PARIS: Mahindra Racing recorded their best-ever double points finish in the FIA Formula E Championship after Nick Heidfeld and Felix Rosenqvist came home in third and fourth place in the Paris E Prix here.
German driver Heidfeld picked up where he left off just seven days ago with a solid run to third place, just one position ahead of his Swedish teammate Rosenqvist.
The combined team result on Saturday represents an improvement over last weekend’s Monaco ePrix when the drivers took third and sixth respectively.
All four of the team’s M3Electro racecars performed well throughout the 49-lap race around the Les Invalides street circuit, offering superior energy efficiency while matching the pace of the race leaders.
After both drivers qualified just shy of the series’ Super Pole shootout session in sixth and seventh, they started the race in fifth and sixth following a ten-place grid penalty for competitor Oliver Turvey.
Heidfeld immediately jumped from fifth to fourth on the opening lap, with Rosenqvist following suit to overtake Esteban Gutierrez not long after. A collision down the field forced early pit stops for most drivers.
The Mahindra Racing pair successfully swapped to their second cars to emerge in the same order as before and in the perfect position to capitalise when Jean-Eric Vergne collided with the temporary concrete barrier.
Today’s podium, the team’s fourth of the 2016-17 FIA Formula E Championship, allows Mahindra Racing to close the gap on ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport in the teams’ standings with just six races left to run.
There are now just six races remaining in the championship, all being run as “double-headers” on three separate weekends.
The regular one-day format, which includes two practice sessions, qualifying and the race, will be repeated the following day with a full points spread on offer each day. (AGENCIES)
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