Mahindra Racing’s championship hopes bolstered by double podium in second New York City ePrix
Felix Rosenqvist led teammate Nick Heidfeld to the line in a Mahindra Racing 2-3 finish
Mahindra Racing strengthens hold on best-ever third place the Teams’ Championship
16 July 2017, New York City: Mahindra Racing celebrated a commanding double podium today in the second race of the inaugural New York City ePrix weekend, the penultimate location of the 2016-17 FIA Formula E Championship.
Following on from the team’s maiden win and double podium last month in Berlin, drivers Felix Rosenqvist and Nick Heidfeld put their mark on the race early on. The duo, driving the all-electric M3Electro racecar, both reached Formula E’s unique Super Pole shootout session to start the race from 2nd and 5th place respectively.
Series young gun Rosenqvist took advantage of a clean starting line to pass eventual race winner Sam Bird into the first corner of the 49-lap feature. Heidfeld also made gains in the opening laps of the race to follow his teammate into the podium positions.
The team was unable to hold the lead, as Bird took back P1 shortly after lap 10 of the race. However, the impressive 2-3 podium represented a dramatic change in fortunes for the team after a disappointing first race on the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal circuit, which was run on Saturday.
The forgettable first race resulted in an uncharacteristic 15th place finish for Rosenqvist following an enthralling climb through the field from 17th on the grid to 5th, while Heidfeld was forced to retire from 7th position with suspension damage.
It wasn’t enough to deter Mahindra Racing from storming to today’s double podium result and extending its hold on third in the Teams’ Championship with just two races remaining.
Core contingent in the Big Apple
For New York City’s premier event on the all-electric series calendar, Mahindra Racing welcomed many guests and partners at the Brooklyn race venue, including Mahindra & Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra and the Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra, Dr Pawan Goenka.
Eat, sleep, race, repeat
In just two weeks Mahindra Racing will be back in North America for the final two rounds of the 2016-2017 FIA Formula E Championship. Heidfeld and Rosenqvist will have another chance to swipe some of the last remaining points on offer with a double-header in the centre of Montreal, Canada.
A word from the top
Dilbagh Gill, Team Principal: “I am delighted to secure our second double podium result of the season in this inaugural New York City ePrix weekend. We cannot hide from the disappointment of the opening race on Saturday, but it made us even hungrier to get a fitting result in Sunday’s extended race. This has been an important weekend for Mahindra Racing, so to end it with second and third place is really positive. We have shown that we can bounce back from a difficult race, and our aim now is to finish the championship on a high.”
Our second double podium of the season has really cemented our command of the M3Electro at the hands of our drivers Felix and Nick. Following our maiden victory in Berlin last month, it is so satisfying to be able to follow it up with another strong result.
Felix Rosenqvist: “I’m thrilled to be back on the podium after a great New York City ePrix. It was feeling pretty good in the beginning and I had a very good start off the line. I thought we had the race under control with Sam. It was great we challenged him for the lead, and though he got past me again at the end of the first stint we were able to show that our car is capable of winning races. It’s a great position to be in for the final two rounds of the season and I can’t wait to get back in the car in Montreal.
Nick Heidfeld: “It was a good race and quite exciting, to finish with another double podium is fantastic. I managed to gain a position from the start and was also pushed a bit from the back. Luckily the car stayed in one piece! After that I had very good pace, better than the cars in front but I tried to play it safe especially after what happened yesterday. It was important not to risk anything. With Felix’s issue, I could move forward to try and put some pressure on Sam. It was also a great pleasure to win FanBoost today and thank you to all the fans for your votes.”