An Electrifying Debut — Meet Maserati’s First-ever Formula E Driver Lineup
It took a whopping 65 years for Maserati to return to single-seater racing, but the Italian marque is out to prove that the wait was worthwhile. Having last competed in Formula 1 in 1957, the House of the Trident is now gearing up for a debut in Formula E, F1’s electrified sibling. The new team is the result of a partnership between Maserati and MSG, or Monaco Sports Group, which formerly operated in the sport as Venturi Racing. For its debut, the Maserati team has extended the contract of Swiss-Italian Venturi driver Edoardo Mortara and has signed German driver Maximilian Günther to be his teammate.
Maserati will bring its vast automotive experience to the Monégasque table, having competed in various forms of motorsport over the years, both as a team and a supplier. Its greatest successes have come in the FIA GT Championship, where the MC12 car secured six consecutive driver’s championships between 2005 and 2010. The marque is entering Formula E on a high note, too — its partner MSG’s previous efforts as Venturi Racing saw it leap from seventh place in the 2020-21 season team ranking to second in 2021-22, the sport’s eighth and most recent season.
Maserati’s debut comes as the sport enters a new era with the introduction of the “Gen3” car. In contrast to its combustion-powered counterpart, Formula 1, where teams (more or less) assemble their cars from the ground up, Formula E cars all share the same chassis and battery. It’s then up to the individual teams to develop their own electric motors, gearboxes, inverters, and cooling systems. The new Gen3 car comes with a chassis developed by French manufacturer Spark Racing Technology, and a battery courtesy of Williams Advanced Engineering, of Formula 1 fame.
For the team’s new recruit Maximilian Günther, the upcoming season looks to be the most exciting yet. “To be part of the Maserati brand’s return to racing in partnership with MSG Racing is a huge honor for me and I‘m looking forward to building something very strong together,” he says. The 25-year-old made the switch from the Nissan e.dams team, and holds the coveted title of Formula E’s youngest race winner ever since he stormed to victory at the 2020 Santiago ePrix in Chile, driving for the BMW i Andretti team. Maserati looks set for success, then, as Günther’s teammate Edoardo Mortara boasts an equally impressive scorecard. The Swiss-Italian driver came third in the driver’s championship last season, and has six race wins and 13 podiums to his name. Team principal James Rossiter believes the duo has what it takes to go all the way. “In this pairing, we have a very strong driver lineup for Gen3, and we intend to be in a position to fight at the very front,” he shares.
The bar is set sky-high, then, but the House of the Trident is rearing to go, and has laid the groundwork to ensure a promising season. As the first Italian brand to compete in Formula E, it has the advantage of setting the standard for any other Italian brands that may come after it. After all, prancing horses may not like electricity all that much, but it truly is the way of the future.
Discover more about the Maserati MSG Racing team here.
