Mahindra Racing team’s Pascal Wehrlein: I’m enjoying racing more than ever before

Welcome to my first column for evo India! I’m really happy to be bringing you information on my world in Formula E as I progress through my rookie year with Mahindra Racing.

Last time out in Mexico, I learnt a lot and I was performing a lot better than in Santiago. As it was my first energy management race because Santiago was about temperature management, it was my first proper race in Formula E, so that was really important to take learnings from. I feel very comfortable in Formula E and it feels like I’ve been doing it for more than two races. I’m really enjoying it.

I think this season Mahindra Racing has the potential to have a perfect race day with pole position, fastest lap and a race win. It was close in Mexico City. Pole, fastest lap and a few hundred metres less and we could have achieved that race win as well.

Heading to Hong Kong this weekend, I approach it the same as every other weekend. I’m not happy with second or third. I want to be as quick as possible and achieve the maximum, so I will take the same risks and aim for the best result. But if I look at the championship, to be in the fifth now is a good start. I had two good weekends but there was a lot more potential. I was watching the race last week and the championship standings came up and I would have been leading the championship if I had won after just two race finishes. Marrakesh could have been a potential podium and I missed the first race so, to be up there after four races, is good. But it’s not good enough.

For me, it is one of the best seasons so far that I’ve had and one of the best feelings I have had in motorsport. I’m enjoying it so much. In the previous three years I was in teams where I couldn’t be competitive; now to be in a competitive position again I appreciate it a lot more and it’s a lot more fun than it was five years ago. I’m enjoying racing more than ever before.

We have a great chance this weekend and the fans can get involved too, by voting for me in Fanboost, so please go online and vote! https://fanboost.fiaformulae.com