Mahindra Racing sign De Vries and Mortara on multi-year deals

Pune: Mahindra Racing has signed Nyck De Vries and Edoardo Mortara on multi-year contracts to compete for the team from Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Season 10 marks a new chapter in the history of Mahindra Racing – the only Indian team on the grid and the last of FIA Formula E’s founding teams to compete in its original identity. The signing of two drivers of Mortara’s and De Vries’ calibre and experience is a positive step on the team’s journey towards becoming Championship contenders once more, after a difficult start to the new Gen3 regulations in Season 9.

De Vries is returning to Formula E, in which he became the inaugural World Champion back in Season 7, after a stint competing in Formula 1 for Williams and Scuderia Alpha Tauri. With four career ePrix victories, and a further four podium finishes to his name, the experience of  the 28-year-old and status as a Championship contender will be an essential asset to the team moving forward.

After an impressive career in karting, the Dutch star enjoyed an equally-celebrated rise through the single-seater ranks, first winning the 2014 Formula Renault Eurocup, before building on subsequent front-running campaigns in Formula Renault 3.5 and GP3 Series with the 2019 FIA Formula 2 title. De Vries will be joined at the team for Season 10 by another of FIA Formula E’s biggest stars – Swiss-Italian driver Edoardo Mortara. The 36-year-old burst onto the scene in 2010, winning both the Formula Three Euroseries crown and triumphing twice on the world-famous streets of Macau.

After a long-standing career as one of the DTM’s leading lights, Mortara returned to single seaters in 2017 with his Formula E debut in Hong Kong, and made an immediate impact, scoring a podium with second place on his first weekend in the category. He took his maiden victory at the same venue a year later and has since added five further triumphs – plus six additional podiums – to his CV.

Notably, this new driver pairing forges a partnership between the two chief title protagonists in Season 7, with Mortara finishing just seven points adrift of eventual World Champion, De Vries. The acquisition of two of the sport’s most exciting talents marks a new chapter in the team’s history, with a vision to return to Championship contention in the 1 coming years. A striking new livery for the team’s cars will be unveiled prior to the season opener in Mexico City on January 13, 2024.

Speaking on the acquisition of De Vries and Mortara, Mahindra Racing CEO Freìdeìric Bertrand said: “I am delighted to welcome Edo and Nyck to the Mahindra Racing family. As a team, we are all embarking on a journey to bring Mahindra Racing back to the front of the grid in the coming years.”

“With their speed and experience, Nyck and Edo will play a key role in driving the team towards that goal, and I know everybody is feeling very motivated to work with them. Equally important for the team are the drivers’ appetites for a long-term project, which makes them the perfect fit for Mahindra Racing at the beginning of this journey.” “We anticipate next year will be another year of development and progress, and in a championship like Formula E, success is impossible to achieve overnight. But the signing of Nyck and Edo, along with new recruits within the wider team, puts down a solid foundation on which we can build.” “Much as Mahindra Automotive seeks to lead a revolution in the commercial space, we aim to match that ambition and innovation on the track. The support and synergy across the brand between both programmes will be invaluable as we aim to similarly make progress on-track.”

Edoardo Mortara commented: “I’m extremely excited to be joining Mahindra Racing. It’s a team that I’ve been looking at for several years now, they have been in Formula E since the beginning of the Championship, so there’s a lot of experience there.” “What I could also feel from the people here is that we share the same values. We have a great project in front of us, but I can see a lot of determination and motivation from everyone in the team, and this is so important.” “Mahindra is also such a big automotive manufacturer, with a worldwide reputation. I’m extremely proud to join and be a representative of this prestigious group. I can’t wait to get started, and I’m sure that, if we put in the necessary amount of work, we will be able to be successful in this very competitive championship in the future.”

Nyck de Vries commented: “It’s really exciting to be joining such a major automotive manufacturer as Mahindra, and to represent them in Formula E.” “I’m particularly excited about the future plans for the team. The basis is already strong, and the team has all the attributes to succeed. I believe going forwards, we 2 will be able to extract even more potential from the project and the organisation, so to be a part of that process was very appealing for me. “I think it’s no secret that the team has had a bit of a rough start to Gen3, although there were positive signs of improvement during the second half of last season. I believe the team can continue to build on those learnings, and with the additional changes and plans in place for the future, we can make even greater steps forward in performance at the start of our new journey together. “Coming back to Formula E will feel like coming home. I’ve been part of the Formula E family for three seasons, I know everybody very well. I’m looking forward to being back in a familiar environment, and to be back somewhere where ultimately, I’ve always enjoyed my racing.”

De Vries and Mortara’s preparations for Season 10 will step up another notch next month [23-27 October] at the series’ official pre-season test in Valencia, Spain, at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

Mahindra Racing has a strong set of partners, including Official Powertrain Partner ZF and e-fluids partner Shell. Maurice Lacroix, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, continues as the Official Timekeeper, while Tech Mahindra continues as Digital Transformation Partner.