Ex-FIA man Frederic Bertrand joins Mahindra Racing as CEO of the Indian motorsport group.
Bertrand recently resigned from his position at the FIA, having been part of the organisation since 2012. Most recently, he served as Director of Formula E and Innovation Projects and played an important role in the continuing development of the electric racing series.
He also helped to develop the FIA’s eSports initiatives and the FIA Motorsport Games.
His resignation comes as Formula E prepares for the start of the Gen 3 era, with a new car being introduced. It will also be Mahindra’s first season supplying powertrains to a customer team.
“We are delighted to welcome Frederic to Mahindra Racing,” said Mahindra chairperson Asha Kharga. “Frederic brings with him an excellent combination of automobile industry expertise coupled with a specialised focus on motorsports.
“This is an exciting time, as we get into Season 9, which will feature the all-new Gen 3 car. This is also an especially important year for Mahindra as a founding Formula E team. For the first time in Formula E history, India will host its first race in Hyderabad in February 2023. We remain committed to our electric mobility agenda, which is a strong marker of our sustainability credentials.”
Bertrand takes over the role of Dilbagh Gil, who parted ways with Mahindra in September after eight years with the team. Former driver and special advisor Nick Heidfeld has also stepped away from the team.
After 8 fantastic years, its good bye for me from @MahindraRacing .
I started there as a race driver in 2015 and later moved into my role as special advisor.
In my first race I secured the first ever podium with and for the team. pic.twitter.com/qKCAkVLBRa— Nick Heidfeld (@NickHeidfeld) November 3, 2022
Bertrand said: “I am delighted and extremely excited to be joining Mahindra Group to lead its racing activities. I have been privileged to witness the growth of the Mahindra Formula E team and feel proud to have now been entrusted with driving the team to even greater performance and results. The coming months will be tough and will require a lot of hard work, but the goal is clearly to be on the pace in what promises to be an ultra-competitive field of manufacturers and teams. It is a new chapter and major challenge in my career, and I cannot wait to get started!”