The Safety Car led the pack away amid soggy conditions, after some 25mm of rain fell over the course of the morning in the lead up to lights out.
After four laps, the field formed for a standing start and Rowland headed Mortara through the Turn 1 and 2 chicane, while Barnard aimed to get his car’s nose up the inside of the Mahindra through the opening left-hander.
A few drivers – the highest-placed of which being Sebastien Buemi – jumped for the first of their mandatory 50kW four-wheel drive Attack Mode boosts.
Even with 4WD, the Envision still looked a handful – the Swiss narrowly keeping his car out of the wall before dispatching Barnard for third at Turn 1 on Lap 7.
Of the leaders, Mortara and Barnard went next in Attack – the Mahindra driver taking full advantage to pinch P2 back from Buemi but finding himself three seconds shy of leader Rowland when his initial 50kW boost ended.
On Lap 10, Rowland found himself up on energy and three second clear out-front ahead of Mortara, Buemi, Barnard and de Vries rounding out the top 5.
Lap 13, saw Guenther’s car go red and grind to a halt, demanding a Red Flag so it could be cleared safely.
The pack were led round by the Safety Car to a standing start on Lap 15, with Rowland firing off the line once again to lead the pack through Turn 1 – flying to a two-second advantage once again.
Of the lead few, Barnard was first to move for PIT BOOST on Lap 18, with Vandoorne having gone first, pre-Red Flag – a god send for the Belgian, with the time lost during that stop immediately wiped out with the enforced restart.
As the stops began to shake out, Barnard managed to jump Mortara while Vandoorne did indeed hit what would be the front ahead of Rowland, Barnard, Mortara and Buemi.
At Turn 2 on Lap 28, Vandoorne ran wide before lighting the rear tyres up into a spin. With a 25 second lead over Rowland, though, it ultimately wouldn’t matter.
From there, it was a waltz to the flag for the Maserati MSG Racing driver, with the scrap in-behind the Belgian.
The full top 10 are- P1: Vandoorne, P2: Rowland, P3: Barnard, P4: Buemi, P5: Ticktum, P6: Mortara, P7: da Costa, P8: Vergne, P9: Frijns and P10: Cassidy.
Maserati has committed to a further four years and then then Gen4 era of Formula E as a manufacturer. This landmark decision ensures Stellantis-powered cars will remain on the Formula E grid until Season 16 (2029/30).
With a rich legacy spanning over a decade, Stellantis Motorsport has been at the forefront of developing cutting-edge, high-efficiency powertrains for Formula E teams DS PENSKE and Maserati MSG Racing through GEN3 and into the GEN3 Evo era.
MAserati’s continued involvement into GEN4 reinforces their dedication to leveraging Formula E as a platform for advancing road-relevant electric technologies, ensuring that the championship remains a proving ground for sustainable innovation and performance.
Since joining Formula E as Maserati MSG Racing in Season 9, the Modena-based team have already established themselves as a formidable force in the championship. Their impressive track record in the last two years includes six podiums, two pole positions and two race wins.
We are delighted to announce Stellantis Motorsport’s commitment to Maserati in the upcoming Gen4 of Formula E. For over 10 years, we have been developing high-efficiency powertrains for DS and Maserati, and will continue to work on these road-relevant technologies in as competitive and promising a championship as Formula E. The conditions of engagement of other Stellantis Brands will be specified later. Jean-Marc Finot, Senior VP Stellantis Motorsport.
We welcome Maserati’s commitment to the next era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. This is a brand with a long and proud history in motorsport, and one that has achieved a great deal of success since joining the grid in Season 9. To extend its involvement until at least 2030 – alongside Nissan, Jaguar, Porsche and Lola, with more manufacturers still to be confirmed – is a clear sign of the value that Maserati derives from its participation in the championship and the relevance of Formula E’s technical roadmap. As we prepare for the competitive debut of GEN3 Evo while continuing to work tirelessly in the background on the development of GEN4, we can look forward to the future of the series with a great deal of confidence. Marek Nawarecki, Senior Circuit Sport Director, FIA.
Maserati MSG Racing announces all-new driver line-up of Season 8 World Champion Stoffel Vandoorne and Jake Hughes.
Vandoorne heads into a seventh season in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, while Hughes sets about a third campaign – with Maserati earmarking him as one of the brightest talents on the grid since his and NEOM McLaren’s bow in Season 9 at the start of GEN3.
Vandoorne has been a fixture at the sharp end of the Formula E grid since joining from McLaren’s Formula 1 team. He claimed the Drivers’ World Championship in Season 8 with Mercedes-EQ and the Belgian has three wins, 16 podiums and eight Julius Baer Pole Positions to his name.
Hughes put together one of the strongest rookie campaigns in Formula E, with the British driver securing pole in his third race in the series.
After serving as Maserati MSG Racing’s Reserve Driver in Season 7, when the team previously competed under the guise of Venturi, Hughes is a familiar face to the team and as such will make a natural return in Season 11.
The drivers will make their first appearance with Maserati MSG Racing in Formula E’s pre-season test at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain in a critical week of preparation from 4th to 7th November.
I’m very happy to be joining Maserati MSG Racing next season and I’m proud to be associated with such an iconic name within motorsport as Maserati. I’m excited to start working with the team – although I haven’t worked directly with them before, I know the team well, both from my time at DS PENSKE but also from my time with Mercedes when we shared a powertrain with Venturi. They are a great bunch of people, very skilled, very determined and I’m really looking forward to working with together moving forwards. Hopefully we’ll have a lot of success and fight for victories and championships together. Vandoorne on the news.
I’m over the moon to be joining Maserati MSG Racing. The success that the team has had, as one of the founding teams in Formula E, speaks for itself. On a personal level, I have worked with the team previously so I know them well and I’m genuinely looking forward to going back. I know that the season has only just finished but I honestly can’t wait to get over to the HQ in Monaco and start working with the engineers, get on the simulator and really get cracking with our prep for Season 11. This marks the start of an exciting new chapter in my career, and I know that the best is yet to come. Hughes on the news.
Maximilian Guenther and Jehan Daruvala are to leave Maserati MSG Racing, the team confirmed.
Guenther joined Maserati MSG Racing at the start of Formula E’s GEN3 era and made history by becoming the first driver since Juan Manuel Fangio in 1957 to win a World Championship single-seater race for the Trident.
Alongside a further victory at the inaugural Tokyo E- earlier in 2024, the German represented the team on Formula E podium on six occasions, while also claiming two pole positions across 32 races.
Daruvala who became the first Indian racing driver to compete in World Championship motorsport since 2012 in Season 10. He joined Maserati MSG Racing for Formula E’s most recent campaign and showed continual progression to secure two top 10 finishes in his time with the team.
I’d like to thank Max and Jehan personally and on behalf of the Maserati Family for all their commitment and all the work they have done. Both made contributions to the team’s achievements and did their best in every race to put both of the Maserati Tipo Folgore in the best possible positions. Max brought us so much excitement, taking the Trident back to the podium several times, whereas Jehan – the only rookie on the track in Season 10 – did an amazing job with his growth and had no hesitation in facing leading drivers with determination and passion. We’re proud to have had Max and Jehan with us, to have worked together and to have shared so much that will stay with us forever as part of Maserati’s history in Formula E. I’d like to wish them both a great future in motorsports. Giovanni Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse.
On behalf of the team I would like to sincerely thank Max and Jehan for the work they have put in over the course of Season 10. Since joining the team in 2022, Max has played a critical role in our development and has been responsible for some of our biggest achievements in Formula E’s Gen3 era so far. Being a rookie in this championship is not easy however Jehan showed his speed over one lap right from the second round in Saudi Arabia. He was consistently quick in qualifying and towards the second half of the season he was regularly challenging for points. It has been a pleasure to watch Max and Jehan grow as part of our team, and we wish them nothing but the best for the future. Jose M Aznar, Team Principal & Managing Partner, Maserati MSG Racing.
Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns headed the way in an eventful FP1 session on Formula E’s first visit to Tokyo.
The top 15 runners were split by less than a second and six teams represented in the top six at the chequered flag, with the field getting their first taste of the Odaiba streets.
The sun shone down for the first Free Practice 1 session in Tokyo, a big contrast to the weather seen in the capital that morning. The heavy rain was still left around parts of the track which made it even more challenging for the drivers.
One area affected by the standing water was Turn 1 with drivers such as TAG Heuer Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa and ABT CUPRA’s Lucas di Grassi going wide just minutes into the session.
Red flags were shown eight minutes in when the DS Penske of Stoffel Vandoorne came to a halt at the entry into Turn 4. The Season 8 World Champion had a technical problem with his Gen3 machine.
Reigning Champion, Jake Dennis made a small but costly mistake as he nudged his Andretti into the barriers at Turn 16, with the front nose taking most of the impact.
There was also an unusual incident between Sam Bird and Sacha Fenestraz towards the end of practice. Fenestraz was whacked by Bird as they both entered the first turn and suffered significant damage to the front of his car.
FP2-
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans set the fastest time of Free Practice 2, a 1m19.339s as the grid got grips with the new circuit.
The track will still wet after the huge downpour yesterday morning with Turn 1 still being rather slippery with standing water, which isn’t ideal.
Both Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi and Robin Frijns set the pace early on, with Frijns going quickest overall in Free Practice 1. However timings were soon improved by the likes of Andretti’s Jake Dennis, TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein and ERT’s Dan Ticktum the top three before a red flag brought a stop to running.
The red flag was issued due to Lucas di Grassi as he clipped the front of his car near turn 12 which caused a range of debris to litter the track.
Things got going again quickly and drivers were keen to get out again, Mahindra Racing’s Edoardo Mortara has been looking rapid. His teammate Nyck de Vries lost part of his front wing on a lap towards the end of the session, having to pull into the pit lane to have some repairs.
Qualifying-
Nissan and Oliver Rowland made history in Japan, as the home team achieved the Julius Baer Pole Position for the second time this season.
Rowland was just 0.021s ahead of the Maserati MSG Racing of Maximilian Gunther in the finals, as big names like Championship leader Nick Cassidy will start in 19th due to having his lap time deleted for a technical infraction.
In Group A, Oliver Rowland went quickest with a 1m19.658s. Edoardo Mortara was just behind him by 0.020s. Nick Cassidy got through in third, but his lap time was deleted. Jake Dennis got the final sport, and was promoted to third due to Cassidy, which meant his teammate Evans moved into fourth. However, Jake Hughes and Mitch Evans were also placed under investigation for impeding.
The drama didn’t stop there, as Group B also had some. ERT’s Sergio Sette Camara made contact with the wall early on, which sent debris scattering onto the track, but he still managed to find his way to the duels. He was beaten to the top spot by Maximilian Gunther who set a 1m19.391s. Joining him in the duels was Nico Mueller and championship favourite TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein. There was also a close moment between the NEOM McLaren of Sam Bird and Mahindra Racing’s Nyck de Vries who both went down an escape road near Turn 16.
The Qualifying top 10 is- Pole: Rowland, P2: Gunther, P3: Mortara, P4: Sette Camara, P5: Dennis, P6: Evans, P7: Wehrlein, P8: Muller, P9: Da Costa and P10: Frijns.
Round 5-
Rowland held fast off the line to keep the lead with Mahindra’s Mortara clambering over the back of the Nissan as he gained ground on Gunther into second. Through the opening laps, less than 10 second split the 22 car field with the lead three separated by less than a second.
On lap 3, Ticktum, Fenestraz and Buemi were the first drivers to jump for the initial of two mandatory Attack Mode. Meanwhile, Wehrlein was looking raciest in the top 10 – making it by Sette Camara for fifth at Turn 1 on the same lap, and hassling Dennis for fourth.
Wehrlein was the first of the front runners to jump for Attack Mode on lap 8, with Da Costa holding off the chasing pack to make the German’s life easier. On lap 10, Rowland led Mortara and Gunther with again no more than a second between them. Rowland jumped for attack and held the lead while Mortara followed from second – dropping down to third with Gunther profiting in the process.
Da Costa had dispatched Dennis at Turn 15 on Lap 17, and made it by his teammate Wehrlein who was shuffled to sixth and some front wing damage. A lap later, Jaguar’s 100th celebrations came to a quick end with Mitch Evans out in contact with Frijns in an overambitious overtaking manoeuvre gone wrong.
The race fired into life from there, with Nato and Frijns sixth and seventh on Lap 18, jumping for Attack Mode. Dennis was just ahead of the pair, with the Brit able to help his teammate and vice versa with track position through their attack mode activations.
Rowland gave up track position to Gunther on lap 24, with the Brit happy to save energy in the slipstream, aware that the Maserati driver was yet to take his second Attack Mode which should allow the Nissan back ahead.
However, Rowland could only hang on some 1.7 second back which meant Gunther was able to take his Attack and hold the lead. Mortara was in third, and was holding off the close attention of da Costa, Dennis, Nato and Wehrlein.
Nato took his final 50kW boost on lap 31 and in the accordian effect, Frijns unfortunately got caught up in contact and span out in 10th spot.
Da Costa spied a chance to jump onto the podium around the outside of Turn 15 however Dennis was not having any of it. Rowland did his utmost to pressure Gunther for the lead with a look around the outside of Turn 1 and the inside of Turn 3 but Gunther’s Maserati looked really wide.
The full top 10 are- P1: Gunther, P2: Rowland, P3: Dennis, P4: Da Costa, P5: Wehrlein, P6: Nato, P7: Muller, P8: Cassidy, P9: Frijns and P10: Sette Camara.
Now we have less than two weeks until the next race weekend! As we head to Misano, Italy for Round 6 and 7!
Maserati MSG Racing have confirmed the signing of Jehan Daruvala alongside the returning Maximilian Gunther for Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Daruvala is well acquainted with Formula E, and after making two Rookie Test appearances in 2023 already, he will step up for a full time race seat next season.
A breakthrough 2019 season, which saw him emerge as a key title protagonist in FIA Formula 3, facilitated Jehan’s progression to Formula 1 feeder category, FIA Formula 2 in 2020 – where he scored four wins and 18 podiums.
The former Mahindra Racing Reserve Driver made an official outing in the team’s M9Electro at the Berlin Rookie Test – with the 24 year old Indian driver finding himself inside the top six runners at that day long two session test.
Race winner Gunther extends deal, the 26 year old is a fixture on the Formula E grid, and despite his relatively young age, he’s among the most experienced as a result.
Gunther became Formula E’s youngest race winner in just his 13th E-Prix and two Julius Baer Pole Positions, four podiums and Maserati’s first victory in World Championship single-seater motorsport since Juan Manuel Fangio won for the Italian marque in Germany 1957, means a well-earned return to the team for Season 10.
That Jakarta win followed Berlin podiums and early season pressure yielded what looked like a nailed-on seat for the German in 2023/24.
Formula E is a championship that I have admired for a long time, and after taking part in two test sessions, I’m very happy to have the opportunity to step up to a full-time race seat. From my experiences so far, the GEN3 car is completely unique to drive, but I’ve found it to be a very rewarding experience. I would like to thank James (Rossiter, Team Principal) and Maserati MSG Racing for giving me this chance and I can’t wait to learn more about the car and get to know the team better in pre-season testing, before hitting the ground running in Mexico City in January.
Daruvala on the move to Formula E.
I’m very proud to continue with Maserati MSG Racing. We had a great first season together, particular the momentum we build in the second half of the year with one win, four podiums and two poles. Continuing to build on this base is something that I‘m very much looking forward to in 2024, same as working with Jehan as my new teammate. After seeing our performance trajectory unfold this year, I‘m confident we can go on to achieve bigger and better things in the future.
Gunther on sticking with Maserati.
We’re excited about our driver lineup for Season 10, and we’re confident that the blend of Max’s experience with Jehan’s determination will prove to be a competitive combination. Max impressed us throughout the 2022/23 season, and continuing our relationship was a natural decision. He has brilliant speed, a strong understanding of Formula E’s Gen3 package, and with five seasons of experience – despite being aged only 26 – has an impressive amount of knowledge. That experience will be invaluable for Jehan, who has already shown good promise in his two rookie test outings with Mahindra earlier this year. Over the past four years, he has shown hunger and determination in Formula 2, and has clearly demonstrated that he has what it takes to win races. Now, Jehan is ready to do the work it takes to succeed in Formula E. In Season 9, we faced many highs and lows, but we learned a great deal from every scenario we faced. After making some positive performance gains over the Summer, we’re looking forward to getting Season 10 underway, and with our lineup, we’re confident that we can be in a position to fight at the front of the grid.
Maserati MSG Racing have announced that the team and Edoardo Mortara have parted ways.
Mortara joined the team in 2017 under its previous guise as Venturi, and after finishing on the podium in only his second E-Prix start, kick-started an acclaimed six-season collaboration which would become one of the longest-standing and most successful driver-team partnerships in the series.
Mortara won six races, scored 13 podiums, and secured two pole positions to collect 422 points with the team and in Season 7, finished runner-up in the Drivers’ World Championship, before challenging right to the finale the following campaign.
However, his most recent campaign has been difficult, as he failed to finish on the podium across the 16-race season and he finished 14th in the drivers’ standings – 62 points behind teammate Maximilian Guenther.
Mortara is yet to announce what his plans are for the 2024 season, whether he will remain in Formula E is unknown at this time. While Maserati MSG is expected to announce it’s driver line-up later this month.
The past six years of my career have been quite a journey, and it has been an honour to represent the team during this time. Since 2017, we have experienced a lot together, it’s been a rollercoaster at times and by learning from the tough moments we faced, we grew to become a competitive outfit, fighting for race wins and World Championships. I’m proud of the role I played in this. I want to take this opportunity to thank the team for their trust in me and their support, I wish them the best of luck for the future.
Mortara on leaving the team.
We would like to thank Edo for his efforts and success over the past six seasons. His experience, knowledge, and expertise have been pivotal in our journey and development as a team. On a personal note, it has been a privilege to work with him and we all wish him every success for the future.
Maserati MSG Racing has secured reigning FIA Formula 2 champion, Felipe Drugovich and FIA Formula 3 racer, Hugh Barter for the Berlin Rookie Test.
Felipe Drugovich is one of the most promising young driver on the junior single-seater scene. The Brazilian commenced his professional racing career in 2016 and quickly tasted success by winning MRF Challenge Formula 2000 in the 2017/18 season.
Felipe secured back to back titles in 2018 by triumphing in Euroformula Open and Spanish Formula 3 and joined Formula 1’s support bill in 2020 by competing in F2.
In a campaign marked by five wins and 11 podiums, Drugovich dominated the 2022 season to seal the Drivers’ Championship by an impressive 101 point margin over his next nearest rival.
The 22 year old is currently the Reserve Driver for Aston Martin and McLaren in F1 and most recently represented the former during 2023 pre-season testing in Bahrain.
I can’t wait to get my first taste of the Maserati Tipo Folgore and Gen3 Formula E in Berlin. Formula E is a category that has always fascinated me, and it will be intriguing to experience the differences of a fully-electric car in comparison to the single-seaters I’ve raced in recent seasons. Knowing that I will be playing an active role in the development of such an iconic brand, in its first season back in World Championship motorsport, is a huge honour. I’m very excited.
Drugovich on the opportunity.
Australian-Japanese racer Hugh Barter first sat behind the wheel at the age of six, and after excelling on the go-karting scene, stepped up to single seater in 2021.
He was runner-up in French F4 after scoring 12 wins and 22 podiums in the series across two seasons and finished as the runner-up in Spanish F4 last season.
For 2023 he joined the F1 support bill, by making his competitive debut in FIA Formula 3, driving for Campos Racing.
I would like to thank Maserati MSG Racing for giving me the opportunity to experience Formula E for the very first time. I’ve really enjoyed my experience in the sim so far and I can’t wait to get out on the track in Berlin. Working closely with James, Edo and Max will be an invaluable learning experience for me, especially at this stage of my career.
Barter on his first experience of Formula E.
We’re delighted to welcome Felipe [Drugovich] and Hugh [Barter] to the team for our rookie test in Berlin. It provides a key chance for the next generation of racing talent to experience electric motorsport for the first time. In Felipe and Hugh, we’ll have a driver line-up formed from experience and youth. We can’t wait for them to take to the track in the GEN3 car in Berlin.
James Rossiter, Team Principal Maserati MSG Racing.
Jordan's Track Talk 