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Nick Heidfeld scored Mahindra Racing’s first ever Formula E podium, finishing third in a tight battle on the streets of Beijing. Mahindra’s new M2Electro Formula E car made a strong start to the 2015/16 season with Nick Heidfeld and Bruno Senna qualifying P3 and P7 respectively and finishing P3 & P13.
Both drivers gained a position before the first corner with Nick challenging for the lead on many occasions. Due to complications during their car swaps, both drivers lost places in the pit stops.
Nick rejoined the track in P4. Suffering from a broken rear wing, Nico Prost was forced to retire promoting Heidfeld to P3 and the team’s best result to date. Senna struggled to recover from a poor pit stop and finished in P13.
Dilbagh Gill, Team Principal of Mahindra Racing Formula E Team said: “I don’t quite have the words to describe what the first podium means to the team and to Mahindra. The performance of both cars in qualifying and Nick’s final result (the fastest team behind Renault) shows that the approach we took to developing the M2Electro powertrain was the right one.
The car has been reliable and consistent since testing and we now know we also have a package that can compete in both qualifying and race trim. We must congratulate ourselves but we must build on this success in the next race. We could potentially have finished even higher. We have a great car and now we need to aim for consistent race performance.”
Nick Heidfeld said: “I want to thank the team for providing me with a car that can achieve a result like this. I can be a demanding driver and as a team we pushed hard to get this result. We will build on this achievement, refine the car and I believe the M2Electro can continue to race at the front of the grid.
I had to work hard to defend on the final laps as other cars were putting pressure on me from behind, but I’m glad that our race strategy left me with enough energy to keep them behind me right to the chequered flag.”
Bruno Senna: “It was a mixed day for me. In practice and qualifying, the car felt good and I felt I could have pushed further and further forward in the race. Ultimately it was the pit stop that put me outside the points.
I am so happy that Mahindra Racing has its first Formula E podium. As part of the team since the beginning, I know exactly what it means to everyone. We will go to Malaysia knowing we have a fast and reliable car and with a cleaner race, the results will continue to come."
