Mahindra Racing has announced its driver line-up for the Formula E Championship Season 5 and the Indian team has signed Jerome d'Ambrosi...
Mahindra Racing has announced its driver line-up for the Formula E Championship Season 5 and the Indian team has signed Jerome d'Ambrosio and Pascal Wehrlein as its two drivers. The new drivers replace Felix Rosenqvist and Nick Heidfeld at Mahindra Racing, with the latter moving into an advisory role within the team as a reserve and test driver. Rosenqvist will move into IndyCar for 2019 with Chip Ganassi Racing. D'Ambrosio, is already a Formula E veteran, having won the championship twice and has been a part of the championship since inception. The Belgian driver moves from Dragon Racing to Mahindra.
Speaking on joining ties with Mahindra Racing, D'Ambrosio said, "I think we have a great team and a really dedicated bunch of people with the possibility of doing something great so I am really motivated to make sure that we achieve the results that the team deserves. I've known Dilbagh for the last four years and what the team has achieved in that time is amazing and has shown great progression and I want to make sure that continues."
Wehrlein, meanwhile, is a 2015 DTM champion and is better known for his stint in Formula 1 with Sauber. The German driver had confirmed earlier this year to about his decision to mutually split with Mercedes' junior programme at the end of this year, clearly making way for his Formula E debut.
Speaking about his Formula E entry, Wehrlein said, "I'm very happy to be joining Mahindra Racing. I had the first meeting with Dilbagh in the summer and met the team for the first time at a test event. It's a small team but with really high ambitions and I have the same high ambitions."
(Mahindra M5 Electro - Formula E Season 5 Challenger)
Both drivers will be commencing the first pre-season testing today at Valencia in the all-new M5 Electro. The Season 5 challenger gets a completely new and rather radical design, while performance and the electric range has improved too. With faster cars, new drivers and more fan boosts, there's a lot more to look forward to in the upcoming Season.
Speaking on the new drivers and the fifth season of the all-electric sport, Mahindra Racing Team Principal, Dilbagh Gill said, "Last season we had a very strong start and were in championship contention. To attract and retain drivers of this calibre shows Mahindra Racing's future potential and intention and I cannot wait to get out on track in Saudi Arabia to begin our 2018/19 campaign."
The 2018-19 Formula E Season 5 is all set to start on December 15 this year in a first-ever race in Saudi Arabia. The season runs for 13 races with the grand finale held in New York on July 14, 2019. This season will see the electric race cars complete in the entire race in a single car, with no more mid-race car swaps. A lot of wheel-to-wheel action is expected in the forthcoming season.
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