Courageous performance from Maximilian Günther at race debut for Maserati MSG Racing
Maximilian Günther kicked off the 2023 Formula E season with his new team Maserati MSG Racing on Saturday. The 25-year-old fought back to finish eleventh in the first showdown of the year in Mexico City. Three safety car phases denied the racer from the Allgäu region of Germany a better result. The new Gen3 car for the FIA Formula E World Championship was making its first appearance under competitive conditions at the 2.63-kilometre racetrack. Generating 350 kilowatts (roughly 480 hp), the fully-electric car is faster and more powerful than ever before.
In sunshine and 23 degrees Celsius, Günther started his first race with Italian premium manufacturer Maserati from 17th on the grid. The German was initially stopped in his tracks by two safety car phases early in the race. Although racing did resume for eight laps, it was followed by another appearance from the safety car. By this point, Günther had climbed to 14th. Race control added an additional five laps, due to the three neutralizations. In the closing stages, the multiple Formula E race winner and Maserati MSG Racing benefitted from an impressive tactical display, which allowed them to gain more positions. The Monaco resident eventually crossed the finish line eleventh on the Italian car manufacturer’s debut. The shorter layout of the Grand Prix circuit in Mexico posed a particular challenge for the drivers: at 2,250 metres above sea level, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is the highest racetrack on the Formula E calendar. Among other things, this affected the drivers’ tyre management.
Maximilian Günther: “The challenging conditions in Mexico meant we struggled to get the tyre up to the ideal temperature this weekend. Because of this, we did not have the pace for a faster lap in qualifying. In the race, we used our very good energy management. This meant I had sufficient power left in the closing stages and was able to overtake a few drivers ahead of me. I may not have scored any points, but on the whole it was a promising start with Maserati MSG Racing. The team is highly professional and very structured in the way it works. I am really enjoying working with them, and we have a very good overall package. We were unable to exploit our full potential in Mexico. However, that only serves to make us even more determined to be at our best on the track at the next event.”
The second race weekend in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship takes place in Diriyah on 27th and 28th January 2023, when the fully-electric racing series will stage two races in Saudi Arabia.