It is the start of a new dawn for Maserati MSG Racing, with the return of the famous Italian manufacturer to motorsport being marked with a stunning livery to the team’s Gen3 challenger, the Maserati Tipo Folgore. Season Nine of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is looking truly set to be a record-breaking one for the series, with Maserati being the latest team to countdown the days to the season opener in Mexico City.
The launch of the stunning car took place at the home of Maserati, Modena, Italy. Their Gen3 challenger is, of course, the Italians first electric race car, with the hope that the innovations and techniques used can benefit the exciting new electric journey that Maserati are venturing on.
It is no secret that the leap from Gen2 to Gen3 is a sizeable one, with the new vehicles being faster, lighter, smaller, more powerful, more sustainable, and boast a front and rear powertrain. Gen3 of the all-electric series is truly a piece of genius, one that Maserati are excitingly going to be an integral part of.
The team’s line-up for Season Nine consists of Edoardo Mortara who has remained with the team during it’s rebranding from Venturi Racing to Maserati MSG Racing, and Maximilian Günther, who is making the switch from the Nissan Formula E Team.
Speaking about the car’s livery, Mortara, who finished third in the Drivers’ Championship last season, instantly mentioned that it’s “very different” compared to everyone else. The Swiss driver also discussed the importance of pre-season testing, which will commence in just over a week in Valencia, Spain.
“Looking at our car, it’s very different compared to the other liveries on the grid for 2023 so we’ll definitely stand out on track in Mexico. Over the past few months, we’ve been going through our development cycle and so far, things look good but it’s too early to really tell. Pre-season testing will be a key opportunity for us to validate our work as we continue to refine and optimise our performance ahead of the start of the season.”
Günther also gave his thoughts on his new wheels and admitted that it “feels fantastic to drive”. The German delved into why it feels so good behind-the-wheel and ultimately gave an insight into how testing has been going.
“The car looks incredible, and it feels fantastic to drive. With more power, less weight and improved regenerative braking, it’s a great step compared to the Gen2. During private testing we’ve made some positive steps on the performance and reliability front, and I’m excited to continue that work in Valencia later this month. With a strong pre-season test, I know that we’ll be able to hit the ground running in Mexico City for the first race of the season.”
Team Principal James Rossiter added on the thoughts of his drivers and shared how “great” it felt to finally show the car to the world, who have been intrigued to see what Maserati would bring to the livery table.
With the launch now out of the way, though, Rossiter explained that the “focus” has to return now to pre-season.
“After months of anticipation, it’s a great feeling to lift the covers off the Maserati Tipo Folgore. With the prestige of Maserati and the experience, success and diligence of MSG [Monaco Sports Group], we believe we have a winning combination.
“Now our focus returns to pre-season preparations and after a promising private testing phase, we need to maximise every minute of track time in Valencia. At this stage, it’s very difficult to make any predictions, but with a competitive package and Edo [Mortara] and Max [Guenther] behind the wheel, we’re confident that we can have a successful season.”
