Mahindra Racing unveils M9 Electro Formula E car with new livery
The Gen3 M9Electro race car from Mahindra is inspired by from the brand’s Born Electric platform design language
Mahindra Racing is gearing up for the ninth edition Formula E World Championship. The Anglo-Indian racing team recently unveiled the latest iteration of its Gen3 challenger race car ahead of the testing for the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at Valencia, Spain.
Named M9Electro, the race car appears to have a fresh red and copper livery for the upcoming season, representing a “closer collaboration” between the team and the company’s dedicated design studio dubbed Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (MADE).
M9Electro electric race car from Mahindra Racing
New colours, new appeal
The new Gen3 race car is largely inspired by Mahindra’s Born Electric prototypes revealed earlier this year. This is evident from the use of a healthy dose of copper in combination with the traditional red. Earlier iterations of the race car have been wrapped around with different variations of red and white liveries.
Similar copper treatments were also seen in the recently launched Mahindra XUV400 electric SUV. The front section of the M9Electro is predominantly seen wearing a copper shade, while the rear end of the car has red and blue colours. The livery is complemented by an exposed carbon fibre finish in the lower half of the car.
Mahindra M9Electro rear end
This season, the #8 and #11 Gen3 M9Electro race cars from Mahindra Racing will be piloted by British racing driver and Formula E race winner, Oliver Rowland and 2016/17 Formula E Champion, Lucas Di Grassi, respectively. Meanwhile, Indian driver and Formula 2 race winner Jehan Daruvala has joined the team as a test and reserve driver.
The new season will also mark the beginning of Frederic Bertrand’s tenure as the new CEO of Mahindra Racing. On the upcoming season, Bertrand commented, “I am very excited for this new dawn at Mahindra Racing. It is a new start for the team, with this fresh new look on the cars. I have high hopes for the direction of the team, we have some fantastic people among us as well as two brilliant drivers in Oliver and Lucas.”
Details of 2023 Formula E
The official pre-season testing will be conducted in Valencia on December 13-16, 2022. Season 9 of the Formula E championship will kickstart on January 14, 2023 in Mexico City E-Prix followed by three new venues. A total of 16 rounds makes this season Formula E’s longest calendar yet.
Mahindra Racing drivers for 2023 Formula E: Lucas di Grassi (L) and Oliver Rowland (R)
It will also be the first time that Mahindra Racing will get to race on its home turf with the inaugural Hyderabad E-Prix scheduled for February 11. A total of eleven teams will be participating in the upcoming edition of Formula E championship. Season 9 will also mark the debut of Gen3 electric race cars which are almost 100kW more powerful than the Gen2 series, producing 350kW (476 hp) and clocking a top speed of 320 kmph.
(Images courtesy: Mahindra Racing)
Edited by Akanksha Sarma