Maximilian Back in the Points in Monaco

Despite a weekend of mixed results, Maximilian and DS PENSKE showed great determination and strong performance during the Monaco E-Prix double-header. As it was a double-header event, the weekend began with a Pit Boost race before teams and drivers returned to the usual two Attack Mode strategy on Sunday.

With both races compressed into two days, there was no overnight break after the first free practice session to analyse data and fine-tune the set-up. Maximilian quickly found his rhythm around Monaco in the DS E-TENSE FE25 during Free Practice 1 and was fully competitive in the second session, finishing P4.

In an exciting qualifying session, Maximilian advanced to the semi-finals of the duels and narrowly missed out on the Pole Shootout. This secured him third place on the grid — an excellent starting position on the tight and twisting streets of Monte Carlo.

He made an excellent start and entered the race management phase while maintaining third place. In the Pit Boost race, the key challenge was choosing the perfect moment for the mandatory pit stop in order to maintain track position before activating the single Attack Mode. Initially, the strategy appeared effective, but after his rivals stopped later and completed their pit stops, he dropped back to eleventh place.

Using his Attack Mode, he fought his way back into the points and crossed the finish line in eighth place. However, a five-second penalty dropped him back to tenth. Highlighting how hard Maximilian pushed in the closing stages, he also set the fastest lap of the race to secure an additional bonus point.

Race 2 on Sunday returned to the usual format, featuring two Attack Modes and no Pit Boost, which significantly changed the race strategy. Armed with the data gathered on Saturday, Maximilian and DS PENSKE were confident they could challenge for another strong result. Once again, strong pace was evident during the only free practice session and was expected to translate into quick qualifying laps.

Maximilian’s first qualifying lap was very strong and would have been enough to progress into the duels, but it was deleted by the stewards for exceeding track limits. Since the tyre preparation had been optimised for that first flying lap, he missed out on the duels by less than a tenth of a second on his second attempt.

Maximilian’s first qualifying lap was very strong and would have been enough to progress into the duels, but it was deleted by the stewards for exceeding track limits. Since the tyre preparation had been optimised for that first flying lap, he missed out on the duels by less than a tenth of a second on his second attempt. This left Maximilian facing a difficult challenge at the start of the race. Not only did he have to manage the more energy-focused race format with two Attack Modes, but he also had to fight his way through the field from twelfth on the grid — on a Circuit de Monaco layout that is notoriously difficult for overtaking.

Maximilian opted for a late Attack Mode strategy. The goal was to conserve energy in the opening stages before attacking his rivals at the end of the race when they were in energy-saving mode. The tactic proved effective, helping him move forward through the field and very nearly secure a second points finish of the weekend. However, another five-second penalty ended any hopes of points in the second race. The weekend demonstrated positive progress for Maximilian and DS PENSKE, who will continue working hard to unlock the full potential of the package. On a weekend where all elements come together, there is no doubt the potential exists to fight at the very front.

Before the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship returns for Round 11 in Sanya, there will be a break of just over one month. During this period, Maximilian and DS PENSKE will continue gathering data in the simulator to ensure they can demonstrate the full potential of Maximilian and the DS E-TENSE FE25 over the final seven races of the season.

RESULTS

Free Practice 1 – P13, 1:28.483
Free Practice 2 – P4, 1:26.988
Qualifying – P3 (Semi-final Duel, 1:26.968)
Race – P10

Free Practice 3 – P3, 1:26.818
Qualifying – P12 (Group B, P6, 1:28.872)
Race – P13

Championship Standings – P18 (10 points)

MAXIMILIAN GÜNTHER:

“I was thrilled to experience great racing here in Monaco. It is always a race that I love and particularly look forward to — not only because I live here and Monaco has become my home, but also because it is such a prestigious circuit where success means a great deal. I leave this weekend with mixed feelings because we absolutely had the potential for a very successful weekend, yet we come away from two races with only two points.

Saturday was truly a fantastic day. It brought mixed emotions because, on one hand, I felt I had done everything possible to put myself in the best possible position. On the other hand, things developed differently regarding the race strategy than I had hoped after starting P3. We were very fast in Free Practice 2 and carried that pace into qualifying. A strong group qualifying session followed by brilliant duels secured us third on the grid — a great result for us. We were ready to maximise the speed we had in the race and extract everything possible from the package to really fight at the front.

The first half of the race was actually close to perfect because we were running in the top three while also having the most energy, which is something very unusual for us this year. That is exactly why it feels so bitter to finish so far down the order in the end. I do not want to go too deeply into the details and strategy because we will discuss that internally, but from the cockpit some decisions felt a little confusing. In the end, it was a very painful experience inside the car. At the same time, we could clearly see the pace the package had here, and I felt fantastic in the car. That is why I went into the second race of the weekend with a lot of confidence.

Sunday’s free practice session also felt very good. Maybe not quite as fast as Saturday, but still competitive, and we finished inside the top three again. The first qualifying lap was very strong — everything right on the limit — and it would have put us P1 or P2. Unfortunately, the lap was deleted for track limits, so I had to go again. In the high-speed section, I probably picked up some oversteer from the way I hit the kerb on the left-hand side.

For the second flying lap, I simply no longer had the tyres. In Monaco qualifying, the margins are incredibly tight, as we saw. So P6 in the group, just a few hundredths away from the top four, felt like the maximum possible after losing my first lap.

Starting so far back in Monaco forced us to adapt our strategy accordingly. The second race without Pit Boost is much more focused on efficiency, and we know this is not a strength of our package.

We tried to find a good balance between saving energy and making progress through the field. We were on course for points, and the penalty that dropped us out of the points was frustrating. I believe that the racing between Buemi and myself was fair and that neither of us should have received a penalty.

Scoring points again this weekend was a good step in the right direction. At the same time, it feels a little bittersweet because we know more was possible. We will arrive in Sanya with more understanding, more data, and hopefully more opportunities to score points consistently.”