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Jehan Daruvala Will Drive The Mahindra M9Electro; Roberto Merhi Announced As Second Driver
Mahindra Racing announced that Roberto Merhi will pilot the Mahindra Formula E car for the remainder of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Also, Jehan Daruvala will sit behind the wheel for the Rookie Free Practice session in Rome.
Roberto Merhi had a successful weekend in Jakarta which took place on June 3rd and 4th, and this was his first Formula E race weekend. Following this, Merhi raced, for the second time, at the Southwire Portland E-Prix. Roberto Merhi in the #8 Mahindra M9Electro, for the final four rounds taking places at Rome and London, will race with Lucas Di Grassi in his #11 car.
Jehan Daruvala is the reserve driver for the Mahindra Racing Formula E team and MP Motorsports in Formula 2. Daruvala will pilot the Mahindra Formula E car during the Rookie practice rounds in Rome. Jehan Daruvala joined the Mahindra Racing team at the beginning of this season, and has gone alongside the team for races in Diriyah, Hyderabad, Berlin, and Portland. Additionally, Daruvala participated in the 'Official Rookie Test Day' in Berlin where he set the 3rd fastest time out of 23 drivers.
Mahindra's other driver, Oliver Rowland, dropped out of the Mahindra Racing Team following the race in Monaco that took place on 6th May. Rowland crashed into the Maserati of Edoardo Mortara and injured his hand resulting in the end of his race. Rowland didn't have a great season with Mahindra, finishing in the points only twice - in Hyderabad where he finished 6th and in Berlin, where he finished 10th. Rowland's decision to leave the team could be because of Mahindra's lack of competitiveness in Formula E.
Speaking about getting back in the car, Roberto Merhi said, "I'm really looking forward to jumping back into the car for the final two races of the season. I would like to thank Mahindra Racing for the opportunity and the trust they have shown in me. I know Rome and London are new tracks for me, which will make it a bit more challenging, but I will make sure I adapt quickly."
Jehan Daruvala, talking about getting another chance to drive, said, "I'm very grateful for the opportunity to drive for the team at the Rookie test in Rome. We had a very successful test last time out in Berlin, so I'm looking forward to more of the same in Rome."
The CEO of Mahindra Racing, Fred Bertrand, speaking about the two drivers said, "I am delighted that Roberto will remain with the team until the end of Season 9. He has had two positive events with us, and we have been able to work closely and constructively with him towards our end goal of improving our car over the latter half of the season. To have Jehan with us in Rome for the Rookie practice session only strengthens our team and gives us the best chance of receiving positive feedback from all our drivers heading into the Rome race weekend. I am looking forward to the final two events and then moving our focus to Season 10."
The next Formula E race will take place in Rome, Italy on the 15th and 16th of July. This will be a double-header event, meaning there will be two back-to-back rounds. This will test both; the cars and the drivers on the grid.
Thoughts On Mahindra Racing In Formula E
Mahindra Racing is the only team to compete in the Formula E series. They are a mid-grid team, with a few podium finishes per season. Seeing Jehan Daruvala getting more and more seat time in the M9Electro goes to show us that Mahindra has plans for him in the future, with a key role.
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