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Mahindra Racing has been part of Formula E since its inception. The team debuted with Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna as its driver in 2014. Since then, the team has achieved decent success with the drivers and as a team.
In the team's first-ever season, the team had an Indian driver representing the team in Karun Chandhok. In the next few seasons, some very impressive talent drove for the team, including former DTM Champion and F1 driver Pascal Wehrlein, Nick Heidfeld, Felix Rosenqvist, and others. In the 8 seasons since Formula E's inception, Mahindra has secured 6 wins and 16 podiums with a best championship finish of 3rd in the 2016-17 season.
Throughout this journey, the team has secured some impressive results. Here are three of the most memorable moments for Mahindra Racing in Formula E.
#1 First Podium (2015 FIA Formula E SWUSP Beijing ePrix)
You never forget that first taste of champagne! Especially for an Indian underdog in a field of global giants. This was what Mahindra racing had to contend with when the team lured an F1 veteran in Nick Heidfeld to join them. The German was considered one of the breakout stars when he made his debut in F1 but could not quite make it in the sport.
He was still relatively successful, with respectable performances and consistent podiums throughout his career. Heidfeld switched to Formula E for the second-ever edition of the sport, teaming up with Bruno Senna for Mahindra. In his first outing for the team in China, Heidfeld drove a calculated race that saw him defend P3 from Loic Duval and Jerome D'Ambrosio from Dragon Racing.
Low on power as compared to the chasing pack, Heidfeld truly had to bring all his experience into play and drive a very defensive last few laps. He was helped a bit when the two Dragon Racing drivers started to entangle with each other and gave him some breathing room. Having said that, a team from an Indian manufacturer was scoring a podium in the first race of the second season and it was a race where Mahindra made a statement and proved that it meant business in the series.
#2 First Win (2017 FIA Formula E Berlin ePrix)
For Mahindra, that particular 2017 weekend in Berlin was extremely rewarding for the team. The 2016-17 season was the one where the team had two drivers that were capable of achieving incredible results worthy of the machinery. Nick Heidfeld was part of the team but was joined by a younger talent in Felix Rosenqvist.
In the first of the two races that weekend, Rosenqvist and Heidfeld started the race on the second row. With a car that worked like a charm around the Berlin street circuit, Rosenqvist was able to progress and pick off cars one after the other.
When Rosenqvist finally made the move on leader Lucas di Grassi, it was clear that the driver had superior race pace and would not come under any danger from the Brazilian. As Rosenqvist cruised to a win at the front, Heidfeld too secured P3 making it the first-ever double podium for Mahindra in Formula E.
#3 Best season in Formula E (2016-17)
The third season in Formula E was the best showing for Mahindra Racing as the team proved its mettle in the series. On a grid that had major brands like Renault, Audi, Andretti, and Jaguar, Mahindra finished the championship in 3rd and was clearly one of the best cars on the grid.
With drivers Felix Rosenqvist and Nick Heidfeld, the team had one of the better combinations on the grid. Rosenqvist would finish the season 3rd in the championship while Nick Heidfeld had an impressive tally of 5 podiums in 12 races.
The team secured a total of 9 podiums and 1 win in the 12 races and would only lose out to Renault and Audi in the championship. The season was an example of how an underdog can rise to the top and compete ably. On a grid that had such brilliant brands with a heritage of racing, Mahindra was not found lacking or look out of depth at any moment.
In the 8-year journey that the team has taken, the 2016-17 season remains the brightest spot for the Indian team so far. What happens next when the new Gen-3 cars will be launched this coming season is still a question mark but Mahindra has proved that it can handle itself in Formula E and will continue to be competitive heading into the new generation of electric cars next season.
