Maserati MSG Racing returned to the top 10 in the second part of the double-header 2024 Berlin E-Prix, with driver, Jehan Daruvala, finishing seventh to score his best result in Formula E.
Jehan, who is the only full-time rookie on the grid in Season 10, came close to scoring his second points finish of the current campaign on Saturday in Germany but unfortunately missed out after a late incident.
With evident pace, however, the 25-year-old entered Sunday with high hopes and after setting the fourth-fastest time in FP3, was unfortunate to miss out on the duels in Qualifying.
While Jehan secured 13th on the grid, team-mate, Maximilian Günther, rallied his efforts and advanced to the head-to-head stages, from where he qualified fifth.
A loss of power at the start of the race, however, cost Max vital ground and while the 26-year-old slipped to 10th, Jehan ascended to 11th with an opportunistic performance on the first lap.
After settling into a consistent energy saving rhythm, Max started to rise through the top 10 and activated Attack Mode on laps six and nine to place himself in a prime strategic position.
Despite losing positions upon activation, the German driver swiftly battled back into the points by gaining six positions in one lap but picked up front wing damage shortly after.
In an incident similar to his race-ending accident on Saturday, Max's front wing broke off, slid under his car, and removed his ability to steer, causing him to hit the barriers and retire from the race.
Max's retirement caused a Safety Car on lap 11 and after a brief neutralisation, action was resumed at the end of lap 14, with Jehan on the verge of the top 10 and eyeing points.
After holding position initially, the Indian pounced on lap 21 by overtaking Stoffel Vanndoorne and slotted into the points when Norman Nato and Sacha Fenestraz came to blows ahead – an accident which caused a second Safety Car.
In the second restart at the end of lap 28, Jehan resumed his assault and overtook Jean-Eric Vergne and Jake Hughes on laps 36 and 37 before passing Taylor Barnard in the final corner on the final lap to claim seventh.
Season 10 of the FIA Formula E World Championship will resume on May 25-26, 2024, for the inaugural Shanghai E-Prix – the series' first race in China since Season 5.
In Their WordsMaximilian Günther, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing
'Obviously, a very painful race. I think in general, the quality and the pace we've had this weekend has been great. In all of the sessions – apart from the races – we were in the top five. In the race I unfortunately lost drive several times in the first two or three laps, and this made me lose several places. After this, we decided to use a new strategy by saving energy, falling back a bit to get an energy advantage and then move forward. This is what we did, we had a bit more energy than most of the cars around us, and then we started to move forward and were on our way to the front. Things were going well, I was feeling good in the car, and then in Turn Two while I was looking in my mirror, there was a concertina effect and I went into one of the Andretti cars. I wasn't able to avoid it, and that was the end of our race.'
Jehan Daruvala, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing
'I'm very happy to achieve my best result of the season so far. Overall, we've shown a lot of progress this weekend and I feel like I'm taking good steps forward. In the end, we were rewarded for our hard work with seventh which we can be happy about. I'm looking forward to continuing the season in Shanghai with this momentum and hopefully, we can score even more points in China.'
Cyril Blais, Deputy Team Principal, Maserati MSG Racing
'Another race of two halves. Obviously, a very disappointing weekend for Max, starting inside the top five after a very strong Qualifying in both races, but ultimately we didn't manage to convert that into points. It's frustrating, because we know that the pace is there, but we'll regroup, and we'll try again in Shanghai. For Jehan, we're very satisfied. He drove a strong, consistent race from 13th and moved up the field when he had to and made a good move in the last corner on the final lap to take seventh. He scored some good points today, his pace is getting better, and so is his consistency. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can achieve in the final six races of this season.'
Giovanni Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse
'This weekend wasn't easy for us. Max was hoping for a strong result in his home race but unfortunately he had to retire in both races because of accidents; nevertheless he performed well throughout the weekend. We would have liked to celebrate like we did last year here in Berlin but we also know sometimes racing can be unpredictable. This doubleheader marks the halfway of an intense season 10 and we are happy Jehan is improving race by race giving his strong contribution to the team; this weekend he managed to stay away from troubles despite the very challenging time on track and he brought home new points finishing P7. Now it's time to look forward and focus on Shanghai in two weeks.'
Maserati S.p.A.
Maserati produces a complete range of unique cars, immediately recognizable for their extraordinary personality. Thanks to their style, technology, and innately exclusive character, they delight the most discerning, demanding tastes and have always been a benchmark for the global automotive industry. A tradition of successful cars, each of them redefining what makes an Italian sports car in terms of design, performance, comfort, elegance, and safety, currently available in more than 70 markets internationally. Maserati line-up includes the Levante – the first SUV made by Maserati, the Grecale, the 'everyday exceptional' SUV, the GranTurismo, the iconic Italian grand tourer, and the GranCabrio, the new convertible of the Trident; all models characterized by the use of the highest quality materials and excellent technical solutions. A range equipped with 4-cylinder hybrid powertrains – available for Grecale and Levante – and V6 petrol, with rear-wheel and four-wheel drive, embodying the performance DNA of the Trident Brand. The top of the range is made up of the MC20 super sports car and the MC20 Cielo spyder, powered by the ground-breaking 100% Maserati Nettuno V6 engine, which incorporates F1-derived technologies into the power unit of a standard production car for the first time. The GranTurismo is available with both the high-performance V6 petrol engine, derived from the Nettuno, and a 100% electric version: the GranTurismo Folgore, the first car in the Modena-based brand's history to adopt this solution. Today the full-electric range includes also the Grecale Folgore, Maserati's first full-electric SUV, and the latest addition, GranCabrio Folgore. By 2025, all Maserati models will also be available in a full-electric version, and the entire Maserati range will run on electricity alone by 2028.
Photo credit: Maserati posted on conceptcarz.com
