Maini, Naël lead Mahindra Racing to secure 1-2 at Formula E rookie test

Mahindra Racing completed a strong outing at the ABB FIA Formula E Rookie Test held at the Circuito del Jarama, with Théophile Naël setting the fastest time of the day and Kush Maini consistently running at the front across both sessions.

The one-day test followed the inaugural Madrid E-Prix and was split into two three-hour-long sessions, allowing rookie drivers to run through evaluation programmes in the team’s M12Electro cars.

In the morning session, both Naël and Maini featured at the top of the timesheets despite interruptions caused by red flags. Naël recorded a best lap time of 1:29.216, which ultimately remained the quickest time of the day, while Maini set a 1:29.422 lap to complete a 1-2 for the team in that session. Both drivers set their fastest laps in the final hour of running.

The pace continued into the afternoon, with both drivers returning to the track early and maintaining their presence near the front. Maini posted a 1:29.330 lap time to go second overall in the session, while Naël followed with a 1:29.418, placing third. Their best efforts in the afternoon were within two-tenths of the fastest time.

Across both sessions, the focus remained on completing run programmes and gathering data for future races. Both drivers completed their planned runs without major issues.

Team Principal & CEO Frederic Bertrand said, “Developing young talent has always been part of Mahindra Racing's DNA, and it's great to see both drivers make the most of the opportunity. We know Kush well by now and his consistency today was no surprise. Théophile had his first run in the Gen3 Evo car and adapted quickly to a demanding circuit. They were both professional throughout, got through their full programmes, and gave us useful data as we continue to develop the M12Electro. For us now as a team, with the beneficial information we have gathered today, we have to take the data from this weekend and see how we can push forward into Berlin."

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