Mahindra Racing is a motor racing team based in Banbury, England, competing with an Indian racing license. It is part of the Mahindra Group. The team is currently competing in the electric FIA Formula E Championship and has been since the inaugural season in 2014.[1] The team formerly competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing, fielding a team in the junior 125cc category[2] (later renamed Moto3) between 2011 and 2015. Mahindra later refocused on being a bike and engine supplier, until ultimately pulling out of the sport in 2017.[3]
FIA Formula E World Championship (2014–present)
2014–15 season
Mahindra Racing competes in the FIA Formula E World Championship. They entered the Championship in the inaugural 2014-2015 season as one of the ten founding teams.
2015–16 season
From the second season, the team developed its own electric powertrain, the M2Electro, to power their quartet of electric racing cars. The M2Electro impressed out of the box, with Nick Heidfeld scoring the team's first podium in the opening round in Beijing. Bruno Senna had a second place podium finish in the first of the two season finale races in London. The M2Electro also impressed with its efficiency and reliability, contributing to seven double points finishes throughout the season.
2016–17 season
Rookie Felix Rosenqvist joined as teammate to Nick Heidfeld. Mahindra Racing developed the new M3Electro car, which proved to be a competitive package, powering the team to its maiden win at the hands of Rosenqvist at the 2017 Berlin ePrix. The team also scored nine further podiums, three pole positions and two fastest lap awards. These results were underscored by Mahindra Racing's third place in the Teams’ Championship standings.
2017–18 season
Drivers Felix Rosenqvist and Nick Heidfeld remained with Mahindra for the fourth season, piloting the M4Electro to two further victories, in Hong Kong and Marrakesh, and three pole positions. After a strong and encouraging start to the season, the team finished fourth overall in the team's championship, with Rosenqvist in the driver's title hunt for much of the season.
2018–19 season
For Season Five, Felix Rosenqvist left the team to join the Chip Ganassi Racing team in IndyCar series and was replaced by former Dragon Racing driver Jérôme d'Ambrosio. Nick Heidfeld stepped down from his race seat to become a special advisor and official reserve driver for the squad and was replaced by former Manor and Sauber Formula 1 driver and DTM champion Pascal Wehrlein. Racing the M5Electro, the Mahindra drivers secured one win, two podiums, two fastest laps, a pole position and seven Super Pole appearances between them, finishing the Championship in sixth place.
2019–20 season
Wehrlein and D'Ambrosio were announced as continuing with the team for Season 6 at a launch event in Germany in October 2019. On 24 June 2020 the team announced that Alex Lynn would replace Wehrlein for the remainder of the 2019/20 Season. The team finished the 2019–20 season ranking ninth on the constructors standings.[4] D'Ambrosio would later announce his retirement from professional racing after the season to take on a team principal role at Venturi Racing.
2020–21 season
On 29 October 2020, Mahindra revealed the new M7Electro car, Alexander Sims and Alex Lynn were confirmed as the driver lineup for the 2020–21 Formula E season.[5] Lynn secured a race victory in London Race 2.
2021–22 season
Lynn was replaced by Oliver Rowland for the 2021–22 Formula E season.[6]
2022–23 season
Sims was announced to not return to the team for the 2022–23 season; he was replaced by Lucas di Grassi.[7] Team principal Dilbagh Gill left the team in September 2022, entering a period of gardening leave;[8] he was replaced by Frédéric Bertrand.[9] In May, it was announced that Oliver Rowland would leave the team, and be replaced by Roberto Merhi for the 2023 Jakarta ePrix.[10]
2023–24 season
Despite being contracted for 2024, Mahindra announced that di Grassi have left the team on 26 September 2023.[11] On the following day, Mahindra announced the signing of 2020–21 series champion Nyck De Vries and Edoardo Mortara for the 2023–24 season.[12]
In January 2024, Mahindra drew significant criticism for using generative AI to create a fake Instagram brand ambassador named "Ava Rose" instead of hiring an actual woman.[13][14] After the backlash, the "Ava Rose" account was deleted (along with the post announcing the partnership), and Mahindra Racing CEO and principal Frédéric Bertrand issued a statement announcing the discontinuation of the program.[15][16]
Mahindra Racing Team and Drivers
FIM MotoGP Series
As a team (2011–2014)
In 2011, Mahindra Racing made its motor racing debut in the 125cc class of the MotoGP championship, which was then in its last year.[25] The team used the GP125 racing motorcycle produced by Italy-based Engines Engineering,[26][27] which Mahindra had acquired in 2008.[28] The team performed well in their inaugural season, capped off by Danny Webb securing the team's first-ever pole position in the last race, at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain.[29] Mahindra Racing ended the season third in the constructors' championship.
Other series
CIV – Italian National Motorcycle Racing Championship
125 cc and Moto3 class
In early December 2012, Mahindra Racing announced its entry into the 125cc class of the Italian National Motorcycle Racing Championship (CIV) with Indian rider S. Sarath Kumar and Italian phenomenon Riccardo Moretti. Moretti was the 2009 champion in the 125cc class while Kumar is a former champion in the 130cc 4-stroke (Novice class, 2008) and the 165cc Expert Class (2009). Moretti won the season-opener, at the Mugello Circuit, Mahindra's first time earning a 1st-place finish. Kumar earned a third-place finish in the third round, at Monza. He left professional racing for personal reasons after round six. Moretti won the second and fourth races, at Imola and Mugello respectively. In the sixth round, at Misano, Moretti and new Mahindra rider Miroslav Popov finished first and second respectively; in the seventh round, again at Misano, Popov took first, while Moretti finished third.
In the final race of the 2012 season, Popov again took first place, and was joined on the podium by new Mahindra Racing rider Lukas Trautmann, who earned a second-place finish in his debut race. The double podium, Mahindra's third of the season, earned the team the 2012 CIV Constructor's Cup,[64][65]
Mahindra Racing Team Riders
FIM MotoGP (125cc and Moto3)
- 🇩🇪 Marcel Schrötter No. 77 (2011–2012)
- Danny Webb No. 99 (2011–2012)
- 🇨🇿 Miroslav Popov No. 95 (2012)
- 🇮🇹 Riccardo Moretti No. 20 (2012)
- Miguel Oliveira No. 44 (2013–2014)
- Efrén Vázquez No. 7 (2013)
- 🇮🇹 Andrea Locatelli No. 55 (2013)
- 🇮🇹 Andrea Migno No. 16 (2014)
- 🇦🇺 Arthur Sissis No. 61 (2014 - 2019)
- 🇮🇹 Francesco Bagnaia No. 21 (2015)
Customer teams
FIM MotoGP (Moto3)
Ambrogio Racing (2013–2014)
CIP Team (2014–2017)
Team Italia (2014–2016)
Outox Reset Drink Team (2015)
Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3 (2016–2017)
Platinum Bay Real Estate Team (2016)
Peugeot MC Saxoprint Team (2016–2017)
Minimoto Portomaggiore Team (2016)
Motomex Team Worldwide Race (2016)
Mahindra MRW Aspar Team (2017)
3570-MTA Team (2017)
- Brad Binder No. 41 (2013–2014)
- 🇩🇪 Luca Amato No. 21 (2013)
- 🇫🇷 Jules Danilo No. 95 (2014)
Racing results
Formula E results
(key)
- Notes:
- – In the inaugural season, all teams were supplied with a spec powertrain by McLaren.
- * – Season still in progress.
- † – Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance.
- G – Driver was fastest in group qualifying stage and was given one championship point.
- P– Marks the driver who was given three points for being starting on Pole.
- F– Marks the driver who was given one point for fastest lap.
Other teams supplied by Mahindra
Moto3 and 125 cc Manufacturers Championship
External links
References
- Mahindra racing to compete in FIA Formula E Championship 29 November 2013, retrieved 27 July 2020^
- Mahindra, first Indian manufacturer to compete in FIM MotoGP Business Standard, Business Standard Ltd., 21 January 2011, retrieved 23 July 2016^
- Rachit Thukral. Mahindra to exit Moto3 at end of 2017