Maserati MSG Racing experienced a difficult opening race at the 2023 Diriyah E-Prix, with the team navigating a handful of challenges in the first part of Formula E’s Saudi Arabian double-header.
Following a promising weekend in Mexico City, the team made positive progress during practice at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, however, endured a bruising qualifying session in the afternoon.
Both Edoardo Mortara and Maximilian Günther launched their efforts in Group A, although a sudden front tyre lock and collision in Turn 11 brought about an early end to Max’s afternoon of running.
Later in the session, Edo was also involved in an accident, in which an off-line half-spin tipped the Swiss-Italian driver into the barriers on the outside of Turn 16.
As a result of extensive repair work, Max was unable to participate in the race, which left Edo as Maserati MSG Racing’s sole charger.
From 20th on the grid, he made immediate progress on the opening lap and following a brief Safety Car period, continued to fight forward.
By lap 11, Edo had ascended to 15th and next overtook Sérgio Sette Câmara for 14th before settling into a rhythm behind reigning World Champion, Stoffel Vandoorne.
A puncture on lap 33 of 39 dealt a final cruel blow and forced Edo to retire from the race, with the team’s full attention now placed on Race Two in Diriyah.
Edoardo Mortara
Free Practice One // P11
Free Practice Two // P11
Qualifying // P20 [1:11.708, Group A]
Race // DNF
Positions Gained // N/A
Fastest Lap // 1:11.364
Championship Position // P22
Maximilian Günther
Free Practice One // P19
Free Practice Two // P16
Qualifying // P22 [1:32.982, Group A]
Race // DNS
Positions Gained // N/A
Fastest Lap // N/A
Championship Position // P14
Maserati MSG Racing
Championship Position // P8
James Rossiter, Team Principal, Maserati MSG Racing
In the face of difficult situations, action is the only response and after a very challenging qualifying, the team came together and most importantly, came back fighting. The mechanics did an incredible job to repair Edo’s car and get him on the grid for the race. Work on Max’s new chassis is still ongoing, and we still have a lot of work to do overnight. Before our incidents in qualifying, I think we were in a good position and initial findings from practice were very promising. Motorsport is unpredictable and it can be cruel, but that’s just its nature. Spirits for tomorrow are high and if we put a clean day together, I’m confident that we can show the performance we’re capable of.
Edoardo Mortara, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing
Today hasn’t been easy, but behind the difficulties, I think there are some positives to take. Our pace during practice was quite competitive, we showed some major improvements, and although qualifying didn’t go as we hoped, the performance in the race was fantastic. It’s always tricky to start from that back of the grid but from 20th I was able to make good progress through the field before an unfortunate puncture but I’m optimistic for tomorrow. If we can have another strong practice and qualify well, I think points can definitely be on the table.
Maximilian Günther, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing
We clearly took a step in the right direction from FP1 to FP2. I felt more comfortable in the car and the progress was good. The crash in qualifying was very unfortunate, and that defined my day. I was halfway through my first push lap, I locked the fronts under braking and that meant that I was unable to slow the car down. It was a big crash with a lot of damage, and that’s why we weren’t able to do Race One. We take it as it is, and that’s racing, but tomorrow is a new day full of new opportunities. I can’t wait to get in the car again. We are a strong team.
Giovanni Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse
The Maserati Brand is at the start of our first season in Formula E, and with that brings new challenges. Maserati is no stranger to motorsport dynamics and complexities so although today was not the result we were hoping for, the team is working relentlessly to move forward and focus on tomorrow’s race.
Maserati MSG Racing is one of the founding teams of the FIA Formula E World Championship and in December 2013, became the first manufacturer to join motorsport’s premier fully-electric category. As one of only a handful of constant participants since the series’ inaugural 2014/15 season, MSG Racing has moved from strength to strength and in 2021, tasted vice World Championship success with Edoardo Mortara before completing its most successful season to date in 2022, finishing the season as the vice World Teams' Champions.
Led by Chairman & Managing Partner, Scott Swid, and Team Principal, James Rossiter, the Monegasque marque is Formula E’s most gender-diverse team and is at the forefront of sustainability, EDI, technical innovation and excellence.
Maserati produces a complete range of unique cars, immediately recognisable for their extraordinary personality. Thanks to their style, technology and innately exclusive character, they delight the most discerning, demanding tastes and have always been a benchmark for the global automotive industry. A tradition of successful cars, each of them redefining what makes an Italian sports car in terms of design, performance, comfort, elegance and safety, currently available in more than seventy markets internationally. The ambassadors of this heritage are the Quattroporte flagship, the Ghibli sports sedan, the Levante – the first SUV made by Maserati, and the Grecale, the all-new everyday exceptional SUV, all models characterized by the use of the highest quality materials and excellent technical solutions. Ghibli, Grecale and Levante are also available in hybrid versions. A complete range, equipped with 4-cylinder hybrid powertrains, V6 petrol and V8 petrol, with rear-wheel and four-wheel drive, embodying the performance DNA of the Trident Brand. The top of the range is made up of the MC20 super sports car and the MC20 Cielo spyder, powered by the ground-breaking Nettuno V6 engine, incorporating F1-derived technologies available in the power unit of a standard production car for the first time. The sporty New GranTurismo models – available with both high-performance petrol engines and a 100% battery electric powertrain – take the House of the Trident forward into the future: the first car in the electric range, the Maserati Folgore. By 2025, all Maserati models will come in a full-electric version, and the entire Maserati range will run on electricity alone by 2030.
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