It has been a dream start to Season Nine of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship for Maximilian Günther, as the German has adjusted to life at Maserati MSG Racing somewhat perfectly, after topping three out of four days at pre-season testing in Valencia.
Maserati’s return to motorsport has been majestic so far, with Günther and Edoardo Mortara having looked extremely comfortable in the Maserati Tipo Folgore, their first Gen3 challenger.
Günther in particular has been incredibly impressive, with the twenty-five year old having gotten up to speed in the new era of the all-electric series instantly. The German ended both Tuesday and Wednesday at the top of the timesheets, as the times quickly tumbled below what the Gen2 cars produced at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. After finishing towards the bottom on Thursday, he returned to the top in the final afternoon session on Friday, setting a new lap record for a Formula E car around the Spanish circuit.
The former Nissan Formula E Team driver also looked good during the trial race weekend that took place on Wednesday, after topping the practice and qualifying session before finishing second in the mock race.
The German is certainly in a very solid position looking ahead to the season opener in Mexico City, with Günther admitting that pre-season testing was “very positive”.
“Overall, we have had a very positive week of testing here in Valencia. When developing a new car, it’s really important to collect as much data as possible and to get a good feel for the car, and I believe that we have achieved this over the past few days.
“Since the start of the week, we’ve taken some very good steps and I feel comfortable with the direction in which we are heading. Now, we just need to refine some aspects of our performance and continue with our preparations ahead of the first race of the season in Mexico.”
“I think we are in a strong position” – Edoardo Mortara
On the other side of the Monegasque outfit’s garage, Mortara also enjoyed a relatively strong pre-season, with the Season Eight third-place finisher having featured towards the top of the timesheets all week.
Maserati’s DS Automobiles powertrain is certainly looking like the best package so far, with DS Penske having also been in and around the top all week. The early signs do suggest that Maserati and DS Penske will be the teams to beat come the start of the season, with all four having regularly featured in the top six.
Focusing on Mortara, the Swiss driver ended the first day of testing in a solid fourth place, before finishing the mock-race on Wednesday in sixth. In the testing session on Wednesday, which took place after the mock-race, the experienced driver claimed fifth, before returning to fourth on Thursday. Mortara has looked very consistent in pre-season testing, something that should come as no surprise given his Formula E track record.
Reflecting on the week in Valencia and gaining an understanding of the incredible new Gen3 challengers, Mortara hailed the week as “intense but overall positive”, with the Swiss competitor somewhat confident that Maserati are “in a strong position”.
“This week of testing has been intense but overall positive, and although we’re still understanding the finer points of the Gen3, I think we are in a strong position. At this stage, we know that we are heading in the right direction, but we still have a lot to learn and a plenty of work to do ahead of Mexico City. From here, we will fully analyse our data, debrief and continue to gather simulations from HQ. But at this stage, I’m happy and I think we should be pleased with our performance as a team.”
