Mahindra Racing had a disappointing race in Buenos Aires over the weekend saved only by winning the fastest lap of the race and one FIA Formula E Championship point.
The team’s third annual visit to Argentina didn’t go according to plan and the final classification doesn’t tell the whole story.
Both Mahindra Racing drivers, Felix Rosenqvist and Nick Heidfeld, showed the pace to finish towards the front of the field at the end of 37 laps in the Argentine sun. However, a middling qualifying saw the two drivers start from P8 and P12 respectively.
Not to be deterred by any means, Rosenqvist and Heidfeld picked their way through the field on target to a strong double-points finish with a well-managed energy strategy in their M3Electro racecars – despite high ambient temperatures. But it was the car change pit stop that proved to be problematic each for different reasons.
Rosenqvist’s race was lost when a Battery Management System (BMS) issue prevented him from leaving the pit box for around one minute, while Heidfeld was forced to serve a drive-through penalty when the FIA timing clocked his minimum pit time as four tenths of a second shorter than the required safety minimum. There was little left to do but go for the fastest lap of the race, which Rosenqvist then achieved on lap 31.
It was also a record for the Puerto Madero circuit and cannot be changed in the history books, as the park will undergo redevelopment for a new highway.
Mahindra Racing lies third in the Teams’ Championship and will get its next shot at Formula E honours in six weeks at the Mexico City ePrix on 1 April.
Dilbagh Gill, Team Principal, Mahindra Racing Formula E Team said, “We are disappointed with the result because it is not reflective of what Mahindra can do. Free practice was going quite well, we demonstrated the pace of the car but qualifying is becoming really important in this championship. Overall, Felix drove a fantastic race and picked up the fastest lap again showing the M3Electro is where it needs to be. Nick’s energy strategy was also really good and he was on track for a strong top seven finish after starting in P12 if it wasn’t for the minimum pit timing issue. We now must look towards the next race in Mexico City and continue to aim for the top step of the podium.”
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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