Mahindra set year-end target after rollercoaster campaign

Mahindra heads into this weekend's Formula E season finale in London looking to end on a high following a rollercoaster campaign 

It has been a crazy campaign for the Banbury-based outfit which started the year with its garage on fire during pre-season testing, putting the Indian manufacturer immediately on the back foot. 

Despite the difficulties, Mahindra has turned a significant corner in recent races, with Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara finally competitive. 

For de Vries, the London finale marks the end of his return year to the series he won in 2021. The Dutchman has improved as the season has unfolded and is now hopeful of a strong finish at a venue he enjoys.

“It’s been a really productive season for us as a team, and the goal is to finish it with another good result in London," said de Vries.

“It’s a challenging circuit, but one of my favourites on the calendar. I’ve enjoyed a lot of success there before, with a few podium finishes, which gives me a lot of confidence.

“If everything comes together, we will be able to extract the maximum of what is possible from our package and go into the off-season on a positive note.”

Motivation for next season

With parts of the circuit indoors, the ExCeL Centre is one of the most unique in Formula E history. It has grown a reputation for hosting the season finale and always creating an electric atmosphere.

This weekend will also be the final race with the current fleet of cars, with Gen3 EVO being introduced next season. 

Mortara is also a fan of the London event and is keen to use the energy from the grandstands to fuel his and the team's final performance of the year.

“London is always a great event, with a passionate crowd and a fantastic atmosphere," commented Mortara.

“Hopefully we can use that support to achieve another good result for the team and go into a busy winter of testing and development with the GEN3 Evo with even more motivation and determination.”

Two races take place in the British capital this weekend and will ultimately decide the championship. Whilst Mahindra is not in the title fight this year, the outfit is fighting for ninth in the teams' championship. 

Fighting until the end

Mahindra is 13 points behind customer team Abt Cupra, a gap which can be salvaged with a good couple of results from de Vries and Mortara. The higher the team finish, the more money it receives, underlining the importance of its final position.

“It only feels like yesterday we were getting ready to fly out for the season-opener in Mexico, yet here we are packing for London already!" said team principal Frederic Bertrand.

“It might be the final race, but for us, the objectives are the same as always; firstly, to make sure we have the one-lap pace to make it through to the Duels in qualifying, and then in the race to execute the best possible performance and hope that we can keep our run of points finishes going.

“GEN3 has not been the easiest chapter in the team’s Formula E story, but everybody is working hard and pulling together to make sure we finish it on a positive note, and then we continue to build towards a better future in GEN3 Evo and beyond.

“It will also be great to feel the support and encouragement of our entire staff and their friends and family from the grandstands this weekend.

"Not everybody attends every race, but we want to keep the same spirit and motivation throughout the organisation, so it’s really vital for us that they have the opportunity to see their hard work out on track, and to feel that they are a part of it.

“I’m looking forward to it, and hopefully we can put on a good show for everybody in London.”