Edoardo Mortara has labelled this weekend’s Diriyah E-Prix as “one of the most challenging races of the season”, as the Riyadh Street Circuit prepares to host rounds two and three of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
This weekend’s double header in Diriyah is likely to be one of the biggest challenges for the Gen3 cars, given that there is absolutely no room for error. A mistake will likely result in a heavy collision with a barrier, unlike at the Mexico City E-Prix where there was plenty of run-off. With that in mind, Mortara believes the circuit “tests almost every aspect of a driver’s skill”, with the teams also set to be up against it this weekend.
The double header will put the reliability of the cars to the test, something Mortara might be concerned about given that he endured technical issues during the opening round. The Maserati MSG Racing driver will be keen to get his season truly underway in Diriyah, after crashing at Turn One in Mexico City. Mortara is typically very strong at this weekend’s venue, with the Swiss driver having won the most recent race there.
Looking ahead to the weekend, Mortara has “confidence” that a good result is possible, with the driver having “full faith” in the Monte-Carlo-based outfit.
“Diriyah is one of the most challenging races of the season, and with a mixture of different corner types, it tests almost every aspect of a driver’s skill. The circuit is fast and extremely technical, and this means that it’s quite important to build up to doing a strong lap.
“Having confidence in the team, and the car, is very important if you want to achieve a good result, and I have full faith in the team. I was fortunate to win the last race here, but with a new car and new tyres to understand we’re going into this weekend almost starting from scratch. As always, I will be giving it my all and I hope we will come away from the weekend happy with our performance.”
“The extra power will make a big difference” – Maximilian Günther
On the other side of the Maserati garage, Maximilian Günther will be hoping to “take that next step” after finishing narrowly outside the points in Mexico City, where he finished eleventh.
Many were expecting the German to shine in Mexico City, with Günther having dominated the top of the timesheets during the official pre-season test. This weekend’s venue, though, is very different to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, with the circuit being significantly twistier and tighter. Tyre temperature will likely play a role as well, given that the track temperature will cool down ahead of the night race.
Unlike his team-mate, Diriyah hasn’t been a strong venue for the German, who failed to finish in the points at both races last season. Despite this, though, he’s “looking forward” to seeing how the Maserati Tipo Folgore will behave this weekend, with Günther expecting the more powerful Gen3 cars to “make a difference on the straights”.
“I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel this weekend. From the cockpit the Gen3 car is a great challenge, enjoyable to drive and I’m looking forward to seeing how it performs in Diriyah which is one of the most technical tracks on the calendar.
“The extra power will make a big difference on the straights and will especially make the second sector exciting to drive. Since Mexico we’ve been working hard to improve our performance further and we are aiming to take that next step to challenge for top positions.”
Credit: Maserati MSG Racing