The 2023/24 Formula E season started off in terrific style for Maserati before things dramatically tailed off towards the end of the year.
Maximilian Guenther claimed points in each of the first six races, including a win and third place at the end of that run, before scoring on just three occasions in 10 events after that.
The Italian team could easily have been inside the top five of the Formula E championship if they had continued that run, or if their second driver – Jehan Daruvala had fared better.
The Indian driver scored twice in 16 races, which isn’t good enough for a car that had race winning capabilities on its day.
Cyril Blais wary of the challenge of turning things around
Cyril Blais was chief engineer at Maserati before receiving a promotion to the role of team principal this week.
He knows the team very well and is also aware of what is required to lead the team back to the top step of the podium.
Testing times could yet be ahead, but he is wary of witnessing the reality of things if their poor run continues.
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“It’s easy to get along well and perform when you are achieving the results you want on track but we see the true nature of things when you have challenging times as a team,” he said.
“The strength of character and spirit that the team has demonstrated over the past two seasons has been really enlightening for me and I have a really good understanding of what needs to be done to maintain and build on this.”
What are the next steps for Maserati’s Formula E operation?
The team will have an all-new driver line-up for the 2024/25 season which should help them yield better results.
Maserati needed to find both more speed and consistency, which is exactly what they will have found with former champion Stoffel Vandoorne and Jake Hughes.
The pairing brings good experience at a time when the team needs two drivers who can give feedback and push them in a positive direction.
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Eighth will have been a disappointing result in the constrictors for them this year, so expect to see them pushing into the top half in 2025.
Vandoorne’s time at DS Penske after winning the world championship netted no victories and just one podium, so he has a point to prove just like his new team does.