Maserati Corse’s Sgro says Formula E will evolve with larger battery capacity planned for Gen4 which will see longer races.

Giovanni Tommasso Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse. 
PHOTO CREDIT: Maserati Racing

The Head of Maserati Corse, Giovanni Tommasso Sgro has said that more battery capacity in the Gen4 era of FIA Formula E will mean the likelihood of longer races on full tracks ‘like it is in Formula 1’. 

Ten years since Formula E's inception, the championship has made major strides on several fronts, whether it be, a push to NetZero, or technological advancement, but, recently strides have been made regarding the future development of the Gen 4 era, which is expected in 2026-27. 

Generation 4, or Gen4, as we like to abbreviate names, will boast even more performance than its soon-to-be predecessors - Gen3 or 3.5 with much bigger battery capacity, and an evolved look but, until then, Formula E continues with the Gen3 era, which Giovanni Tomasso Sgro says is "extremely exciting because you have so much energy and so much exciting racing packed into shorter races.”

Max Guenther racing in the Saudi EPrix
PHOTO CREDIT: Maserati Racing

Based on the information available, the Gen4 cars will have four-wheel-drive, and more power output 600kW, with 700kW of recuperation. 

In terms of the car's look, it will be shorter, wider, and heavier than the current Gen3 car, with further details still to be confirmed, however, with more power output, and battery capacity, Formula E races in the coming years, could potentially extend from 45 minutes and one lap to a lot longer. 

“So, I think that makes it super exciting. The attention of the audience, whether you're a motorsport fan or just somebody who is interested in technology and innovation, because that's how the audience is split, not 50-50, but you have a really interesting dynamic of a really diehard motorsport fans that is interested in competition, and seeing some of the best drivers in the world compete at the highest levels,” the Head of Maserati Corse told Slipstream SA. 

“And then you have innovation and technology gurus who are following the race and following teams because they want to understand, what they are going to drive in five years, three years, or even 10 years in terms of what a manufacturer learning from being a part of the Formula E Championship? So I think it would be great to have longer races because it then means that we are evolving.” 

“We're adding innovation to these types of races, not because batteries now, and street cars are not sufficient enough. It's just that when you think of these high-caliber drivers going 250, 260, 270 kilometers an hour in some races and some of the circuits that we have, you understand that more power, more speed is going to absorb more energy from the battery. So I think that if we get to longer races, it means that we've evolved and we've done a great job of doing so.”

“So I'd be very excited to see longer races, longer circuits. And I think it's just a matter of time before that happens.”

EXCLUSIVE: Daruvala targets ‘long-term future in Formula E’, whilst also loosing 4 kilos ahead of rookie season in search of more performance.

PHOTO CREDIT: ABB FIA Formula E World Championship/Sam Bagnall

The new rookie on the block, Jehan Daruvala has a lot to learn having made the transition from F1 feeder series, Formula 2 to Formula E, where he will represent the iconic trident, Maserati. 

Daruvala has a young motorsport career having started karting in 2011 at the age of thirteen before climbing the junior formula ranks, competing and winning the 2012 Asia-Pacific Championship, as well as the 2013 Super 1 National Championship titles. His success continued in the European F3 Championship before making the move to GP3, which later became the FIA Formula 3 Championship. He achieved a best of third in FIA F3 before taking the step up into Formula 2 where he amassed four wins, and no less 18 podiums, over four seasons before making the transition to Formula E. 

Formula E is unlike any other single-seater championship, as it requires a completely different driving technique. So, when coming from another championship, or one of the lower formula’s, a lot of adapting is required, because, no car starts a race with enough energy to finish, which means renegeneration is a very key aspect, whilst fighting for track position. 

Learning and getting to grips with energy management, whilst trying to stay ahead of 20 other drivers, is a challenging feet in itself, and after four seasons in Formula 2, Daruvala has made the transition to Formula E, with Maserati MSG Racing, an iconic manufacturer, whose history began on track over 110 years ago. 

“It's a huge privilege to drive for such a luxury brand as such as Maserati and drive for Maserati MSG Racing, to represent the trident. It means a lot to me,” he said.

Having made the move, the Maserati MSG driver will partner Maximilian Guenther in 2024, and, whilst being excited about his first full-time season in Formula E, he is under no illusion, that it will be easy. 

Jehan Daruvala claims third place finish in Saudi F2 Feature race.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jehan Daruvala [Instagram]

When making a move from one championship to another there are very different techniques needed, whether it be mindset, and driving styles. Another element is the fitness levels, and the physical preparation that comes with it. 

“I've driven Formula 3 and Formula 2 cars. I drove a Formula 1 car last year. and I've driven a Formula E car. To be honest, from a physical aspect, they're all different and physical in their own ways. I would say Formula 2 and Formula E are quite close. But, I underestimated how heavy the steering wheel would be in a Formula E car over 35 laps of a race. It was very heavy at the end of the race. And to turn the car in the stadium [in Mexico] was quite physical. Also, when I did my Formula 1 test, coming from Formula 2, yes, it was physical, but in a different way altogether. It's physical in terms of g-force, and on your neck, but then on your arms, you have power steering. So it's not physical at all on the arms. You can turn it super easily,” Daruvala explained. 

“So the energy that you save in your arms, you can use in your neck, because in a way,  it's all kind of connected. So yeah, I had my Formula 1 test two weeks before my Formula 2 race. And, I would say my Formula 2 race was even harder than my test in Formula 1 because we don't have power steering. So, the steering wheel also gets really heavy. And when your arms get tired, your whole body gets tired as well. So it's difficult to compare all of them, but I think they're all very physical. In the end, if you see all of the drivers, we're all fit.” 

The unique challenges that comes with being a racing driver, that us mere mortals don’t have to abide by, whilst health remains a key factor. We can consume almost anything, but racing drivers' are an entirely different breed, as they have to remain in peak fitness levels at all times, whilst heavily monitoring their dietary allowances. 

The 25-year-old revealed that when preparing for the move to Formula E, he lost four kilograms in order to gain ‘a few hundreds of a second’. 

“I lost four kilos moving from Formula 2 to Formula E. For my engineers, they liked it. Although, I would still have been on the weight [limit], but just for them to put the weight where they want in the car, and the weight difference, it's something that finds you less than a few hundreds of a second, but those hundreds count for them,” he said. “So over the winter, it definitely wasn't easy being back home in Mumbai for Christmas and New Year, but I made the effort and I got down to my target weight for Mexico.” 

Daruvala is no stranger to Formula E having been the test and reserve driver for Mahindra Formula E Team, but making the full-time transition from Formula 2 to Formula E, does have it’s unique challenges, from understanding to adapting to the new style of driving.

“Formula E is very different to Formula 2. I think, adapting to driving the car on the limit and fast is a whole different thing,” he tells Slipstream SA. 

“Formula 2 cars, have quite a lot of downforce. [And they have] combustion engines, while Formula E cars are all electric with not a lot of downforce. The tyres don't have a lot of grip. They're very tricky to drive. In Formula E, you are driving on really narrow tracks with walls really close to you as well. So, the main ingredients of being fast and being able to drive a race car fast kind of carries over, and it transfers once you get used to the car itself.”

He further explains that “the whole dimension of driving a race in Formula E is completely different from anything that I’m used to in the past. If you simply push too much, you're going to run out of energy before the line. So, you can be first with 100 metres to go, but you may not make it to the finish line. Which means that you need to judge what's best for you and best for the car from point A to B. And, you know, we have a whole group of people working really hard behind the scenes at the factory and at the race track trying to maximise that for us drivers to make our life a bit easier when we go onto the track. But again, in the situation when you're fighting 20 other drivers and trying to overtake them and win the race, to stay calm and kind of do it as best as possible, that's what makes Formula E super, super difficult. And it's something that is very interesting and something I have to get used to quite quickly.”

Whilst the style of racing is a lot to get to grips with for the rookie, the Maserati MSG driver, knows that he can draw from his Formula 2 experience, as the weekend formats are relatively similar, where drivers are required to prepare before the weekend, and deliver when they hit the track. 

“The main thing that I take from Formula 2 into Formula E is, of course, is the speed, but to hit the ground running straight away, to give good feedback to the engineers from lap one of free practice. So you can just evolve together as a team and build up to qualifying and then the race. So I would say that is the main learning I can take from Formula 2 into Formula E,” he said. 

Daruvala pulls off an overtake in the Ferosol in Mexico City.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA ABB Formula E World Championship.

In any sport, performance is key to securing a long-term future, and the 25-year-old is confident that he has what it takes to make that happen. 

“I see myself in Formula E long-term. and I do that as any sportsman. But, you have to perform well, you have to get good results. And that's the only way to stay here. So that's going to be my goal for the season to keep improving and secure my future here in Formula E,” he said. 

Another key ingredient in a rookie campaign is experience, and that is not gained off track. The more laps turned, means more experience gained, which will prove vital for him, as his rookie campaign with Maserati MSG Racing continues. However, Daruvala is under no illusion that it will be an easy championship jump into a perform immediately.

“Mexico was an amazing weekend, to have all the Mexican fans there. It was the first time that I really experience something like this, and feel the crowd really behind me. Yes, it was a difficult weekend, which I did expect, as I’m the only rookie on the grid in such a competitive field,” he explained. 

“Being one of the best drivers in the world, in the best teams in the world, and making my debut was never going to be easy. And, after a difficult qualifying, it was very clear from the team side that the main goal is to see the chequered flag. So, just seeing the chequered flag and getting 37 laps of experience under my belt in a Formula E race will give me a lot of learning, which I can take into the races moving forward. And it is a box tick and it gives me confidence moving forward.”

FEATURE STORY: How Maserati MSG Racing designed its striking Formula E Livery

PHOTO CREDIT: Maserati MSG Racing. 

AUTHOR: Junaid Samodien

Elegance, craftsmanship, performance and pedigree, are but a few descriptive words that one could associate with the iconic Italian automotive brand, Maserati. 

With over 100-years of history, Maserati expanded from a family-run tuning business which rapidly expanded into vehicle and race car manufacturing. And, in 1926, an historic moment happened when they rolled out their first car out of the shop, named “Tipo 26”, which was later raced to victory at the Targa Florio by Alfieri Maserati. 

Soon after their early racing success, the Maserati brothers began to build customer cars to help fund their racing programme. They then decided the company required a new direction, whilst they focused on the engineering side of the company. Adolfo Orsi, an Italian entrepreneur was brought in to oversee the business, but later purchased Maserati, and moved it to Modena.

In the post-war era, Maserati moved to Formula One, which certainly was a challenge at first when going up against a strong Alfa Romeo team, as well as Talbot-Logo, and an emerging force, Ferrari. But, as the years progressed and challenges continued, Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio joined the team, and he took them to two drivers’ championships, 9 Grand Prix and 9 pole positions. The Italian brand remained in F1 until 1969. 

As life evolved, so did the Maserati brand, when the Fiat Group acquired the company in 1993, and through the years, the business began to grow in all spheres, where it then began to compete against other high performance brands, namely: Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW.  

PHOTO CREDIT: Maserati MSG Racing

The biggest surprise came in 2022, when Maserati took a major step forward in solidifying its future in the automotive fraternity, announcing a return to racing after 60-long years, but not in usual combustion engine championships. Instead, the iconic Trident brand will race in the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

And, whilst the announcement raised quite a few questions, including: why, what and when? In the ever-evolving world, and its technology, Formula E is the natural choice for big automotive manufacturers these days. 

“Maserati chose Formula E because it's a natural choice. We were born on track and it was great to come back to the racing circuit, but also because we have a strong mission in E-mobility and our future is electric with the Folgore range,” Giovanni Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse, said. 

“By 2025, every single one of our range, we'll have an electric version, and by 2030 Maserati is only going to produce electric vehicles. So Formula E is a great place for us to showcase our competitiveness and also focus on technology transfer from track to road.” 

The iconic “Tipo” designation returns in 2023, with Maserati’s first electric racing car. The Maserati Tipo Folgore (Type Thunderbolt) was revealed late last year, and features a timeless and iconic blue tone, synonymous with Maserati. 

But something that set’s the Italian automotive brand apart is the distinct livery, which defines the cars character, shape and show casing its history. 

And, whilst a racing livery seems more of a decorative feature in motorsport, sets race cars apart and gives partners more exposure. Just how does a team design their livery, choice the colour, and decide on the branding locations? We investigate this with the help of Giovanni Sgro, the Head of Maserati Corse. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Maserati MSG Racing

From various angles, the Maserati Tipo Folgore (Gen 3 car) captures the imagination of motorsport fans, with it’s elegant livery lines and logo placements, but why has the team actually chosen blue, as they return to racing?

“Blue is our Maserati colour, so we wanted to have that be reflected on the car strongly,” Giovanni Sgro said. 

He goes on further to explain that “the trident is the symbol competitiveness and the white line across the border, you know, this year's shape of the car is triangular, it's very flat and this line really accentuates the colour blue. The contrast is perfect. And then obviously we have the trident on the back of the car has the Italian flag in the centre. We have a couple of things that a represent Maserati on this car, which is obviously the blue, the trident and the Italian flag, we're the only Italian manufacturer in Formula E.”

The visible LGBTQIA+ rainbow colours on the front wing endplates.
PHOTO CREDIT: Maserati MSG Racing

We currently live in a world that that is very decisive, and lacks inclusion, but something that sets the Maserati MSG Racing’s livery apart is their aim to send a message worldwide about equality, diversity and inclusion, and this has been done with the inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ rainbow on the front wing endplate. 

“It's a strong message that the Maserati MSG Racing team wants to continue to, to push forward equality, diversity and inclusion. So, that is why the flag was put on the front wing endplates. It seems like a relevant positioning for that kind of visibility,” he explained. 

When conceptualizing the design of a racing cars livery, elegance, uniqueness and brand visibility are all important elements that need to be taken into account, but how much work actually goes into the design process – months, weeks or days? 

PHOTO CREDIT: Maserati MSG Racing

The Head of Maserati Course, explains the process: “Well, the car was designed by Maserati's Centro Stile, and I don't remember exactly how many weeks we took to design it, but there is a lot of back and forth. There's a lot of concepts, there's a lot of brainstorming, there's a lot of ideas that we want to put forward. You want to change small tweaks, big tweaks, a lot of different things. And so I think that it does take some time, but it's worth it because then when you put the car on track, you also have to design the car based on the visibility that it has on the track. You want to really accentuate not only the base colours, but you also want to accentuate the partners who are part of the team.”

Together with the design of a livery, comes the important placement of partner/sponsor logo’s. These logo placements allow the for more brand awareness and exposure, which helps grow a brands popularity, and funds the team(s). But, just how does a team decide on these placements? 

“That's also part of a design because you don't want to just put them anywhere. You want to make sure that there's a good flow to the car. And that's why the car looks the way it does. I'm biased, but obviously I think the car looks beautiful,” Sgro said. “The simplicity of it is the beauty of this car. And, I personally think that less is more. We did a really great job of making the car look luxurious.”

Slipstream SA would like to thank Elza Smit (Maserati South Africa) and Giovanni Sgro (Head of Maserati Corse) for their assistance in the compilation of this special feature story.