Hyderabad: Mahindra Racing, India’s only racing team to compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, comes to India for its first home-race this Saturday, at the Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix. One of the founding teams in the world’s first all-electric street racing series, Mahindra brings home its Gen3 Formula E race car in the ongoing 9th season of the Formula E Championship.
Celebrating the first Formula E race in India, Mahindra also unveiled the XUV 400 Formula Edition with a special livery inspired by the racing spirit. The Mahindra Formula E and the Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (M.A.D.E.) teams collaborated on the livery design of the Gen3 car, which brings alive the thrill of this exciting sport.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Anish Shah, Managing Director & CEO, Mahindra Group, said, “For us at Mahindra, this is a momentous occasion as we get to race in front of a home crowd for the very first time. Mahindra Racing signifies our commitment to continue developing cutting-edge EV technologies and improving the next generation of consumer electric vehicles in the country. It is an important marker in our sustainability charter, and we pledge to greater ROCE (Return on Climate and Environment), as we direct our efforts in tandem with Mahindra Group’s commitment and quest to achieve group-wide carbon neutrality by 2040.”
Asha Kharga, Chairperson, Mahindra Racing said, “As one of the founding teams of Formula E and after racing across the world, this is a proud moment for Mahindra Racing as we come home to India for the first time. This race will help build Formula E as one of the premier sports in the country. More importantly, it outlines the kind of possibilities in race technology that can potentially inspire our road cars. I would like to thank all our partners and associates who help us compete in this electrifying sport. We have had a great start to this season with a podium in Mexico and we are very excited about the upcoming race on February 11.”
The Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix will be staged on the Hyderabad Street Circuit, located on the banks of the Hussain Sagar Lake. Mahindra Racing team consists of seasoned and accomplished drivers including Lucas Di Grassi who became the FIA Formula E Champion in 2016–2017 and has achieved three overall podiums at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and won the Macau Grand Prix in 2005. Oliver Rowland is an established and respected single-seater champion and Formula E race winner. The 29-year-old British driver joined the Mahindra Racing outfit for Season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The team has also recently onboarded Jehan Daruvala, a young and accomplished racer, as the reserve driver, who is a protégé of the Force India F1 team after being one of three winners of a 'One in a Billion hunt' organized by the team in 2011.
The race begins at 3:00pm on Saturday, 11 February 2023.
Mahindra Racing has a strong set of partners, including Official Powertrain Partner ZF and e-fluids partner Shell. Maurice Lacroix, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, continues as the Official Timekeeper. (UNI)