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Mahindra Racing Set For Season 6; Driver Line-Up, M6Electro And Official Powertrain Partnership With Engineering Giant ZF Revealed
- Jérôme D’Ambrosio and Pascal Wehrlein remain with Mahindra Racing
- The team is delighted to welcome ZF Friedrichshafen AG as its new Official Powertrain Partner
- M6Electro livery revealed with electric themed photoshoot
- Nick Heidfeld continues in his advisory role and as the team’s official test and reserve driver, while Sam Dejonghe remains as reserve and sim driver.
4 OCTOBER 2019, HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY – Mahindra Racing is pleased to confirm Jérôme D’Ambrosio and Pascal Wehrlein remain with the team for the 2019/20 ABB FIA Formula E Championship. At a special event in Germany at which the race drivers were revealed alongside the M6Electro livery for season six, Mahindra Racing were also delighted to announce a new long-term technology partnership with ZF Friedrichshafen AG.
The global technology giant is supporting Mahindra Racing’s season six campaign with chassis development work, shock absorber provision and engineering services while work is already underway for the design and manufacture of the electric driveline for the 2020/21 season. In addition to the electric motor, development includes both single-gear, highly efficient transmission and the matching power electronics. This work builds on ZF’s successful and race-winning work to date in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship through its E-Mobility division, which already employs over 9,000 people worldwide since its inception in January 2016.
In line with the new partnership, the ZF branding will adorn the M6Electro cars from this season onwards. This season’s livery is an adaptation and evolution of the popular and distinctive M5Electro. It was unveiled this evening in Germany and retains the familiar red, white and blue hues that has ensured it stands out from the crowd.
Remaining with the team for a second consecutive season, Jérôme D’Ambrosio earned the team’s first podium of the 2018/19 season at the inaugural Diriyah E-Prix; the opening round of the championship. He then took his maiden win for the team at the next event in Marrakesh and was crowned a triple Formula E race-winner in only his second race for the team.
His teammate Pascal Wehrlein impressed in season five as the rookie secured a maiden Formula E podium in only his second race and took his first pole position at the next event in Mexico City. He added six Super Pole appearances and two fastest laps to his name throughout the 2018/19 campaign.
Nick Heidfeld will remain an integral part of the Mahindra Racing family and will continue in his advisory role and as the team’s official test and reserve driver. He drove the unraced M6Electro at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed in the competitive Hillclimb – two years after claiming the open-wheel eRecord in the M4Electro. Belgian racer Sam Dejonghe will also continue to work closely with the team in the position of reserve and sim driver.
Jérôme D’AMBROSIO
"I really want to thank Mahindra Racing for last year and I am super happy to continue with the team. We had an amazing start to season five and started to show the potential we have working together as one team. We know the second half of the season was challenging, but the fact that we are all sticking together for season six means we can come back stronger and consistently fight at the front for wins. I am really excited to be back and cannot wait to get the championship battle underway."
PASCAL WEHRLEIN
"I am very happy to continue my relationship with Mahindra Racing. Last year was my rookie season and there were a lot of positives to take from that and build on for my second Formula E season. There is a very positive and upbeat mood in the team as we’ve been working hard over the summer break and I’m really looking forward to working with the team again."
DILBAGH GILL, CEO & TEAM PRINCIPAL, MAHINDRA RACING
"I am thrilled Jérôme and Pascal will both return to the team for season six. Last season was one of the most challenging seasons in Formula E history in terms of competition but we believe we have one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid to help us achieve our championship ambitions. I am also delighted to welcome ZF to the Mahindra Racing family. We now have one of the most successful global players in the field of e-mobility at our side. We were highly impressed by the performance of the ZF driveline in the most recent Formula E season and together we will be even better positioned to continue celebrating success."
WOLF-HENNING SCHEIDER, CEO, ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
"Formula E is a great stage for ZF to demonstrate the quality and performance of our drive train solutions for the e-mobility of tomorrow. In no other racing series is the transfer of expertise from motorsports to volume production development as great as in Formula E. We look forward to a successful cooperation with Mahindra Racing, and also show our commitment to India as an important growth market."
Mahindra Racing will test the M6Electro at the all-teams pre-season test from 15-18 October at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. The first race of the 2019/20 ABB FIA Formula E Championship starts with a double-header at the Diriyah E-Prix on 22-23 November 2019.
JÉRÔME D’AMBROSIO
PASCAL WEHRLEIN
MAHINDRA RACING
Mahindra Racing is a founding team – and the only Indian team – to compete in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first all-electric street racing series. Mahindra Racing has an impressive stats sheet and is a multi-race winning outfit after scoring its breakthrough victory at the Berlin E-Prix in 2017. The squad is committed not only to pushing the limits of technology and innovation in the electric vehicle space, but to addressing the impact of climate change; it is the only Formula E team to be awarded the FIA Environmental Accreditation Two-Star rating. Jérôme d’Ambrosio and Pascal Wehrlein remain with the squad for season six to pilot their #64 and #94 M6Electro cars respectively.
ABB FIA FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is the closest and most competitive category in motorsport, with unpredictable and exciting electric racing in the centre of the world’s most iconic cities. Formula E is the fastest-growing series in motorsport and boasts the best roster in racing, where renowned road car manufacturers and automotive brands battle for points, position and bragging rights.
ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
ZF is a global technology company and supplies systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology, enabling the next generation of mobility. With its comprehensive technology portfolio, the company offers integrated solutions for established vehicle manufacturers, mobility providers and start-up companies in the fields of transportation and mobility. ZF continually enhances its systems in the areas of digital connectivity and automation in order to allow vehicles to see, think and act. In 2018, ZF achieved sales of €36.9 billion. The company has a global workforce of 149,000 with approximately 230 locations in 40 countries. ZF invests over six percent of its sales in research and development annually. For further press information and photos please visit: www.zf.com