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A Formula E ever-present, the Anglo-Indian team rolled out the new-for-GEN3 Evo Mahindra M11Electro for the first time competitively as the championship opened Season 11 in Brazil.The team’s promise in pre-season testing translated through to competition, with Edoardo Mortara achieving a Duels appearance in the first qualifying session of the new campaign, en route to an eventual seventh on the grid.
Quali proved to be a tougher session for Nyck de Vries on the other side of the garage, but both drivers turned in a stellar performance in race trim to move through the pack and begin 2024/25 on the front foot.
Mortara P5 and de Vries P7 - with the Season 7 champion climing 14 positions in total
Having survived a typically ‘elbows out’ start to the E-Prix, both Mortara and de Vries quietly settled into the pack, thereafter, managing both their energy and mandatory ATTACK MODE activations – in which the car now activates four-wheel drive and gains around two to three seconds per lap in extra performance – whilst making steady progress up the order.
The race was twice-halted during the closing stages for other incidents on-track, and at the final restart with four laps to run, Mortara and de Vries found themselves sitting in fifth and seventh respectively.
Both enjoyed a steady run to the chequered flag from there, with Mortara crossing the line fifth. De Vries completed a stunning turnaround, in which the Dutch driver gained 14 positions in total, to finish seventh on the road, before gaining another spot post-race after a penalty to another competitor.
As a result of their efforts, Mahindra leave Brazil with their joint-highest ever points total for a season-opening race and sitting a solid fourth in the Teams' World Championship.
Having led the team’s charge to a top-five finish, Mortara said: “In the end, it was a good day for the team [in Brazil], with both cars in the points. Personally, I’m happy with P5 in such a chaotic race. We managed to stay out of trouble, and had some decent pace compared to the competition.
“I think it was important to finish this race to assess the performance we have against the best. We have a brand new car, so there’s still a lot to come from this package, and finishing helps us understand what to do to keep improving it.
“We’re all feeling more positive and optimistic after this first race, compared to 12 months ago, and I’m sure that we’ll all keep pushing and have some even better results.”
Pleased after storming through the field to finish sixth behind his teammate, de Vries added: “It’s a good result for all of us. We were a little bit disappointed with qualifying on our side of the garage, we didn’t quite get it right but luckily, we did a good job of recovering it in the race, kept it clean, stayed away from all the chaos and I think we can be encouraged by the package that we have.
“We were definitely more competitive in all the battles on-track, but there’s also still a lot to learn for us going forward in the races to come. A good start overall.”
And, giving his verdict on a positive start to Season 11 for the team, Mahindra Racing CEO and Team Principal Fred Bertrand said: “This is the start to the season we have been working so tirelessly towards, not just over the off-season, but stretching right back to the beginning of our development programme on the Mahindra M11Electro.
“Edo and Nyck drove a fantastic race today. They kept their noses clean during some chaotic moments, showed good pace and managed their energy well to give us a shot at scoring a double points finish, which they delivered.
“I’m very proud of the entire team, but it’s important we remain focused, remain humble and look ahead to Mexico City to confirm the steps we feel we have made.”
SCHEDULE: Join us for Round 2 in Mexico City on 11 January 2025
Season 11 and the GEN3 Evo era has already started with an instant classic, so make sure you join us when we return to Mexico City next month.
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