Mahindra pushing in 'right direction' as Formula E Gen3 EVO approaches

Mahindra are pushing in the "right direction" ahead of next season's introduction of the Formula E Gen3 EVO car – the fastest-accelerating FIA single-seater. 

Despite the fact the current season is yet to conclude – which happens this weekend in London – Mahindra are powering forwards ahead of the sport's next era. Whilst it is not a completely new generation of car, it is viewed as a significant step in technology.

Jordan King, the team's reserve, development and simulator driver has been putting the team's car for next year through its paces.

King is pleased with how testing has gone so far, with Mahindra's testing targets being met. 

“There’s definitely a lot to get through, with regards to the GEN3 Evo testing programme, and we’ve set plenty of goals for ourselves as a team, measured on a shorter, medium and longer-term basis,” explained King.

“We’ve got a lot of new parts to also get our heads around, both from an FIA standpoint, but also on the areas of the car in which we can have an impact, as a team.

“So far, it’s clear we’re making good progress against those objectives across the board, and in moving things forward from where they were in GEN3. But we’re under no illusions, and we know we need to keep working hard, because our competition are similarly pushing for those marginal gains.

“But the tests we’ve completed so far have been positive and feel like we’re moving in the right direction. All we can do for now is continue to track well against our goals and see how things play out.”

Mahindra testing 'very' positive

Since the start of the Gen3 era last year, Mahindra team principal Frederic Bertrand has been leading the outfit with Gen3 EVO in mind. The Indian manufacturer quickly accepted its Gen3 package was disappointing, so turned its attention to a long-term project. 

This is partly why the experienced Edoardo Mortara and Season 7 World Champion Nyck de Vries were given multi-year contracts, with Bertrand viewing the pair as suitable to lead Mahindra along its recovery back to the top. 

Mahindra has undergone a change in personnel over the past 12 months both in the garage and in the cockpits, to ensure that Bertrand's 'masterplan' has its best chance of working. 

“From the point I arrived at Mahindra Racing, everything has been geared towards GEN3 Evo," said Bertrand. "Formula E’s regulations only allow for a very limited development window between each generation of car, so it’s vital that we make big strides forward in performance where we can.

“In order to maximise this opportunity, we first had to make sure we were not only optimising the aspects of the team that contribute to on-track performance – the car, our processes, our suppliers – but also to make sure we were extracting the best from our people.

“We’ve made some additions to the team, and brought in some fresh ideas, but also re-shaped the organisation’s structure in a way that enables everybody to play to their strengths, contribute in an effective way, and to own their own share of what we hope, in time, will be the team’s success.

“The feedback from testing so far is that we are tracking very positively against our objectives, and we’ll continue to approach the challenge with the same spirit of determination, teamwork and resilience that we’ve worked hard to instil in the organisation.”