Maximilian Günther has revealed that Maserati MSG Racing’s “ambition” for season 10 is to take the “fight” to the Jaguars and the Porsches, who dominated the first campaign of the Gen3 era.

Season nine was very much dominated by the cars powered by either Jaguar or Porsche, who between them claimed 14 of the 16 wins. It was Jaguar’s customer team Envision Racing who sealed the Teams’ Championship, whilst it was Jake Dennis who was crowned Drivers’ Champion following a successful campaign with Porsche customer outfit Andretti.

Despite their dominance, it was Maserati who actually entered the new era of Formula E as the quickest team, based on the times set in pre-season testing. Günther was exceptional in Valencia and was actually the fastest driver, something which arguably made people expect a great deal from him in the opening rounds.

The start of the 2022/23 season couldn’t have actually gone any worse for Maserati, with driver errors having ridiculed their chances of top-10 finishes. Günther in particular didn’t score his first points of the season until round seven in Berlin, where he finished on the podium.

Other than in Cape Town where a driver error saw him retire from a promising position, Berlin was the first occasion where Günther showed the pace he boasted in testing. The Berlin E-Prix just seemed to bring Günther and Maserati’s package to life, with a sensational second half of season nine having followed.

With the exception of an unfortunate retirement in Monaco – he collided with Dan Ticktum in controversial fashion – Günther finished no lower than P6 in seven of the eight races from Berlin R1 to Rome R2. He scored all of his 101 points in this eight-race period, enough for seventh in the Drivers’ Championship.

After his Berlin rostrum, he went onto claim a second podium in Jakarta R1, before he secured Maserati’s first single-seater win since 1957 in Jakarta R2. Günther’s Jakarta double-header performance was something very special, as he topped every single session bar the first race. It was a weekend where Maserati and the German driver looked unbeatable, and better than Porsche and Jaguar.

Another podium followed in Rome R1, before a disappointing two days in London completed Günther’s first season with Maserati. Forgetting about the first six rounds of the Gen3 era, Maserati had a package which was capable of competing with the Jaguars and the Porsches, courtesy of the 26-year-old.

If Maserati can start season 10 in the way they performed in the second half of season nine, then there is absolutely no reason why the Monte-Carlo-based team cannot compete with those who dominated the all-electric series last season.

Not only did Günther prove that the team’s package is strong, he also showed that when he’s at his best, he is one of the fastest drivers on the grid.

Retaining Günther for season 10 is an absolute no-brainer and a smart call by Maserati, with the German actually now being the team’s more experienced driver, as Jehan Daruvala has moved from Formula 2 to replace Edoardo Mortara.

There are some areas that Maserati need to improve on, with consistency being one of them based on how contrasting their performance was in each half of season nine. However, Günther does believe that taking the fight to the Jaguars and the Porsches isn’t only possible, it’s what the team are targeting for Formula E’s centurion campaign.

“It’s definitely what we target for next season,” Günther said during a virtual roundtable to select media, when asked by Motorsport Week if it’s possible to fight the Jaguars and the Porsches next season.

”I think our second half [of season nine] was good and we know that for sure the main opposition will most likely be Jaguar and Porsche as they’ve been [at the top] last year at the end.

”I feel with the base we have, with the ideas we have as well, what to work on, what to improve. Yeah, for sure,” Günther added in regard to trying to beat the leading sides in 2024.

“Our ambition is to fight against them and just to basically do the best possible job from our side every weekend that we can do and then we will see where we will end up against them.”

Maserati MSG Racing have announced the signing of Formula 2 driver Jehan Daruvala for the 2023/24 season, with him partnering the retained Maximilian Günther.

After four seasons in F2, Daruvala will finally leave the feeder series to join a World Championship, in the form of Formula E. The Indian driver isn’t exactly a stranger to the series, having been Mahindra Racing’s reserve driver in season nine, whilst he also completed the Berlin rookie test and the Rome rookie session for the side.

It means that as well as departing F2, Daruvala has also left Mahindra, to take a full-time seat at Maserati alongside Günther, who will compete with the side for a second season.

Daruvala has taken the place of Edoardo Mortara, who recently left the team ahead of a rumoured move elsewhere, potentially to Mahindra. The 24-year-old is already an accomplished racing driver despite his young age, with him being a four-time F2 race winner.

Whilst he hasn’t won a race this season for MP Motorsport, he has featured on the rostrum three times, with his most recent podium appearance having come at Monaco, where he finished second in the F2 sprint race.

Daruvala’s arrival will see him embark on his maiden Formula E campaign, with him looking set to be the only rookie driver on the grid. The ex-Mahindra reserve is very much looking forward to racing for Maserati and is fully focused on “hitting the ground running” in the Mexico City season-opener in January.

“Formula E is a championship that I have admired for a long time, and after taking part in two test sessions, I’m very happy to have the opportunity to step up to a full-time race seat,” said Daruvala. “From my experiences so far, the Gen3 car is completely unique to drive, but I’ve found it to be a very rewarding experience.

“I would like to thank James and Maserati MSG Racing for giving me this chance and I can’t wait to learn more about the car and get to know the team better in pre-season testing, before hitting the ground running in Mexico City in January.”

Günther retained for 2024

Unsurprisingly, given just how well he ended season nine, Maserati have made the smart decision to retain Günther for season 10. The German only joined the team at the start of the 2022/23 season and showed instant speed in pre-season testing, where he topped almost every session.

However, the opening rounds were a disaster for Günther, who made several driver errors. His qualifying crash ahead of Diriyah R1 was particularly costly, as his car was too damaged to participate in the E-Prix. In all honesty, the opening six rounds for him and the team were dreadful, before his and Maserati’s campaign came to life at the German driver’s home event.

The Berlin double-header was the real turning point of Günther’s and Maserati’s season, as he claimed the team’s first podium of the year. With the exception of a DNF in Monaco, Günther finished no lower than sixth from rounds seven through to round 16 in London.

Across the final nine rounds of the campaign, Günther secured three P3 finishes, two pole positions in Jakarta and a famous victory also in the Indonesian capital. Günther’s stunning victory in Jakarta marked Maserati’s first in single-seater racing since 1957, marking a day to never forget.

Günther had a real swagger about him in the second half of the season, which could see him challenge the frontrunners from the get-go in season 10, if he can start the new season how he ended the previous one.

He’s delighted to remain with the Monte-Carlo-based team for a second season in what’ll be his fifth Formula E campaign, at just the age of 26 years old. The German driver is confident that himself and the team can continue from where they left off at the London E-Prix in July, and “achieve bigger and better things” in 2024.

“I’m very proud to continue with Maserati MSG Racing. We had a great first season together, particularly with the momentum we built in the second half of the year with one win, four podiums and two poles,” said Günther.

“Continuing to build on this base is something that I’m very much looking forward to in 2024, alongside working with Jehan as my new teammate. After seeing our performance trajectory unfold this year, I‘m confident we can go on to achieve bigger and better things in the future.”

Rossiter ‘confident’ Maserati can ‘fight at the front’

Team Principal James Rossiter is “excited” about Maserati’s line-up for season 10, with him recognising that the side now have a “blend” of youth and experience. Daruvala will, of course, need some time to get up to speed; however, the team boss is hopeful that Günther’s “strong understanding” of the Gen3 era will support Daruvala’s integration into the team and Formula E.

Daruvala certainly has incredibly big shoes to fill, given that Mortara was a valuable member of the team for six seasons. Whilst the Swiss driver was a key part of the side’s cog, Rossiter is a huge believer in Daruvala’s “determination”.

Maserati’s driver pairing is certainly an exciting one which will arguably only grow stronger the longer Daruvala spends behind the wheel, leaving Rossiter “confident” that with the Indian star alongside the very quick Günther, the Jaguars and Porsches can be challenged in 2024.

“We’re excited about our driver lineup for Season 10, and we’re confident that the blend of Max’s experience with Jehan’s determination will prove to be a competitive combination. Max impressed us throughout the 2022/23 season, and continuing our relationship was a natural decision,” admitted Rossiter.

“He has brilliant speed, a strong understanding of Formula E’s Gen3 package, and with five seasons of experience – despite being aged only 26 – has an impressive amount of knowledge.

“That experience will be invaluable for Jehan, who has already shown good promise in his two rookie test outings with Mahindra earlier this year. Over the past four years, he has shown hunger and determination in Formula 2, and has clearly demonstrated that he has what it takes to win races. Now, Jehan is ready to do the work it takes to succeed in Formula E.

“In Season 9, we faced many highs and lows, but we learned a great deal from every scenario we faced. After making some positive performance gains over the Summer, we’re looking forward to getting Season 10 underway, and with our lineup, we’re confident that we can be in a position to fight at the front of the grid.”

Maximilian Günther is “very relaxed” about his Formula E future, with it yet to be confirmed whether he’ll be retained by Maserati MSG Racing for 2024.

The German was arguably one of season nine’s unsung heroes, having recovered from a miserable start to the Gen3 era. Following his move from Nissan to Maserati for the 2022/23 season, Günther failed to score a point in the opening six races.

He was expected to be a driver to watch after topping almost every session in pre-season testing; however, he was watched for all the wrong reasons in the opening rounds. Günther finished 11th in Mexico City before not even starting the second round in Diriyah, due to a heavy crash in qualifying. P19 was all he could salvage in round three, also in Diriyah.

The 26-year-old endured yet further miserable luck in Hyderabad, where he had looked set to finish in the points. Günther was caught up in a multi-car accident caused by Sam Bird, which blocked the Maserati driver, who ended up finishing 13th.

Günther’s bad luck continued in Cape Town, where he looked exceptional. He secured second on the grid and was amongst the podium places all race, until he hit the wall at the opening corner, forcing him to retire. Despite the crash, it was proof that the German did boast strong pace.

Pace was again not a problem for Günther in São Paulo, yet he could only salvage 11th. It marked a sixth consecutive race in 2023 without scoring a point, much to his and Maserati’s misery. However, that all changed in Berlin.

Round seven in the German capital is where Günther’s season came to life, as he not only scored his first points of the season, but he achieved Maserati’s first podium in Formula E. A stunning overtake on Sébastian Buemi at the final corner was enough to claim P3, to his and the team’s delight, and arguably relief.

It was the start of a phenomenal second half of the season for Günther, who finished sixth and claimed the fastest lap in his second home race in Berlin. Round nine in Monaco would’ve been a third consecutive points finish for Günther had he not been involved in a controversial incident with Dan Ticktum, which resulted in the Maserati driver retiring.

He bounced back with an almighty bang at the Jakarta double-header though, where he put on one of the most impressive displays in the history of the all-electric series. Günther left the Indonesian capital as the ‘King of Jakarta’, after topping every session bar one.

Günther started both races on pole and claimed victory in the second race of the double-header, whilst he finished third in the opening race. His victory marked Maserati’s first in single-seater racing since 1957, in what was a historic moment for the Monte-Carlo-based team.

Sixth in Portland was his next result, before claiming another podium in the first of two races in Rome. Three and six were seemingly his lucky numbers, as Günther finished sixth again in the second race in the Italian capital. His P6 in Rome was his final points finish of 2023, after finishing 12th and 14th in London.

Nevertheless, following a run of four podiums in the final 10 races, Günther remarkably ended the season seventh in the Drivers’ Championship and as one of the quickest drivers in the paddock. His impressive second half of the season also saw Maserati rise to sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Whilst Günther’s second half of 2023 was emphatic, it can only be wondered what he could’ve achieved had he started the season stronger. It does at least give him some confidence ahead of season 10.

Understandably, Günther is “extremely proud” of how Maserati turned around their season, with him recognising that they built “so much momentum” from Berlin onwards.

“I think we can actually be extremely proud about this turnaround of the season,” Günther told Motorsport Week during the London E-Prix.

“Since Berlin we built so much momentum with so much quality and such a good and strong consistency. Always up there scoring the podiums. The race win with a very special weekend in Jakarta with two poles and, yeah, lots of great achievements.

“I think this year we really build a great base of our car on one lap in Quali, but as well in the race, which was very important to be competitive this year.

“Still, we have many ideas how to improve further and how to grow further in the future. But I think for the moment we can be really proud from where we started and where we finished the season.”

Despite being Maserati’s lead driver by some margin – Edoardo Mortara scored just 39 points compared to Günther’s 101 – the German isn’t yet confirmed for a seat with the team next season.

Whilst Maserati haven’t officially announced that they’ll be retaining Günther just yet, the general belief is that he will stay with the side for a second season. The driver can’t yet confirm whether he will remain with the Italian manufacturer next year, but he is “very relaxed” about the situation.

“Well, at the moment I can’t say anything. As soon as I can confirm something, I will do it, but yeah. I’m very relaxed,” said Günther.

Maximilian Günther is “very motivated” to end the 2023 Formula E season strongly, at this weekend’s season finale in London.

The London E-Prix double-header will close the curtain on the first season of the Gen3 era, which has seen Günther experience somewhat of a rollercoaster ride.

Life at Maserati MSG Racing started beautifully for the German in pre-season testing, where he topped virtually every session in Valencia. As a result, he was seen by many as a driver to watch this year.

The first five races couldn’t have gone any worse for Günther, who only participated in four of them. Gunther was ruled out of the opening race in Diriyah at the end of January after crashing heavily in qualifying, resulting in an all-nighter for the team.

He had been set for a strong finish in Cape Town where he secured second on the grid, only to crash on Lap 21 at the opening corner.

Since Berlin, though, the 26-year-old has been sensational. He scored his first points of the season at his home event at the end of April, after securing his and Maserati’s first podium of the Gen3 era.

With the exception of a controversial retirement in Monaco, Günther has finished no lower than sixth since his home E-Prix. Four of the last eight races have seen Günther feature on the rostrum, which includes his magical Jakarta victory.

His performance at the Jakarta E-Prix double-header is by far one of the most dominant in the history of the all-electric series, as he topped every single session bar the first race, where he claimed third.

Günther was victorious in the second race in the Indonesian capital though, in what represented Maserati’s first single-seater victory since 1957. A podium in the opening race of the recent Rome E-Prix also meant the Italian manufacturer were represented on the rostrum at their home race.

As a result of his mesmeric form since Berlin, Günther has rocketed up in the Drivers’ Championship. His 101 points since the opening race in the German capital has risen him to sixth in the standings and within touching distance of the top five.

Jean-Éric Vergne sits just six points ahead of Günther ahead of London, meaning the German could also end the season as the top DS-powered driver.

Maserati have also benefited from the Oberstdorf-born driver’s stunning form, as the Monte-Carlo-based team are looking set to claim at least sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Had Günther boasted his recent pace from round one in Mexico City, then he would’ve for certain been a title contender.

He’s incredibly “proud” of his and the team’s turnaround this year and is keen to end the campaign “on a high”, something the team are “very motivated” to accomplish at the ExCeL Centre.

“London is a great location to host the finale of Season 9,” Gunther said.

“It’s always a lot of fun to drive here, the track is very unique with the indoor and outdoor section. There are tarmac changes during the lap, very technical corners and I like the flow with the new layout in Sector Three.

“I’m proud about the turnaround of our season and with plenty of points up for grabs we are all very motivated to finish the season on a high.”

Maximilian Gunther’s sensational recent form continued last weekend at the Rome E-Prix double-header, where he claimed a famous home podium for Maserati MSG Racing.

Since the Berlin E-Prix at the end of April, Gunther has been in mesmeric form, which he demonstrated once again in the Italian capital.

The 26-year-old claimed third position in the opening race of the weekend in the Eternal City, something which saw the Maserati driver stand proudly on the podium at the team’s home race.

“It is an amazing feeling to put Maserati on the podium in our first home race in Formula E,” Gunther said in his post-race interview following race one.

“Incredible, lots of emotions and happiness. It had been a tough weekend so far, we had a few issues we can hopefully sort out for tomorrow, so we just have to live with them today. We did a good qualifying and the race was executed super well. I am really happy about this podium.

“I knew it was more difficult to overtake here, so energy management was going to be crucial, that was clear. To be fair, top five, top six was what we targeted, we wanted to score good points. But to take the podium, I am happy to take it, but it was not expected today.”

Gunther’s Rome podium was a very proud moment for the Italian manufacturer, who’ve endured a challenging return to single-seater motorsport this season.

Neither Gunther or Edoardo Mortara could catch a break in the opening rounds of the year, with bad luck having followed the Monte-Carlo-based side wherever they went.

They staggeringly only claimed three points in the opening six rounds of the Gen3 era, despite having been quickest in pre-season testing. Gunther actually topped almost every session in Valencia ahead of season nine, giving the impression that Maserati were a side to watch.

Berlin was a definite turning point for the team and for Gunther, who claimed his first points of 2023 in the German capital after securing the team’s first podium of the season.

The German has built in stature ever since, with him having gone on to claim another podium and Maserati’s first single-seater victory since 1957 at the Jakarta double-header. Gunther also secured his first Formula E pole position in the Indonesian capital.

He’s elevated himself and the team in both championships, to the extent where he finds himself sixth in the Drivers’ Standings after Rome, whilst the team also sit sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.

If Maserati had shown their recent form throughout the season, then there is no doubting that they’d be challenging for both titles.

Maserati and Gunther are ending the season as one of the strongest pairings, something which makes it even more of a shock that the German reportedly doesn’t have a seat for 2024 yet.

For now, Gunther will be hoping to end the season on a high next weekend in London, where he could overtake Jean-Eric Vergne for fifth in the championship.

Maximilian Gunther has taken his first race win of the 2023 Formula E season as he finished a dominant weekend from Jakarta in style.

Starting from pole position and replicating his qualifying result from Saturday, Gunther held the lead off the line while his rivals behind scrapped for position. On Saturday, Gunther lost the lead early on in the race and a similar scenario unfolded this time around.

Gunther was the first in the lead pack to take his first attack mode on lap four, which dropped him to third place behind Jake Dennis and Mitch Evans.

Further back, championship challenger Pascal Wehrlein almost derailed his race when he made contact with Edoardo Mortara but managed to continue unscathed.

Up front, Dennis took his first attack mode and produced enough of a gap to move in front of Gunther, which was a net first position.

Evans now held the lead, but dropped back to third place when he took his first attack mode one lap later.

David Beckmann became the first retirement of the race starters as he made contact with the wall, resulting in damage. However, he wasn’t the only driver to find early trouble, as Sergio Sette Camara and Sam Bird both failed to take the start due to pre-race trouble.

Gunther’s quest for the win looked to be in danger when Evans then used his attack mode to take second place, while behind that pair, Edoardo Mortara progressed into fourth past Stoffel Vandoorne.

However, Gunther put up a fight and swiftly moved past Evans in one of the tightest sections of the track, completing a spectacular move.

More trouble occurred deeper in the pack as Sebastien Burmi retired following contact with Jake Hughes while Jean-Eric Vergne retired with an issue.

Gunther followed Dennis closely and began to save energy, before he was projected into the lead when Dennis took attack mode from first place.

Dennis dropped behind Evans which allowed Gunther to eke out a gap – and when he took his second attack mode on the following lap, he rejoined ahead of Dennis and in the net lead.

Evans then took his final attack mode, but was unable to challenge the leading pair.

For the remainder of the race, Gunther increased his gap over the field behind him and crossed the line almost three seconds in front of Dennis to cap off one of arguably his best weekend in Formula E.

Dennis was second, while Evans held on to third place ahead of the Nissan duo of Fenestraz and Nato who battled for position late on.

Finishing in sixth place, Pascal Wehrlein took hold of the championship lead as former leader Nick Cassidy failed to score amid an in-race mistake.

Antonio Felix da Costa was seventh, leading the second Maserati car of Mortara in eighth. Reigning championship Vandoorne was ninth while Sebastien Buemi survived his damage to take the final point on offer in 10th.

Maximilian Gunther heads into qualifying fastest for the Monaco ePrix, setting a 1:29.413.

Times tumbled from those set in Free Practice 1 this morning, with the fastest time from Gunther being nearly a second quicker than Evans this morning.

After their challenging session this morning, Porsche struggled with pace again with neither driver making it into the top ten.

Customer team Andretti showed slightly more than their supplier, Jake Dennis ending the session third fastest while Andre Lotterer narrowly missed out.

Jaguar continued to show their place, with Mitch Evans narrowly missing out on the fastest in the session, seven-thousandths off the time set by Gunther.

Jaguar teammate Sam Bird ended the session sixth fastest, as the team endeavoured to close the gap in the constructors to Porsche.

NIO 333 returned to their one-lap pace, with both of their cars ending the session in the top ten. Brazillian driver Sergio Sette Camara rounded out the session in fourth while Dan Ticktum clinched tenth place.

DS Penske was amongst the top times once again as they try to convert their practice pace into qualifying performance.

Reigning champion Stoffel Vandoorne ended practice fifth fastest ahead of teammate Jean-Eric Vergne in ninth.

Rookie Sacha Fenestraz impressed in his Nissan during practice, the Frenchman just half a second off the lead time in eighth.

Qualifying for the Monaco ePrix gets underway at 10:40 local time.

Max Gunther was fastest in the second practice of the Berlin ePrix weekend ahead of Nick Cassidy and Jean-Eric Vergne.

The session was interrupted by Oliver Rowland locking up into Turn 1 and hitting the wall. The Briton needed to be retrieved from the barriers, bringing out the red flag.

Race Control opted to extend the session which allowed the teams time to collect further data tonhe Berlin track. With the unique track surface and the new Hankook tyres in play, every piece of information would be essential race running.

Antonio Felix Da Costa narrowly missed the top three in his Porsche, ending the session in fourth as the German outfit continues to try and build their one-lap pace.

DS Penske continued to show their pace around the Berlin track, with reigning champion Stoffel Vandoorne putting a lap together good enough for fifth.

Once again, all four Jaguar-powered cars made it into the top 10, with customer team Envision beating their manufacturer on pace.

Sam Bird spent the session finding the limit of his Jaguar machine, coming home in eighth while teammate Mitch Evans rounded out the top ten.

After a difficult couple of outings for the Indian team, Mahindra had something to smile about in the session as Lucas DiGrassi ended the practice in seventh.

Despite being at the sharp end of the times for most of the session, NIO 333’s Dan Ticktum narrowly missed the top 10 and ended the session 11th as times tumbled.

Ticktum was closely followed by team-mate Sergio Sette Camara in 12th, with the Chinese manufacturer hoping to get cars into the duels again.

The action continues in Berlin with qualifying at 10:40 local time.