Mahindra Racing charges with the color red | 2022 ABB FIA Formula E Preview
Mahindra Racing is set to take on the 2022 ABB FIA Formula E season which starts tonight under the lights at Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. But there is more to this season that meets the eye. With a new livery, new driver line-up, new tracks, and new regulations for the year, there are a lot of variables for Mahindra Racing as we head into the season. Moreover, this 2022 season will be the longest season in Formula E history with 16 races in the calendar. So with that said, let us talk about the things you should know ahead of the 2022 Formula E season.
1. Record from the past
Mahindra Racing had a rocky start in 2021 Season 7 but had managed to turn things around during the second half. Even though in both halves of the season they had scored 66 points, the Indian team seemed to have a stronger run during the latter half.
One of their biggest problems was consistency for them. Both the cars would be good in the qualifying stage, but they would lose out on pace during the race. The problem was determined to come from the car’s habit to eat the life out of the rear tyre.
But despite that, they were able to take the victory at London with Alex Lynn. This gave a boost to the morale of the team and built in the determination to strike hard in the 2022 season. In the end, they finished the 2021 season with 132 points, three podiums and a victory.
Here’s what Team Principal Dilbagh Gill had to say ahead of the 2022 season, “So our goal is to get back up there and how do we get there as a team and be consistent. We have the car, we have the equipment. We just have to bring both the cars into the points. The moment both of our cars are in the points, we should be up there.”
To read the full interview, click here.
2. New driver in the seat
With Alex Lynn’s departure at the end of the 2021 season, there was a hole in the team that needed to be filled. And with that, came the reunion of Oliver Rowland with Mahindra Racing. The 29-year-old Brit had been with Nissan E.Dams for the past three years before joining the Indian team.
On joining the team, Gill expressed, “Our qualifying record has been better than our racing record, and the fact that Oliver Roland has joined us, who is one of the best qualifiers in Formula E. And if we give him the car that can reach the front, we will not drop as back as what we dropped earlier because we have improved a lot in the car. So I'm cautiously optimistic.”
Alexander Sims has continued with the team for the second year. His performance in the first half of last year was better when compared to then teammate Lynn. With a P2 and P4 finish in the first half, he displayed his racecraft, however, something went wrong during the second half. But as a result of his performance, he has been retained for another season.
3. A dance in Red
The M7Electro will be the final iteration of the Gen2 car as the Gen3 cars will take over from the 2023 Season 9. The car will be powered by the ZF powertrain and will utilise the dedicated e-Transmission fluid developed by Shell, with when, they have signed extended deals.
Mahindra has gone with a full red livery along with showcasing their new ‘Born EV’ logo. This step was taken after Audi left the championship. Moreover, they have also used their new Mahindra logo which debuted on the Mahindra XUV 700.
The livery was an exciting story as it was done by a person in Lebanon. On that, Gill expanded and said, “So we said, let's just go with a simple red and focus a little bit on the branding, the new Mahindra logo, the new Born EV logo, the twin peak logo. So the old millennial logo is no longer on the car. But on the whole, it was pretty simple.”
For this season, most of the development areas are locked in by the FIA so that teams would spend less during this pandemic. Therefore, Mahindra Racing has opted to focus on software updates during the winter break.
4. Leading to 2022 Formula E Diriyah
The 2022 Formula E season will be the longest season in the history of the sport. Over the coming year, the championship promises 16 races in 10 countries, including the addition of Jakarta with Vancouver and Seoul. That’s not all, a street race track has emerged in Hyderabad that is destined to be on the 2022 calendar towards the end of the season.
The season kicks off with its first race in Diriyah. As ratified at July’s WMSC, Formula E’s all-electric Gen2 cars will be able to use 220kW of power in Season 8, an increase from 200kW in Season 7, during races. Power during ATTACK MODE will also increase to 250kW from 235kW in Season 7.
The introduction of a new qualifying format featuring Groups and head-to-head Duels will provide a platform for the best teams and drivers to compete against the other, while retaining opportunity and unpredictability.
The Diriyah circuit is 2.495km in length and has 21 corners in it. Drivers will race under the lights, but they are no ordinary lights. These lights around the circuit are low-power LED technology that reduce energy consumption by up to 50 per cent compared to non-LED units, and they will be powered by sustainably-sourced biofuel generators.
There will be two races at Diriyah with the first race being held on January 28 10:30pm (IST) and the second being held the next day on January 29, at 10:30pm (IST). You can catch all the action live on Star Select and Hotstar. Lastly, do vote for Mahindra Racing drivers Oliver Rowland and Alexander Sims in FanBoost from your Formula E app or their website by clicking here. For more news and updates from the world of motorsports, stay tuned to evo India!
