Maserati MSG Racing recovers to top 10 in strategic Diriyah E-Prix
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Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Günther executed a strong recovery drive in the second part of the double-header 2024 Diriyah E-Prix, with the 26-year-old battling from 11th to ninth at the Riyadh Street Circuit.
Following a competitive showing in Race One on Friday night, in which Max finished seventh, the Monaco-based team refined its package further ahead of Saturday with the hope of extracting more pace at the Saudi venue.
After placing third in FP3, Max narrowly missed on the qualifying duels from Group A while rookie team-mate, Jehan Daruvala, secured his first duel appearance in Formula E by advancing to the Quarter-Finals from Group B.
Jehan faced Nissan’s Oliver Rowland in his head-to-head, but despite losing out to the eventual polesitter, delivered a performance worthy of fifth on the grid. Max, meanwhile, qualified 12th but started from 11th.
In a hotly contested opening lap, both Max and Jehan unfortunately lost ground but quickly settled into the race’s rhythm which, due to low energy sensitivity, saw limited energy saving throughout the field.
By taking advantage of track action ahead, Max quickly fought forward into the top 10 while Jehan continued to hold his own in the points-paying positions in only his third Formula E race start.
Unfortunately, a technical issue for Jehan forced the 25-year-old to retire on lap 27 of 36, leaving Max as Maserati MSG Racing’s sole runner.
Holding ninth, yet pressuring two-time champion Jean-Eric Vergne, Max remained in contention up to the line and took the chequered flag to score two points, taking eight from the weekend as a whole.
Formula E’s 10th season will resume on March 16 as the series returns to São Paulo, Brazil, for the fourth of 16 races in 2024.
In Their Words
Maximilian Günther, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing
“It was a difficult day for us. Our qualifying didn’t go according to plan, and on lap one, we dropped to 12th but we managed to recover some places to finish ninth. We executed a good strategy, so a big thank you to the team and especially to Jehan who helped me out today. I think we did the maximum we could. For sure, it wasn’t an ideal day but we turned it into a solid outcome. We’ve had three races, secured three points finishes, and we have had a strong start to the year. I’m feeling good, and I’m looking forward to the next race in São Paulo.”
Jehan Daruvala, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing
“My race today wasn’t easy, but it felt good to be fighting in the pack, running up at the front, and gaining experience. Advancing to the duels opened up my opportunities in the race, and we were running inside the points for the most part but unfortunately, I had a technical issue which forced me to retire. It’s a shame, but I can look back on this weekend knowing that I’ve improved my knowledge and taken some good steps forward. I can’t wait to continue by journey in Formula E in Brazil.”
Cyril Blais, Chief Engineer, Maserati MSG Racing
“We had a difficult race today. With Jehan starting fifth and Max 11th, we were hoping for a double points finish but the start was difficult and they lost positions on lap one. After that they both settled into a good rhythm, and Max was able to recover some positions to move into the top 10. With Jehan we lost some time when activating Attack Mode, but he was performing well. Unfortunately, he had an issue on his car which forced him to retire, which is a big shame because with the performance he delivered, he deserved a top 10 finish. Max was able to finish ninth to score two points. We know that we’re capable of more, but scoring points consistently is very important in Formula E. From here, we’ll look at the first three races, address the areas we can improve in and hopefully fight at the front in Brazil.”
Giovanni Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse
“Both drivers fought until the end today and Max managed to finish inside the top 10 to secure some important points, confirming a good performance throughout the weekend. Jehan showed a very strong performance by qualifying fifth and ran inside the points consistently, but unfortunately he faced some issues that didn’t allow him to finish the race. Now we have a long break ahead of us before the next race, and we will continue to build on this season’s positive start in order to arrive on the grid even more determined than we have been.”
The Race in Numbers
Maximilian Günther
Free Practice Three // P3
Qualifying // P12 [1:10.993, Group A]
Race // P9
Positions Gained // +3
Fastest Lap //1:11.089
Championship Position // P5 [20 points]
Jehan Daruvala
Free Practice Three // P13
Qualifying // P5 [1:10.786, Quarter-Final Four]
Race // DNF
Positions Gained // N/A
Fastest Lap // 1:11.136
Championship Position // P20 [0 points]
Maserati MSG Racing
Championship Position // P8 [20 points]
