars related to tyre pressures and were forced to begin from the back row of the grid; Jérôme from 21st and Pascal 22nd.

The 45-minute + 1 lap Paris E-Prix started under the safety car as it was deemed unsafe conditions for a standing start. Green flag racing commenced straight after, with the two Mahindra Racing drivers gaining two places on the first lap. As the weather, and subsequently the track conditions, then began to deteriorate, Jérôme and Pascal began to scythe through the field, working hard to capitalise on a frenetic and action packed 34 minutes. With 15 minutes, to go, Jérôme had moved into the points in 10th, while Pascal had progressed to 13th.

Following a lengthy safety car period after a multi-car crash, on the restart Jérôme hit the barriers heavily, putting an end to a race that had seen him gain 13 places from where he had started. Pascal was able to make the most of his clean race, entering the points in the dying moments to finished in tenth, improving 12 places on his starting spot.

With another unpredictable and action-packed Season 5 race, it is all to play for in the tight championship battles. Mahindra Racing are fourth in the team’s battle, with Jérôme fifth and Pascal 11th in the driver’s fight; which sees the top five separated by just 16 points.

The ABB FIA Formula E Championship now moves to Monte Carlo, with the Monaco E-Prix, round nine of the 2018/19 season, taking place on Saturday 11 May.