Mahindra Racing is ready to kick off their 7th season of Formula E in Diriyah with Alex Lynn and Alexander Sims and their new challenger, the M7 Electro.
The Indian team aims to have at least a podium finish, after having finished in a lowly eighth place in the team’s table last season.
The team has set lofty new goals and dives into the new season with two new drivers and an all-new powertrain from their partner, ZF Group.
Alex Lynn talked through the squad’s preparation and his method for learning the track, since Diriyah is regarded as one of the season’s most competitive events. The British driver expects to be in the fight to earn some big points and continue his run of strong performances from Berlin in the first world championship E-Prix in Saudi Arabia.
“Diriyah is going to be very competitive, as it always is in Formula E. I’ve been putting a huge amount of preparation time, both in terms of working with the team and on myself.” Explained Lynn.
“I’ve been spending a lot of time learning the track and ensuring I know the little nuances of it, to know what it takes to go fast around there. I’m excited to get the season started and expect to be fighting for some good points.”
Alexander Sims revealed how his strong form in Diriyah last year helped him through the unique challenges that the circuit presents. Predicting the event will be challenging, if not near impossible, but Sims is optimistic that he can replicate similar results this time around for his new team.
“I have fond memories of Diriyah.” reminisced Sims. “Two pole positions and a win last year was an awesome way to start the season. The track there is really exciting as the first half is just corner after corner after corner and getting a good flow is really important. There are some decent overtaking opportunities as well so I’m looking forward to going back there!”
“One of the unique challenges about Diriyah is that the track has historically been very dusty to start with, and so there has been quite a big track evolution. Trying to predict how the track is going to be by qualifying and then the race is difficult to get exactly right so that keeps things exciting.”
Both drivers are eager to get back on track with their new outfit to drive for the first net-carbon neutral team in Formula E. Team Principal Dilbagh Gill explained how likely they are to have favourable results in the season opener with a strong driver pairing.
“We’re very happy to get going racing in Diriyah to start the new season.” Said Gill. “There is no luxury of building up into a season; in Formula E the competition is so fierce and tight that we must hit the ground running. It’s going to be interesting as they’ve resurfaced the track and it will be our first ever night races. Diriyah always knows how to throw a curveball so that, combined with the fact that we always get good racing, sets us in good stead for a thriller of a season opener.”
“Alexander Sims was a star there last year with two pole positions and a win and Alex Lynn has been a very consistent performer in qualifying. With a strong driver pairing and a positive group test in Valencia, we will be targeting podium finishes from round one. Let’s go racing.”
