Pictures courtesy FIA FormulaE
Dilbagh Gill has been at the helm of the Mahindra Racing
Formula E Team since its inception. In its second season, MAHINDRA RACING goes
into battle as one of a select few manufacturers that is developing its own
all-electric powertrain. We caught up with Dilbagh before the team departs for
Beijing.
You’ve been very busy since the inaugural season concluded in London.
What has changed in the team since then?
The summer was a very busy
time for us as we have been developing and testing our brand new car, the
M2Electro. We have invested in resources, equipment and technology to prepare
this Mahindra spec car, which we believe is capable of competing at the front
of the grid with the other OEM’s in the championship. The majority of testing
was about maximizing reliability but we have a performance programme for the
season ahead that I believe will show the M2Electro to be highly competitive.
We have also invested in people, refining the
team infrastructure to be sustainable for a prosperous future in the Formula E
Championship. If the first season was about getting the team up and running,
preparation for season two has been about perfecting how we operate. I am
delighted to welcome Campos as service providers to the team. We have worked
very closely together over the last three months and I feel we have built a
team that is ready to push much further than last season.
There
is also a change to driver line-up with Nick Heidfeld joining the team
alongside Bruno Senna. What has Nick’s signing meant to Mahindra Racing?
I am thrilled that Nick has
joined the Mahindra family. I have made no secret of my aim for Mahindra to
race at the front of the pack this season and to put Mahindra technology on the
top step of the podium. From our very first discussions, Nick’s ambitions were
aligned with ours and this has given us an extra incentive to push hard over
the summer. Nick and Bruno both want to win and we want to give them the car
for the job.
Both drivers have contributed to an impressive
lap tally already and I feel that they will push each other and keep each other
honest. We have one of the most experienced driver line-ups and I know they
will step up and lead the team.
Formula
E is now an open championship. How will racing be different this season?
The added variable of
individual powertrains in the championship means that the racing will be
slightly different. It is too early to know what the difference in performance
will be between the manufacturers in race trim, as most teams focused on
reliability and efficiency in pre-season testing.
The fundamental difference in the race itself
is the power increase to 170kW. We expect to see a greater variety of strategy
from different teams which should be very exciting for fans. Based on what we
have learned in testing and our simulation studies, we are very confident in
where we are with the M2Electro. There is going to be a lot more performance
coming out of our cars.