The Formula E cars will hit the streets of Hyderabad on February 11, Mahindra Racing CEO and team principal Dilbagh Gill has revealed. Mahindra Racing has been part of the all-electric series since its inception in 2014. A formal announcement is expected later this month. “Cautiously optimistic is the right word to use. The race is supposed to take place on February 11. We are in constant dialogue with the Telangana government. The race is on track and an announcement will be made this month,” Gill told PTI on the sidelines of the first-ever Formula E race in Jakarata.
More about the race and the proposed circuit, he said: “It is a beautiful circuit that has been proposed and the infrastructure is very nice. I am convinced that we will put on a world class show. It’s also one of the fastest tracks on the calendar.” Telangana’s government plans to turn the state into a hub for EV vehicles and a Formula E race will go a long way toward achieving that goal.
“It will be around the lake in Hyderabad and we want to have it under lights at night. Although it is an urban race, we will not disrupt public life,” said Gill.
The race should give a major boost to Indian motorsport, which is in dire need of a high-profile event since Formula 1 was scrapped after three seasons.
The race calendar mainly consists of makeshift street circuits that are public roads on other days.
The FIA-approved world championship has grown rapidly over the years and has a presence from the world’s leading car manufacturers, including Mercedes, Porsche, Nissan and India’s own Mahindra.
‘In talks with Indian drivers for next season’
Mahindra Racing has not had an Indian in the driver lineup since the first season when Karun Chandhok was there.
An Indian driving for an Indian outfit can only be good for the team, but Gill said nationality doesn’t matter as long as they have the best drivers in the business.
“When we started, one of our pillars was to grow Mahindra as a global brand headquartered in India. For us, talent can come from anywhere.
“There are some very good drivers coming from India, Jehan Daruvala, Arjun Maini and his brother Kush are also rising in the ranks. We are in talks with the Indian talent, but at the same time we want to make sure that they will be successful.
“Formula E is complicated. Most need time to get the best out of the car.” The team would love to have Jehan on board, but the Mumbai racer is currently in his third and most pivotal season in Formula 2, which is a step below Formula 1.
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“We also need to be very aware of the fact that Jehan’s dream is still F1. We will never get in the way of that. He is third in the F2 championship and if F1 continues we will be happy for him. He can always come to us in another part of his career,” said Gill.
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)
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