.jpg)
At the 2023 Portland E-Prix, Maserati MSG Racing scored its 66th point in the past three races, as the upwards performance trajectory of the Monégasque marque continues to rise.
Formula E’s stateside return was a hard-fought affair, as extreme energy saving measures and a closely matched grid created a race that produced 403 overtakes in only 32 laps.
Using insights from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, our Team Principal, James Rossiter, breaks down the countless layers of a strategic and tactical weekend in Portland.
“Portland was a weekend of mixed emotions, and although we were able to come away with a good result, I think we missed out on what could have been a much more significant points haul,” explains James.
“We enjoyed a very dominant weekend in Jakarta which we made sure to celebrate, but it was very important to keep our expectations in check and maintain our usual approach for Portland.
“On paper, the two circuits had some similarities in terms of car setup, but were vastly different in terms of energy sensitivity, with Portland being very extreme on energy consumption.
“We had a good preparation phase in the simulator and made sure to correlate and validate our findings as soon as we started running in practice.
“The majority of our time in practice was spent focussing on long-distance pace, and I think that level of preparation ultimately put us in an excellent position when it was time to go racing.”
The team was able maintain a high-performance level in qualifying, and with Max securing fifth and Edo 11th, provided a competitive platform to fight from in the race.
“Because of the peloton style of racing that Formula E has adopted, qualifying has a less of a baring on race results now than it has done in past seasons,” continues James.
“At the moment, we’re seeing drivers coming back from outside the top 10 to contend for victory, and only one polesitter – Max in Jakarta – has been able to convert pole into a win this season.
“He [Max] showed good pace in Group A, went through to the duels, and was one of the faster drivers in the Quarter-Finals to start fifth.
“I think Edo was very unlucky not to go through to the head-to-heads, but from 11th, he was still in a very good position on the grid.
“Because of the absence of any real areas to lift, coast and regenerate energy, we knew that energy management would shape the race, and the energy advantage that came from running in the slipstream was high.
“We tried to take advantage of this at the start and spent the race trying to put our cars in the best possible position for the final three laps, which we knew would be the most important part.
“With real-time data insights from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, we were able to evolve our strategy to meet every scenario we faced, which included two Safety Cars and a race extension of four laps.
“By driving as efficiently as possible, without sacrificing speed, Edo and Max were in a great position throughout the race, and were consistently running inside the top five, close to the podium.
“Our race execution was good, and the engineers pulled together an incredible strategy to put the guys in the right position on track when it mattered.”
A pair of incidents in the closing stages of the race unfortunately impacted what was a promising buildup for Edo and Max and eliminated the hopes of a podium and a double points finish.
“In the final part of the race, the battle on track started to heat up, and unfortunately, we were negatively impacted by the last-chance, survival-like racing that comes from the peloton,” says James.
“Max’s hopes of a podium ended when he was pushed off the circuit by one of the Jaguars while he was running fourth, but he did a good job to come back through the field from ninth.
“Unfortunately, Max then made contact with Edo’s right-rear tyre which caused a puncture and forced Edo to retire from sixth only a few laps from the end.
“It was a small mistake, but one that comes with points implications.”
The completion of the Portland E-Prix means that only two race weekends remain this season, as the 2023 World Championship fight edges closer to its finale in London next month.
Despite obvious disappointment, however, hopes remain buoyant and morale high as Formula E return to Europe following long-haul races in Indonesia and the United States.
“It was frustrating for what was a promising performance to end in that manner, but the consistency at which we’re fighting at the front only shows that we’re heading in a positive direction.
“I think momentum is with us, and at this late stage of the season, momentum can sometimes be everything, especially in Formula E.
“We have two more race weekends to go in Rome and London, and we need to maintain our approach and focus on the task at hand and give it one more push at the back end of the season.”
.png)
.png){kind=spacer}
