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On the eve of Season 8, we’re taking the time to pause in our preparations as we celebrate the achievements of Edoardo Mortara who turns 35 this week.
Born in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 12, 1987, it was clear at an early age that Edo had the potential to make it to the very top of the motor racing world.
After earning a reputation as a street circuit specialist with seven victories at Macau, when he joined our operations in 2017 a special dynamic and successful collaboration was born.
With 47 E-Prix starts to his name, Edo has not only become one of Formula E’s most experienced drivers but also one of the most technically gifted runners in the field.
Scoring 214 points, two victories, seven podiums and as the series’ reigning vice World Champion, he’s our most successful and decorated driver in history. These are his finest moments.
An Impressive Debut
In its seven seasons to date, Formula E has emerged as one of motorsport’s greatest challenges but when Edo joined the pack in Season 4 we witnessed something special.
Racing in Hong Kong, he qualified in 19th for the first part of the opener but from 18th on the grid displayed a fighting performance, gaining 11 positions to take seventh at the flag.
The pace was clearly there and one day later – showcasing his uncompromising will to improve – Edo qualified in second and when the race commenced, took control.
A spin for Felix Rosenqvist promoted Edo to the lead and while managing his energy usage carefully, his gap to the chasing pack only grew.
After leading for 40 laps, a race-losing spin with only three to go served a hard lesson for Edo and shaped the driver that we know and love today following his first podium.
Redemption Day
After returning to the podium at the 2019 Mexico City E-Prix, Edo was in fine form heading into the next race on the Season 5 calendar which was also the site of one of his most heartbreaking moments – Hong Kong.
Learning from the past, he was on the pace from the get-go and after placing inside the top 10 in both practice sessions, qualified in third place.
A three-place penalty demoted Edo to sixth on the grid but after holding position in the early stages, he soon pounced by passing both Oliver Rowland and Gary Paffett in quick succession.
Now in fourth, he was on the verge of the podium and next cleared Stoffel Vandoorne, leaving only Sam Bird and André Lotterer ahead although the pair soon came to blows.
With Lotterer slowing with a puncture, Bird was issued with a penalty which paved the way for Edo’s day of redemption.
Securing his first win in Formula E, Edo also made history by taking our maiden victory at Formula E’s 50th race.
Shining Bright in Diriyah
Facing a challenging campaign in Season 6, Edo started Season 7 with a stellar performance as Formula E returned to its most technical and testing track – the Riyadh Street Circuit.
Now in his fourth season, Edo showed what experience was worth and qualified in fourth to face a chance of starting 2021 in style.
After holding position at the start, Edo rolled the strategy dice by activating Attack Mode on lap 13 to fall to fifth.
With a power advantage over the cars ahead, however, he was soon on a charge.
By closing the gap to Mitch Evans, Edo was quickly within striking distance and in a daring move not only overtook the Kiwi but also Pascal Wehrlein who was running in third.
This spectacular double overtake set the tone for Edo’s race and by next passing René Rast, he finished in second place to stand on the podium in Formula E’s very first World Championship E-Prix.
Perfection in Puebla
Edo is a driver who thrives on confidence and excels under pressure so after finishing on the podium in the first part of the Puebla E-Prix, he was in a prime position to take advantage in Race Two.
From third on the grid, he showcased one of his most clinical and dominant drives in Formula E to date and immediately moved into second after jumping Wehrlein from the get-go.
When leader Oliver Rowland activated Attack Mode on laps five and eight, Edo unleashed his raw pace and by carefully arming the power boost himself on laps seven and 13, performed a successful overcut strategy to snatch first.
Despite facing a marginal energy deficit and therefore being required to save more, he did not compromise his pace and after leading 27 laps, scored an unstoppable second career win.
Vice World Champion
Edo’s performance in Puebla launched him to the top of the World Drivers’ Championship so when Formula E returned to Berlin for its Season 8 finale, he was in title contention.
On Saturday, the Swiss-Italian duelled closely with Season 8 team-mate Lucas di Grassi but narrowly missed out on his third career victory by 0.141 seconds as the runner-up.
Trailing championship leader Nyck de Vries by only three points after previously sitting 21 points adrift in ninth before the weekend, Edo was in the hunt before an unsighted and unavoidable accident with Mitch Evans ended his race on Sunday.
Despite falling only seven points shy of the title, Edo nevertheless made history by becoming Formula E’s first vice World Champion and enters the coming campaign in the finest form of his career to date.
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