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interview maximilian guenther ds penske season 11

Maximilian Guenther on his move to DS PENSKE and what to expect from GEN3 Evo

INTERVIEW 07 Nov 2024 3 Mins

DS PENSKE’s Maximilian Guenther was the fastest man around the Jarama circuit yesterday in pre-season testing, and has been previewing the latest GEN3 Evo era with his new team.

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interview maximilian guenther ds penske season 11

Article by Katy Fairman

After two seasons at Maserati MSG Racing, where he wrapped up two victories and six podiums, German driver Guenther made the switch to the DS PENSKE squad for Season 11. It’s a team he has some familiarity with, getting his Formula E debut in Season 5 with GEOX DRAGON which was owned by Jay Penske.

Fast forward six seasons, and he’s back with Penske and a new teammate in Jean-Eric Vergne. The two-time champ had a strong last campaign to finish fifth in the Drivers’ World Championship standings with three podiums to his name and DS PENSKE snapping up third in the Teams’ table.

PREVIEW: Season 11 kicks off with testing in Madrid ahead of São Paulo season-opener

Guenther and the entire Formula E grid now have an exciting new challenge ahead of them, with the introduction of the GEN3 Evo machine. This groundbreaking race car, capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in just 1.82 seconds, is not only the quickest-accelerating FIA single-seater but also outpaces current F1 cars by 30% in acceleration, reflecting Formula E’s ongoing commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility.

Speaking about his move to DS PENSKE, Guenther explained the special feeling he had at joining the team and how the GEN3 Evo has been to test.

“My first few months with the DS PENSKE team have been really strong; a strong team with a strong vision,” Guenther said to press yesterday. “There are lots of great people in the team, lots of quality. I've been spending time in the UK for our new simulator there and getting ready for the season.

“There are quite a few changes on the car, with the four-wheel drive, new Hankook tyres, and different characteristics in the race. So things to work on, to improve but so far, it has been going really well, and I'm enjoying this process as well during this week.”

Yesterday Maximilian managed a rapid lap time of 1m28.408s, which was enough to put him in the first place slot as the afternoon session came to a close. It was the quickest time of the test so far, and the second consecutive session where a STELLANTIS powertrain finished in the top spot, with Maserati MSG Racing’s Jake Hughes going quickest yesterday morning.

“I really think it's great to see this evolution of Formula E, on the efficiency side of the cars and the speed that we're achieving on the straight line. There are lots of impressive stats and it's certainly very enjoyable behind the wheel with the four-wheel drive.

“I think we all really like it as drivers. It’s a nice challenge as well to adapt your driving style, because I think we are the only championship where in one qualifying you go from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive, which I think is great. It's a great challenge with the new tyre characteristics as well this year. I believe those two will be key factors for performance.”

Having worked closely with STELLANTIS during his two years at Maserati MSG Racing, Guenther knows the team well as they share a powertrain.

“I know quite a few faces through STELLANTIS from working with them the past two years, but I think there's some new things to me.

“It's also great to be working with Vergne as my new teammate.”

Guenther managed a victory in Tokyo last year, and will be hoping to make it a double victory around the Japanese capital as it has become a double-header in Season 11.

“As we know, competition in Formula E is extremely tight,” he added. “So all you can do is really maximise your own package, try to do this the best possible way, on every track at every weekend. This is how you can have a strong weekend. I feel you can't really force victories. You can just try to do everything from your side, and then they happen.”

Testing schedule

Thursday 7 November:

Official Test Session 4: 9:00 local (8:00 UTC)
Official Test Session 5: 14:00 local (13:00 UTC)

Friday 8 November:

Official Test Session 6: 9:00 local (8:00 UTC)
Women’s Test Session: 14:00 local (13:00 UTC)

How to follow pre-season testing

Fans can stay informed with live timing features that include a real-time interactive track map and the ability to follow their favourite drivers throughout each session.

LIVE: Follow every lap of testing live with timing, reaction and coverage at fiaformulae.com/live

Additionally, Formula E’s social media channels, website, and app will provide session reports, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights from trackside during the four-day event.