Mahindra Racing enjoyed a upturn in form at the backend of the 2023/24 Formula E as they have brought exciting changes to the organisation on and off the track.
The Banbury-based team were one of the founding members of the all-electric series in 2014 and have competed in every season since its inauguration.
However, Mahindra have fallen on hard times in Formula E in recent years, finishing 10th in the teams’ championship this season as Pascal Wehrlein claimed his first world title.
The team, who race under an Indian racing license, have not finished above eighth since 2019, but they showed solid signs of progression at the end of this season.
And speaking with RacingNews365, team principal and CEO Frederic Bertrand shared how the team have changed their environment for the better.
Frederic Bertrand says Jeremy Colancon and other key personnel have ‘no limit’ at Mahindra
For the 2023/24 season, Mahindra brought in experienced Formula E drivers Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara for their lineup.
The duo had previously battled it out for the title back in 2020/21, with the former edging out the victor over the latter by seven points to claim his first title.
Along with their strong driver pairing, Mahindra recruited Frenchmen Jeremy Colancon as their new performance director and while the start to the season was slow, results started to pick up and the team could challenge for the points.
And Bertrand says the new additions to their squad have helped changed the working environment and thus benefit them on the track.
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“I think atmosphere has progressed since day one,” he said.
“As soon as we had the names of the drivers joining us for the season, it was a big fresh air coming.
“Then having Jeremy [Colancon, Mahindra Performance Director] joining, then having a few new engineers, that really helped changing the atmosphere and the spirit.
“What we have seen also is that we have included in the team a lot of young guys, very young engineers and then, they come with that fresh approach.
“There is no limit for them. They are ready to push night and day and this is pushing everyone, because everyone looks at the guy sitting on the other side and say: ‘oh, this guy is pushing, so if I want to keep my position, I need to make sure that I push as much as him.’
“And this has been done in the right spirit. Not in the spirit of saying: ‘oh, I don’t want someone to push me’, but more in the spirit: ‘oh, if he’s doing [it], I can do it also.’ That spirit really came very quickly into the team.”
Mahindra are hoping to return to the top of Formula E
Despite the team’s slow start to the season, Mahindra saw a huge improvement towards the end and were able to regularly challenge for points.
Edoardo Mortara made the switch from Maserati MSG Racing for this season and scored Mahindra a stunning pole position at the first race in Berlin, later going to score the team’s first points finish in a race by finishing eighth.
At the London ePrix, de Vries and Mortara registered fourth and fifth in the first race to mark the team’s best finish of the season.
With both drivers retained for Season 11, Mahindra will be hoping to continue the momentum from the end of this year.