Just Electric

A season of learnings for Mahindra

Mahindra Racing started Season 4 aiming to keep up the strong performances the team had had in Season 3.

They got off to a brilliant start, topping both the Teams’ and Drivers’ Championships after the first three races, and with two wins and podium under their belt.

However, things got complicated from then on. The team struggled during races and qualifying, with many retirements along the way, which led to them dropping out of title contention.

Mahindra was then able to come back to the point-scoring positions, capping off Season 4 with a points-finish for both Rosenqvist and Heidfeld.

Mahindra Racing’s 2017-18 ABB FIA Formula E Statistics:

Wins: 2

Podiums (not including wins): 1

Poles: 3

Fastest Laps: 1

Championship Points: 138

Constructors’ Championship: 4th

The unfortunate retirements Rosenqvist had while leading in Mexico City and Rome were crucial for his drop out of championship contention. Issues also affected Heidfeld, whose points and podiums streak in Season 3 had been of a significant importance for Mahindra Racing to finish third overall.

It is fair to acknowledge that Season 4 also saw many teams growing stronger and fighting for wins, which left the Indian outfit with a reduced margin for error. The tiniest misfortune could lead to a rival team getting advantage, as the competition grew closer perfomance-wise.

But as the team has shown in previous seasons, they were able to learn from the mistakes and unfortunate events, and came back stronger. Season 5 opens a new opportunity for Mahindra Racing to be back fighting for a championship, as a new era of racing opens in the fully-electric championship.

 

Felix Rosenqvist

Wins: 2

Poles: 3

Fastest Laps: 1

Drivers’ Championship: 6th (96 points)

Swedish sensation Felix Rosenqvist has proved in various occasions why he is often labelled as the most versatile driver of his generation. His skills at the wheel of different types of cars have allowed him to get seats in a variety of racing series, and when he landed a Formula E drive, it didn’t take him long to give a masterclass.

Rosenqvist’s second season in Formula E kicked off with a win in the second round of the Hong Kong ePrix. After the race on Asian soil, the series moved to Marrakesh, were the Swede finished what had been unfinished business in Season 3, as he finally got to the top step of the podium.

Mexico City would be a heartbreak for him and his team, as his car stopped while he had the lead of the race. This forced him to retire from the race and was a major loss in his title run.

In Punta del Este, Felix was able to pull off a brilliant drive after his car had suffered a technical issue, finishing in P5 on the beachside circuit.

As Formula E landed in Rome, he quickly grabbed Pole Position, but the same drama he had gone through in Mexico City happened all over again. He was back in the points in Paris, but his championship aspirations were fading away, as Vergne’s pace and performances were demolishing.

He wouldn’t score points again until the second round of the New York City ePrix. When he was back in the Top 10, he demonstrated the quality he has at what he does, proving why he is the Super Swede of this era.

There have been rumours about Rosenqvist’s future in the series. Whatever path he chooses, Formula E fans and everyone who works within it knows he is a true racer, and overall, a fantastic professional.

Nick Heidfeld

Wins: 0

Podiums: 1
(3rd in Hong Kong Race 1)

Poles: 0

Fastest Laps: 0

Drivers’ Championship: 11th (42 points)

Nick Heidfeld’s start of the season was a positive one. The German clinched a podium finish which would help the team to settle on top of the standings after the first ePrix. Unfortunately for him, the following races wouldn’t be as fruitful, and the podium in Hong Kong would be the only one he would get during the season.

Three retirements in a row (Santiago, Mexico City, and Punta del Este), would affect not only his Top 10 championship finish hopes, but also the Indian squad’s Teams’ Championship run.

A long period of not being able to score points was cut short in Berlin, where the German fought tooth and nail, getting a P10 finish. In the following races, he also finished within the point-scoring positions.

With a four-season experience in the fully-electric championship and skills that never seem to fade away, there have been many times where the Mönchengladbach-native has come back stronger from misfortunes or mistakes made.

His long no-points drought, followed by four weekends back at the Top 10 are clear proof of Heidfeld’s talents and strengths, making him one of the strongest drivers the series has seen in its four-year history.

Andrea Perilli

Privacy Policy

Click here to read our Privacy Policy.

%d bloggers like this: