AUGUST 2014 TESTING TESTING BEHIND THE SCENES AT Mahindra Racing might be having fun, but the team isn’t playing season. We’ve been given unprecedented behind-the-scenes access it’s an impressive operation. GO BIG OR GO HOME “To succeed, you attract the most talented people – and then get out of their way.” So says SP Shukla, group executive board member at Indian corporation Mahindra & Mahindra and the chap at the very top of the tree as far as the company’s entry is concerned. Mumbai-headquartered Mahindra grossed more than $16bn in 2013 and employs 180,000 people across the globe. The decision to to be an amateur effort. It’s a slick unit, headed up by team principal Dilbagh Gill, with former F1 drivers Karun Chandhok and in the hotseats, technical operations run by the uber-successful – and the full support of Mahindra’s electric car division, Mahindra REVA. That arm of the company, which built a new plant in 2012 with capacity to churn out 30,000 vehicles a year, brings with it such a deep well of expertise in electric vehicle engineering that, asked how Mahindra will measure up against the array of renowned names and racing reputations on the Formula E grid, Gill merely quips: “Competition? What competition?” More importantly, given that Formula E is designed principally to advance road car tech, the relationship between Mahindra Racing and Mahindra REVA is no one way street. “We’re convinced that what we learn in Formula E will translate across to our road car business,” states Shukla. “In Formula E racing, we’ll be pushing the powertrain very hard, discharging and recharging the batteries over and over in a short space of time, working right at the limit of the technology. The knowledge we gain in Formula E will help us build better mass produced electric vehicles.” Mahindra is already working on its powertrain for the 2015 season, when the series will be opened up to constructors other than Spark. For now, however, Mahindra Racing has a far simpler mandate, says Gill: “We intend to win.”

Follow Mahindra Racing on Twitter: @MahindraRacing

Ross Ringham Current E

WORDS ROSS RINGHAM DESIGN NAOMI PANTER PHOTOGRAPHY SHIVRAJ GOHIL www.current-e.com

SET UP FOR SUCCESS

Getting to grips with the Spark-Renault racing Surrey-based team the most successful in the sport’s Teams can adjust a host of conventional Mahindra has tried out some novel approaches to car has been challenging for teams and drivers history. Current F1 speedsters , Jean- components – such as suspension and damper maximising battery life and keeping the powertrain alike. The limited testing schedule has had to Eric Vergne and Kevin Magnussen have all raced settings, the angle of attack of aero surfaces on cool, including running their cars nose to tail to include shakedown of all four chassis for each the front and rear wings, the toe and camber of team, driver familiarisation and strategic sorties. knows how to win and knows a thing or two about the wheels and the distribution of brake bias – and and temperature. But given that all teams are racing with identical racing cars. But Formula E is a whole new horizon. some rather more unfamiliar options, such as the six The strategies appear to be paying off, as Senna “The Spark-Renault is a technological tour de power maps and the level of regenerative braking. is critical to podium prospects. force,” says Trevor Carlin, whose name the Carlin “Winning in Formula E will require the best Mahindra has brought out the big guns to ensure organisation bears. “It’s got motors from the incredible balance of speed and efficiency,” says Carlin. it meets drone warfare with more than bows and McLaren P1 hypercar and batteries built by Williams. “Outright pace won’t be enough, as you’ll drain simulated race. arrows. Alongside its inhouse electric powertrain It’s taken a lot of work for us to understand how to the battery too fast and the cars get hot quickly. “For the tests, we’re really focused on race pace experience, the secret weapon in its armoury is its build and set the cars up and how to get the best But this is racing: going slowly is not an option.” simulations,” says team boss Gill. “You’ll see a lot operating partner. Carlin drivers have won the British out of them – and there’s still a lot to learn. We’re Over the course of the four public test days, and more of our innovative ideas at Donington before we F3 championship nine times in 13 years, making the converting our crew from petrol heads to spark heads.” the closed-doors private race simulation sessions, hit Beijing, but we can’t give too much away now.” www.current-e.com

With exotic cars that look and sound like something is a whole new frontier too. “You have to be a good multi-tasker to drive this car,” laughs Karun Chandhok, the Indian driver that the Indian team hopes will help win over audiences across their home nation. “It’s the opposite of a Formula 1 car, where you have help from the pits via live telemetry and can use long straights to make setting adjustments before turning in for the corner – the regen levels, brake bias, power maps and so on. Here, we’re adjusting things without that real-time input from the pits, so your brain needs to be fully engaged. It’s very busy in the cockpit.” and he agrees that the car takes some getting used to. “It’s very weird without the engine noise, because you’re used to using that for shifting references,” he says. “And the electric motor has a lot of torque – it’s actually very powerful.” Because live telemetry is not allowed, it will be down to the driver alone to judge how and when to deploy the various power and regenerative settings at his or her disposal – and to resist the temptation ELECTRIC DONUTS

to drain the batteries in too many gloriously mad in a normal combustion car,” says Senna. “You need decision which to use, when.” To get on top of the challenge, both drivers will be sharing information off the track to get the team to the front of the pack – but the gloves are off when it comes to the racing itself. “Of course, want to beat each other on track,” Chandhok says. “But we have a level of trust and respect that comes from being Sharing aside, KC may already be playing catch-up when it comes to Fanboost, however – the feature whereby fans can vote online for drivers to receive additional power boosts. More than 115,000 followers on Twitter seems like a pretty powerful fanbase – but not when compared to Senna’s 650,000 followers. Chandhok has already made his mark on Formula E of course – doing donuts on London’s historic Clockwise from here: Bruno Senna; Karun Chandhok in the Westminster Bridge in the early hours of a Sunday cockpit; Senna dresses down; it’s all about morning. The footage is on YouTube and well worth teamwork; Chandhok catches up with a watch. team principal Dilbagh Gill (standing) and team chairman SP Shukla. Follow Bruno @BSenna Follow Karun @karunchandhok Printed using vegetable oil inks on 100% recycled paper.