Though the team’s problems started in qualifying, both drivers had recovered and were looking to be on course for another strong finish when problems with the midrace car swaps wiped out any chances of a top ten finish.
Rosenqvist would start the race eighth after being caught out in qualifying when other drivers in his group suffered problems and he couldn’t manage another spectacular laps. Superb battery management in the first stint gave him an extra lap’s worth of battery life in his first car. Staying out an extra lap would mean he’d have more usable energy than his rivals in the second stint and could push harder when battling on track.
A “Battery Management System” problem in his second car brought an end to any thoughts of battling on track. Rosenqvist was stuck in the pits for about a minute and would eventually come out in seventeenth position.
There was still the fastest lap to battle for and the single point that comes with it. Rosenqvist managed the fastest lap on record at the circuit, taking the fastest lap award for the second time this season. The award gave Mahindra a much needed boost after a frustrating day for the rookie.
“We are disappointing with the result because it is not reflective of what Mahindra can do,” said team principal Dilbagh Gill. “Free practice was going quite well, we demonstrated the pace of the car but qualifying is becoming really important in this championship. Overall, Felix drove a fantastic race and picked up the fastest lap again, showing the M3Electro is where it needs to be.”
Heidfeld had an equally disappointing race. A difficult qualifying put him twelfth on the grid but, like Rosenqvist, strong energy management meant it looked like Heidfeld would be pushing for a strong result in the second stint. One quick pit stop later, the German was battling against Stephane Sarrazin and Robin Frijns on the outskirts of the points.
The pit stop had been a little too quick though.
At each ePrix, there is a minimum pit stop time for safety reasons. Heidfeld was found to be just four tenths under the minimum pit stop time of 55 seconds, and he was handed a drive through penalty in the closing stages of the race. The German eventually finished fifteenth.
Still third in the teams’ championship and boosted by the pace of the car and the drivers, Mahindra head to Mexico City in April confident they can take another podium, with the aim of securing their first Formula E race win.
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