02/09/2025 17:30
Mahindra team principal Fred Bertrand has outlined that the
outfit's major recovery to finish fourth in the 2024/25 Formula E
teams' championship has given it an "appetite" for more glory. The
Indian manufacturer's road to fourth last season was one of the
standout stories of the campaign, thanks to its staggering
progress. Since Bertrand took on the team principal role ahead of
Season 9 (2022/23)— the start of the Gen3 era — Mahindra has been
firmly on a path of recovery. Despite claiming pole position and a
podium in the first race of the Gen3 era, the team quickly became a
backmarker in the early stages of the new regulations cycle. For
various reasons, Lucas di Grassi left after just one season, while
world champion Oliver Rowland departed midway through the calendar
— leaving Bertrand with a mountain to climb. That mountain has
nearly been scaled, following a series of bold and effective
decisions. Edoardo Mortara and Nyck de Vries were signed on
three-year deals (concluding at the end of next season) to lead the
squad's comeback. Season 10 (2023/24) was one of steady progress;
however, introducing a brand-new car for Gen3 Evo proved to be a
bold but inspired move. Mahindra's package last season consistently
performed across most venues, with the team securing five podiums —
its most since Season 3. A strong season finale performance in
London by de Vries elevated Mahindra to fourth in the standings,
well beyond the Banbury-based outfit's pre-season target. Asked in
an interview with RacingNews365 in London if securing fourth in the
teams' standings was beyond his wildest dreams, Bertrand responded:
"I would not say it's beyond my dreams, because my dream is to be
P1. "But it is, let's say, a bit above the reasonable expectation
we could have. But you have to manage expectations all the time.
"When we started this journey, the goal was definitely to
turnaround the team and then make sure that in Season 11, with a
new car, with the right people in place, with the right spirit in
the team, with the right driver driving, then we can hope to be
towards the top. "The initial plan was top six, which was the
first step, and move into the top five in Season 12. So, we made a
bit of an additional move, but that's the place where we think we
should be. But honestly, this season and the next one [the target]
is top five, for sure." Mahindra keep to its word Whilst several
teams made a lot of noise during Season 11, Mahindra quietly went
about its business, scoring consistent but crucial points. Despite
not claiming a victory, the team finished just 21 points behind
Nissan, whose tally was largely thanks to Rowland on his way to the
title. Had de Vries not received a 10-second time penalty whilst
leading in Jakarta—following contact with Jake Dennis—third place
might have been within reach. Nevertheless, Mahindra remains hungry
to push forward and compete again in Season 12 (2025/26), the final
season of the current regulatory cycle. "Now, it gives us appetite
[for more] because we are just 21 points away from Nissan. So,
without Jakarta, we're there," added Bertrand. "So that's where,
for sure, it gives us appetite for more. But I think the general
feeling is happy to have done the job, because we have said what we
wanted to do, and we have done what we said. "So for us, that's
super, super important."
