Mahindra Racing gears up for season 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
Mumbai: Mahindra Racing is determined to make an impression at the 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with the season opener in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, hosting the first-ever night race weekend. The team will head into the Feb 26th-27th double-header, with its strong driver line-up comprising Alexander Sims, last year’s Diriyah E-Prix winner, and Alex Lynn, who has been a very consistent performer in qualifying. The M7Electro, featuring an all-new ZF powertrain, is a significant improvement over its M6Electro predecessor. New for this season is a technical innovation for the M7Electro’s transmission system, in conjunction with team partner Shell. Combined with an experienced technical team, all of these aspects provide a competitive advantage to the team this season.
The team has onboarded three new partners – one8, Coral Eyewear and Endeavor Business Media. one8, founded by Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli and Cornerstone, comes onboard as the Official Lifestyle partner. Kohli’s brand celebrates his philosophy of encouraging people to live an active lifestyle. It is an opportunity for his many fans and brand partners to connect with him on a deeper level, giving them access to an unseen side of his personality. Sustainability is also a key focus for the brand, with Kohli’s own passion for environmental protection aligning strongly with Formula E’s commitment towards fighting climate change.
Coral Eyewear, founded in the UK in 2019 by university student George Bailey, was created to change the way people see the eyewear industry for good. Already the eyewear choice for individuals such as the team’s own Alexander Sims, Coral Eyewear represents sustainability, high performance and timeless style, with their planet-positive range of sunglasses and glasses, featuring infinitely recyclable luxury frames created from ocean waste, such as rescued fishing nets and recycled plastics. Through a shared passion for innovation and sustainability, Mahindra Racing and Coral Eyewear look forward to working together to continue to address the impact of climate change and lead the way in creating a more sustainable future.
Leading B2B Media Company, Endeavor Business Media, joins as the team’s Official Supplier of Business Media Assets via its Electronic Design and Machine Design digital and print brands. Offering extensive global engagement with monthly outreach exceeding 1.5 million touchpoints, the Electronic Design and Machine Design brands inspire innovation by providing news, data, and insights on emerging technologies with a special focus on the automotive sector in 2021. These brands join Shell, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Maurice Lacroix, OMP Racing and Voxdale as part of the Mahindra Racing Family.
Thrilled about the world championship prospects, Dilbagh Gill, Team Principal and CEO, Mahindra Racing, commented, “We are looking forward to hitting the track for Season 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The series has grown in leaps and bounds since the first season, and we are now a full-fledged world championship. Mahindra Racing has raced in Formula E since the first season, and we are multiple race winners. It’s been an incredible journey, but we head into the season more fired up than ever. We’ve learned our lessons and are getting back in the fight at the front.”
Mahindra Racing has raced in every Formula E season so far, dating back to the series’ inaugural year in 2014/15. The series has been accorded world championship status this year by the FIA, motorsport’s governing body, which means Mahindra Racing will be competing to become the first-ever Indian team to win a motorsport world championship. Mahindra Racing will take on a host of world’s top manufacturers in its bid for podiums and wins. Lynn and Sims will pilot the M7Electro, #94 ‘Shakti’ and #29 ‘Simsulator’, respectively.
Jamie Reigle, CEO, Formula E said, “India is an important and growing market for Formula E, for EVs and the automotive industry as a whole. Through Mahindra Racing, we are pleased to have a long-standing association with Mahindra Group, a pioneer in EV technology in India. We are exploring opportunities to work more closely with Mahindra Racing to develop a deeper connection with Indian audiences and scale awareness of Formula E.”
Mahindra Racing has been committed to pushing the limits of technology and innovation in the electric vehicle space and addressing the impact of climate change. It became the first automotive manufacturer to commit to the Gen3 era of the series, which will commence in 2022. The team views the Formula E championship as an essential proving ground for race-to-road technology, informing its future EVs and sustainable mobility technologies. As a team committed to finding credible, advanced and next-generation mobility solutions while being kind to the planet, Mahindra Racing has also pledged to greater ROCE, which is defined as Return On Climate and Environment. This rendition of ROCE is a big part of the reason why Mahindra Racing participates in Formula E. The team has been on the path of reducing its impact on the planet since its birth in 2014 and, six years later, it is now certified net carbon zero footprint since inception.
Alex Lynn said, “I’m really happy to be driving for Mahindra Racing this season after a good event in Berlin where I was in Super Pole three times and had my best Formula E finish to date. I’m now looking forward to a full season campaign and I’m as hungry for results as the team is. It’s a warm team with a real family atmosphere, but it’s also proven that it has what it takes to fight at the front.”
Alexander Sims said, “I’m really excited about making my debut for Mahindra Racing this weekend. In my time in Formula E, Mahindra Racing has proven itself to be formidable competitors. Now, I’m looking forward to giving the competition a bit of a headache. Over the years, the team has shown its potential to fight at the front. I’m determined to help turn this potential into a sustained challenge for the world championship.”