Mahindra unveil striking new red-black livery for Formula E's Gen4 era
Mahindra have become the ninth team to unveil their livery for Formula E's Gen4 era. Having teased a reveal at 15:00 IST (09:30 GMT) on Sunday, 15 November, the team have taken the covers off a unique design featuring their traditional hues from the Gen3 era.
The Indian manufacturer unveiled a series of reels on their social media platforms, all pointing to the big transition being made into a new era. Amidst much grandeur and speculation, the team revealed their livery for the upcoming Gen4 era in a special post on social media, carrying the caption, "
The livery features a unique shade of red, running down the front nose cone of the car, stretching across towards the rear portion of the Mahindra machine.
The sidepods and the body shell of the car carry jet black, which once again forms a smooth silhouette with the Mahindra red, towards the rear of the car.
A streak of white is visible around the driver's cockpit, forming a reminiscent tricolour scheme the team has been known for following throughout their Gen3 era.
It makes for a unique colour scheme, and one that will help the team grow easily distinguishable for the upcoming Gen4 era's maiden campaign.
Mahindra Team Principal Frederic Bertrand has been at the forefront of the team's Gen4 project, outlining the ambitions for the Indian manufacturer in the upcoming era of racing.
“It's a really exciting moment for everyone at Mahindra Racing to unveil the M13Electro and take our first steps into the GEN4 era," Bertrand described, on the new livery sported by the team for the Gen4 era.
"This is a significant milestone for Formula E, and one that brings a huge amount of opportunity for the championship and all the teams involved."
Mahindra Racing are yet to win a Formula E title, and Bertrand aims to help the team continue on their upward trajectory from the Gen3 era, so as to achieve more success along this pathway.
The team endured a torrid first year in the Gen3 rule set in Season 9, with their package only scoring one podium and one pole position in Mexico City all season. The turbulence had also continued internally, with Oliver Rowland ending his stay at the team after the Monaco E-Prix and Roberto Merhi then taking over for the rest of the season.
This experience came about after the team's late confirmation of the regulation changes back then, and a rushed preparation that led to some unfortunate low moments.
But under Bertrand's leadership, the team have attempted to make up for lost ground, despite committing to the Gen4 regulations set 12 months ago. A series of tests have taken place in the weeks leading up to testing, and Bertrand has been confident of remaining competitive right from the outset.
"Our ambitions for this new era are high. We want to be competitive and be a part of the leading teams on the grid, and we are fully committed to doing everything possible to make this project a success."
"However, we are under no illusion about what’s ahead. We are effectively starting from scratch with a completely new and extremely complex car, and unlocking its full potential will take time, hard work and continuous development," Bertrand concluded.
Mahindra revealed their livery just one day before pre-season testing kicks off, on Monday, November 16. The incumbent duo of Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara will continue at the team for a fourth consecutive campaign, the longest-running line-up of any active team on the grid.
The duo initially led them to fourth in the standings in Season 11, with de Vries marking the team's return to the podium back in Monaco that year.
He then took the team's first win in almost five years at the same venue, in Season 12, before adding another victory in Tokyo and pole in London. Mortara too scored four poles in the season, and three podiums across the year. Their combined contribution meant Mahindra finished third in the standings, just 36 points shy of constructors' champions Jaguar.
The team have experienced a busy lead-up to pre-season testing, with shakedowns conducted at Andalusia and Guadix in October, before returning to the UK for a separate test at the Croft Circuit in November.
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