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After a short break since the Mexico City E-Prix, Maserati MSG Racing heads to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit for in augural Jeddah E-Prix double-header race weekend, 14th and 15th February. The Saudi Arabian event, which brought the team victory in the Season 8 edition, has changed venues for the first time since 2018, making it a completely new challenge for all drivers on the grid.
Round 3 on Friday 14th, the first of the double header race event, will see Formula E debut the highly anticipated Pit Boost fast charging for the first time in the Championship's history. Pit Boost enforces all drivers make a mandatory pit stop when their SoC energy is between 60-40% after the mid-way point of the race. The stop will gift 10% energy back to the driver to be utilised in getting them to the chequered flag.
And, if the excitement of the first double race event of the year wasn’t enough to get you ready for electric spectacle this weekend, the Jeddah E-Prix will also feature a Rookie Free Practice session to kick off the on-track action on Thursday 13th February. The Maserati Tipo Folgore will be in the very capable hands of Théo Pourchaire, as he makes his highly anticipated Formula E debut. Winning the 2023 Formula 2 championship, Théo has raced around the Jeddah circuit before, and is looking to extract the most out of the Maserati Tipo Folgore, gathering valuable data for the team ahead of the race weekend.
In Their Words
Jake Hughes, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing
“I’m really looking forward to racing in Jeddah. It’s been a couple of weeks since our last race in Mexico and coming off the back of a double points score for the team, everyone is in good spirits and feeling confident. I’ve been to Jeddah before – I raced there in F2 - albeit on a different configuration, but I had a strong and positive race here in F2 so hopefully the track’s flow and style will suit me. Pit Boost is going to add an extra element of unpredictability and opportunity which I relish. I hope we can come away with points in both races - that’s the goal for the weekend.”
Stoffel Vandoorne, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing
“I’m very excited for Jeddah, it’s going to be a challenging and interesting weekend with the first race where we’re going to use Pit Boost. It’s going to add some spice to the race. It’s going to be a first time any of us race these cars on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit so we’ve focussed heavily on our preparation during the build-up to the race. There’s a lot more to think about, a lot more strategy involved, and tools being put in place to optimise that. But preparing well is only part of the battle, we’ll see how it goes in real life, I think it’s going to be quite a fun race. As well as it being a new track for the championship, it’s also a night race which is something I really enjoy, the change in light adds a little bit to the racing as well. Double header weekend as so it’s going to be an intense one with plenty of opportunities to score some good points – overall I’m really looking forward to it.”
Théo Pourchaire, Rookie Driver, Maserati MSG Racing
“I’m really proud to have this opportunity with Maserati MSG Racing. Maserati is an iconic car brand and I’m very happy to be working with Maserati MSG Racing - the team has done fantastic work in the past. I also really like working with new people, everyone has made me feel very welcome so far. This will be the first time for me driving a Formula E car during a race weekend and I can’t wait to get out on the Jeddah track, to be in the car and to be working with the team on the ground. I’ve done some work with the team in the simulator to prepare myself as well as possible, but nothing compares with the real thing. I know the Jeddah track from F2, I’ve raced there three times in the past but on a slightly different configuration and in a very different car. I do think knowing the track a little helps, especially when I will be in a new car with a new team. Overall, I’m excited to get on track, show what I can do, help the team and hopefully have fun!”
Cyril Blais, Team Principal, Maserati MSG Racing
“With an all-new track and several different elements to contend with there’s plenty of challenges for the team this weekend. Jeddah being a night race is one of the focal areas for the team. We usually qualify much earlier in the day, when the track temperatures are colder, the afternoon qualifying time in Jeddah means that temperatures will be at their highest when we’re setting our fastest laps. This will add an additional variable to the weekend that we must optimise to maximise on our points scoring chances. Pit Boost also comes into the first race of the weekend, making its anticipated Formula E debut. The team has been working hard both on the engineering and mechanical sides to prepare and ensure that we’re ready for all eventualities. We know what to do and we’re looking to see what impact it will have on the racing. From a strategic perspective, I’m looking forward to seeing it all unfold, I think it could be a real race game changer and provide plenty of action for the fans. The final additional element to this weekend is the FP0 session, where we have Théo Pourchaire in the car. He’s a very talented driver with a lot of single seater experience and success. We’ve done a lot of preparation with him and are looking forward to seeing how he will perform. He’s ready to help the team find the best answers ahead of the race weekend and we’re really looking forward to having him in the car.”
Maria Conti, Head of Maserati Corse
“After a month-long break, we’re delighted to be back on the track in Jeddah, where we are introducing the revolutionary Pit Boost. Pit Boost not only adds a crucial strategic element but is also a new starting point for research from the perspective of technical transfer. Maserati has always been synonymous with excellence and innovation, and this first double-header race of Season 11 will be a perfect opportunity to emphasise how much attention we pay to pushing the boundaries of technology and performance. We can’t wait to see how Pit Boost will affect racing dynamics and are confident that our cars will be up to the challenge: race after race, we’re ready to make the most of all the innovations brought in this season with GEN 3 Evo.”
Maserati MSG Racing
Maserati MSG Racing is one of the founding teams of the FIA Formula E World Championship and in December 2013, became the first manufacturer to join motorsport’s premier fully-electric category. As one of only a handful of constant participants since the series’ inaugural 2014/15 season, MSG Racing has moved from strength to strength and tasted vice World Championship success in 2021 before completing its most successful season to date in 2022, finishing the campaign as the vice World Teams’ Champions. Led by Team Principal, Cyril Blais, the Monégasque marque is at the forefront of sustainability, EDI, technical innovation, and excellence. For further information, visit our website. For media hub access and rights-free content, please register here.
Maserati MSG Racing Media Contact:
Liz Brooks – Communications Director
Tel. +44 7887 846177
Maserati S.p.A.
Maserati produces a complete range of unique cars, immediately recognisable for their extraordinary personality. Thanks to their style, technology, and innately exclusive character, they delight the most discerning, demanding tastes and have always been a benchmark for the global automotive industry. A tradition of successful cars, each of them redefining what makes an Italian sports car in terms of design, performance, comfort, elegance and safety, currently available in more than 70 markets internationally.The Maserati line-up includes the Grecale, the “everyday exceptional” SUV, the GranTurismo, the iconic Italian grand tourer, and the GranCabrio, the Trident’s new convertible; all models characterised by the use of the highest quality materials and outstanding technical solutions. A range equipped with 4-cylinder hybrid powertrains – available for Grecale – and V6 petrol, with rear-wheel and four-wheel drive, embodying the performance DNA of the Trident brand. The top of the range is made up of the MC20 super sports car and the MC20 Cielo spyder, powered by the ground-breaking 100% Maserati Nettuno V6 engine, which incorporates F1-derived technologies into the power unit of a standard production car for the first time. The GranTurismo is available with both the high-performance V6 petrol engine, derived from the Nettuno, and a 100% electric version: the GranTurismo Folgore, the first car in the Modena-based brand’s history to adopt this solution. The full-electric range also currently includes the Grecale Folgore, Maserati’s first 100% electric SUV, and the GranCabrio Folgore. Finally, the House of the Trident's latest addition is the Maserati GT2 Stradale, the road-legal version of the GT2 that took Maserati back to the track in closed-wheel championships. The heart of the new super sports car is the V6 Nettuno engine, reaching 640 hp (471 kW) in the latter configuration. The GT2 Stradale is therefore the most powerful road-going Maserati with an internal combustion engine.
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