Maserati MSG Racing scores points in Hyderabad
Maserati MSG Racing finished 10th in a difficult Hyderabad E-Prix
Image supplied Maserati South Africa
In Numbers
Edoardo Mortara
- Free Practice One // P7
- Free Practice Two // P5
- Qualifying // P7 [No Time, Quarter-Final D]
- Race // P10
- Positions Gained // -3
- Fastest Lap // 1:14.810
- Championship Position // P18 [3 points]
Maximilian Günther
- Free Practice One // P16
- Free Practice Two // P11
- Qualifying // P5 [1:14.621, Quarter-Final B]
- Race // P13
- Positions Gained // -8
- Fastest Lap // 1:15.273
- Championship Position // P20 [0 points]
Maserati MSG Racing
Championship Position // P10 [3 points]
The Report
Maserati MSG Racing battled to the top 10 at the Hyderabad E-Prix, with Edoardo Mortara recovering to score one point in India’s first World Championship motor race in 10 years.
The Monegasque outfit showed positive, consistent pace during both practice sessions, and capitalised upon a chaotic qualifying session to have both cars start inside the top eight.
Edo set the fourth-fastest time in Group B to advance to the duel stages, while team-mate, Maximilian Günther, progressed to the head-to-heads following a lap time deletion for McLaren’s Jake Hughes.
Impending polesitter Mitch Evans pipped Max to the Semi-Finals, while a track extension led to a lap time deletion for Edo, which removed the Swiss-Italian from the qualifying fight.
From fifth, Max held ground at the start of the race although contact with Nick Cassidy forced Edo to pit for repairs on lap four, rejoining in 22nd.
Max slipped to sixth on lap 11 after a failed Attack Mode activation but was later boxed behind traffic in Turn Three following a crash in front between both Jaguar drivers.
The German unfortunately dropped to 16th as a result, but displayed a promising comeback while Edo also started to rise through the field, now holding 19th.
A Safety Car on lap 23 of 32 bunched up the pack and provided a renewed hope for points as the duo continued to fight forwards, maximising a late Attack Mode activation strategy.
Edo finished 11th at the chequered flag but was promoted to 10th post-race after a penalty for Sebastien Buemi, while Max finished 13th.
Formula E’s ninth season of competition will continue in South Africa for the inaugural Cape Town E-Prix on Saturday, 25 February 2023.
In Their Words
James Rossiter, Team Principal, Maserati MSG Racing
“This weekend has been positive but challenging, but we’ve shown a clear step forward in speed, with both drivers making it through to the qualifying duels. Unfortunately luck wasn’t on our side in the race. Max unfortunately lost too much time stuck behind the crash between [Sam] Bird and [Mitch] Evans, and Edo did a good job to come back later in the race after a collision in the early part of the race. Although we’ve unlocked more pace, we need to keep following our processes so we can continue to find more performance.”
Edoardo Mortara, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing
“It’s been an up and down weekend from my perspective, but our performance is getting better. Over one lap, we were definitely faster but the race was difficult to assess because I was compromised after the contact I had at the beginning. I lost my front wing, and the car wasn’t feeling too good after the repairs, but we somehow managed to finish inside the top 10. It’s clear that we need to be more competitive, but with a clean weekend, I know that we can be on target for a good points finish.”
Maximilian Günther, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing
“It’s heartbreaking to walk away like this from the weekend. We’ve made a good step forward in comparison to the first two weekends of the season and had strong pace in qualifying and the race. I was able to start inside the top five, and we were good on energy efficiency and pace. It was very unlucky to lose the race when Sam [Bird] and Mitch [Evans] crashed, that put me close to the back. It’s disappointing to miss out on what could have been a very strong result, but it’s just part of racing. Sometimes, things don’t go your way but at times like this, it’s important to respond in the right way, keep moving forwards and to trust your ability. I know that our time will come.”
Giovanni Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse
“Hyderabad certainly brought us an unprecedented Round Four, with a strong qualifying with both Maserati's through to the duels, and then a race with a lot of movement up and down the field, with Edo first having to do a nose change and then Max being caught up with a collision, forcing him back from fifth to finish in 13th. The team continued to push, and we ended with points for Edo finishing in 10th. We will now focus on Cape Town and take the momentum we clearly had to progress and come back stronger.”
