Return to high energy consumption circuit shifts strategy focus in Pit Boost race.
NUMBERS
Stoffel Vandoorne
Free Practice One // P10
Free Practice Two // P8
Qualifying // P14 [1:10.413, Group B]
Race // P11
Positions Gained // 3
Fastest Lap // 1:11.877
Championship Position // P12 [44 points]
Jake Hughes
Free Practice One // P3
Free Practice Two // P5
Qualifying // P9 [1:10.321, Group A]
Race // P16
Positions Gained // -7
Fastest Lap // 1:11.412
Championship Position // P15 [27 points]
Maserati MSG Racing
Championship Position // P7 [71 points]
The Shanghai EPrix brought a return to permanent circuit racing, switching the focus firmly back onto energy management. Maserati MSG Racing started the day strong and with promise but were unable to convert their race strategy to points at the chequered flag due to failures with Pit Boost.
Both practice sessions showed the potential of the Maserati Tipo Folgore, with Jake Hughes and Stoffel Vandoorne finding the pace around the Shanghai International Circuit. Albeit qualifying not generating a duels appearance, both Jake and Stoffel made a step forward to start higher up the grid compared to recent races. Jake was unlucky to miss out on a duels appearance by hundredths of a second, settling for ninth on the grid.
Both drivers made a good start, managing the first few corners well to retain position. Stoffel was on an early Attack Mode strategy, taking his first four minutes in the early stages of the race. Starting higher up, Jake focused on getting track position before looking to take his first Attack.
Following suit from Tokyo, Stoffel was one of the first into the pit lane for his Pit Boost. The top twelve, including Jake, left their Pit Boost until the second wave towards the end of the Pit Boost window. Unfortunately, it was at this point the race got away from the team as both cars suffered a Pit Boost charger failure.
Maserati MSG Racing did everything they could to regain the lost positions, but energy consumption became critical. Jake and Stoffel took their last Attack Modes in the final few laps of the race, managing to climb up the grid, but there wasn’t quite enough time left in the race for either of them to get back in the points.
Tomorrow sees the second Shanghai EPrix, where Maserati MSG Racing will take the learnings from today to make steps forwards. The absence of Pit Boost will shift the race strategy on Sunday, and the team will focus on improving on their energy and tyre management to be in the fight for the race podium.
QUOTES
Jake Hughes, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing: “In the end, what was looking like a very strong and positive day has ended on a flat note. We looked very quick through both free practice sessions, but when we came to qualifying, we had a similar issue to what we’ve been having lately with the new tyres and just couldn’t make the most of the grip. We qualified ninth which was better than lately, but I really feel like we had the car to challenge for more today. The race was looking very strong; I was leading at one point, cycling through the top three. There were some things that weren’t perfect in the race, but the main thing was we had a Pit Boost failure for the second race in a row. That put us at the back of the pack, and we went all in on getting up the grid, leading to us running out of energy on the last lap. When you’re put in this position with the pit stop, you have nothing to lose, but we do need to understand why this happened because it’s cost us today.”
Stoffel Vandoorne, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing: “That was a difficult race. We were going pretty good after the start; took attack mode early, got to the lead of the race after a couple of laps, positioned ourselves in the right group before the Pit Boost. Unfortunately, it was the Pit Boost where it went wrong for us. We had an issue with the charger and we lost a good number of seconds. This dropped us to last, into no man’s land, and we had to completely change the strategy and approach. It was difficult to be efficient because we were alone on track and couldn’t benefit from the slip stream. I took the second Attack Mode late to try and recover some positions, finishing just outside of the points. Looking at it, we were only a couple of seconds from the podium, but the six seconds lost in the Pit Boost ultimately cost us points today.”
Cyril Blais, Team Principal, Maserati MSG Racing: “Disappointing day today overall, especially the race. We had a decent strategy for both cars, tried to push forward from qualifying. I think we were in the mix to score points with both cars, targeting top six finish, but unfortunately, we had an issue on both cars in the Pit Boost which cost us. After that it was a little bit difficult to climb back into the points. We tried our best but couldn’t do better than the edge of the points. Not our day today, but I think the potential is there which is a positive. We need to do better. Now we have our heads down and full focus on bringing home points from the race tomorrow.”
Maria Conti, Head of Maserati Corse: “We knew that the Shanghai double-header would be challenging. Racing in China, where Formula E took its first steps, still produces very intense feelings. The team are taking home from today’s race a series of important lessons that make us even more aware, united and focused towards our goals for the season. With Maserati’s centenary celebrations in racing on the horizon, we believe that the Shanghai double-header is an opportunity to enrich our racing history and connect with a new generation of motorsport fans. We will do our best tomorrow when we’ll be getting back on the starting grid to battle to be one of the best and to write another important chapter in the history – almost a century of it – of Maserati in racing all over the world.”
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. The mission at Maserati is to write the future of mobility in the luxury segment, focusing on its customers’ requests.
That mission continues to this day, looking ahead to the future and taking Italian luxury all over the world, with Maserati forming part of the Stellantis “Dare Forward 2030” strategic plan.