Team Principal James Rossiter and driver Maximillian Gunther reflect on a positive day in Berlin with the team’s first podium in Formula E.
Off the back of testing, Maserati’s lightning pace put them right at the top of people’s lists for contenders this season, however, this pace wasn’t realised when they hit the track in Mexico.
Rossiter was well aware of the challenges the team might face before the season started, remarking in Mexico the steep learning curve all the teams would be on to understand the Gen3 package.
He said the team is taking the same energy forward despite this win, knowing they cannot get complacent.
“Results like this one are special, and I’m immensely proud of everyone in the team. It comes from the hard work and dedication we put in every single day. Berlin has historically been a strong circuit for us, and after seeing some encouraging signs in practice, we were quietly optimistic.”
“Both drivers drove excellently, and coming away with our first podium of the season is very satisfying. We can’t rest, however, and in motorsport, you’re only as good as your last race. We now need to focus on tomorrow, improve and repeat today’s achievements or, better still, exceed them.”
Gunther became the first driver to take the Maserati name to the podium in 66 years, with Juan Manuel Fangio being the last at the German Grand Prix of 1957.
The German driver had strong pace throughout the day at his home venue, topping the times in FP1 and being at the sharp end in FP2 as well. This pace was realised when he advanced from Group qualifying and started on the fourth row of the grid.
“It’s really a big relief to be fair, the last few races, we’ve seen great progress after a tough start to the season, but we couldn’t score the points for different reasons. We just always kept going, kept believing in ourselves and just keep working and improving”
“Achieving this at my home race, in Berlin, makes it an even more satisfying way to celebrate, and knowing that I’m the first driver since Fangio to finish on the podium for Maserati in single-seater motorsport is a great honour.”
