Mahindra Racing Announce Trio Of Drivers For Formula E Rookie Test
Mumbai / Banbury, April 17, 2023: Mahindra Racing today announced that Jehan Daruvala, Jordan King and Roberto Merhi will represent the team in the official Formula E Rookie Test in Berlin.
Fielding both of their Mahindra M9Electro race cars, the team has nominated three talented rookies, including former F1 driver Roberto Merhi, for the opportunity.
Merhi, who raced for Manor Marussia F1 Team during the 2015 season, joins the Banbury based outfit in Berlin for his first taste of electric motorsport. A successful single-seater career saw the Spaniard win races across Formula Renault, Spanish F3, British F3 and Formula 3.5 Euro Series before progressing into Formula One, first as a test driver and then a competing driver. Since then, he has advanced into sports car and endurance racing, finishing third in the Asian Le Mans Series Drivers’ Championship in 2020.
The Berlin test event will be Reserve Driver Jehan Daruvala’s first official outing in the M9Electro, after joining Mahindra Racing at the start of the season. He has since shadowed the team’s 2023 drivers Lucas Di Grassi and Oliver Rowland in Diriyah and Hyderabad earlier this year. The young Indian racer has impressed in recent years competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with multiple wins and podiums, most recently achieving two third place finishes during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend.
Formula 1 development driver Jordan King is Mahindra Racing’s Simulator and Development Driver and has been thriving in the role since 2021. The 29-year-old Brit has enjoyed a strong single-seater career, winning the 2013 British F3 championship and competing in GP2, Formula 2 and IndyCar, as well as working with the Manor Marussia and Alpine F1 Teams.
The drivers will utilise the test day to gain experience driving Formula E cars on-event, with team CEO, Fred Bertrand, saying: “This is a fantastic opportunity for these three talented drivers to show us what they are made of. Each of them has impressed me in recent years, and I’m pleased with our choice to field them in this official Rookie Test day.”
Ahead of his debut Formula E outing, Jehan Daruvala said: “The Gen3 is the fastest Formula E car yet and I’m really excited to be given the chance to drive it in Berlin. My role as Reserve Driver means I have already driven several laps in the simulator, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the M9Electro for real. As an Indian, I’m especially proud to be driving for the only Indian manufacturer on the grid and I’m really grateful to Mahindra Racing for giving me this opportunity.”
Roberto Merhi felt similarly, adding: “I’m very happy to make my debut in Formula E with the Rookie Test in Berlin. I would really like to thank Mahindra Racing for trusting me. I will put in all my effort to do a good job for the team. Adapting to a new challenge is exciting and I look forward to it.”
With two seasons’ experience with the team under his belt, Jordan King is ready to hit the ground running: “I’m really looking forward to getting in the car and continuing the development work we’ve been doing behind the scenes. It’ll be good to take the weekend’s simulator work straight to the track on Monday morning and carry on the progression and learning. As always, I’m grateful to the team for the opportunity to represent them and I can’t wait to get out there.”
The official ABB FIA Formula E Rookie Test takes place on 24th April at the Tempelhof Berlin E-Prix Circuit. Jehan will drive in both sessions, with Jordan testing alongside him in the morning, and Roberto in the afternoon.
Mahindra Racing has a strong set of partners, including Official Powertrain Partner ZF and e-fluids partner Shell. Maurice Lacroix, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, continues as the Official Timekeeper.
