Mahindra boss Dilbagh Gill admitted the team's financial situation is delicate in Formula E and evaluated the "technical collaboration" with Abt as a new phase for the team in the category
Mahindra had already advanced, some time ago, that had the goal of becoming a supplier team in Formula E. And the 'dream' will come true starting next year, when Abt will return to the category and will use the powertrain produced by the Indian team based in England. However, the partnership between the two teams goes far beyond mere engine sharing - that's what Dilbagh Gill, Mahindra's boss, explains.
"When we looked at it [being a supplier], we realized that we didn't have the ability to be a [team] supplier, because internally we weren't equipped on a large scale," Gill explained to The Race portal. "But also, looking at the performances over the last few years, we feel we've fallen into a certain rut as a team," he pointed out.
"We are doing less than we can with our set, as I believe our set is better than our performance," he assessed. "There are days, like in New York, when we are very strong on one of the days of the double round. So we end up thinking, 'maybe it's time to work together with someone who has experience, and Formula E is going in that direction," he said.
▶️ Get to know GRANDE PRÊMIO's channel on Twitch by clicking here!
Thus, the option for Abt became instantly attractive the moment the team decided to return to the Formula E grid, according to Gill. Moreover, a well-known name from Audi's time should take the opposite path next year: according to information from the portal itself, Brazilian Lucas Di Grassi - Formula E champion with Audi-Abt in 2016/2017 - will be Oliver Rowland's teammate at Mahindra in 2023. Alexander Sims, in turn, has already confirmed he will leave the category to focus on endurance racing.
Thus, Gill indicated that he had little to think about on the subject, since he knew Abt's operation in the German team's first stint in Formula E. The Indian also indicated that the partnership between the two teams goes far beyond just engine supply, but involves an important integration in terms of technical knowledge.
"When Abt came back, there was nothing to think about. We knew these guys from day one," he revealed. "We know their values, we know the people who make decisions, and we have a cordial relationship. Also, when you are a supplier, you automatically have a hierarchy. This [agreement] can be much more something like two teams working together," he stressed.
Finally, Gill gave a brief description of the partnership between the two teams, which will also extend to testing the new Gen3 car. Under Formula E rules, each supplying team is entitled to eight more days of testing with the new single-seater - in addition to the 12 already planned - but four of these days must be dedicated to the customer team - with the same car and battery level.
"We will also pool resources side by side, because the collaboration for testing will be at a much higher level than normal," he explained. "Again, we don't have the resources. Our testing team will be combined between the two, regardless of whether they are Mahindra or Abt. We will do everything together from now on, so that the level of wisdom will increase in both companies," he pointed out.
"Mahindra and Abt have a long history together: the two brands were founders of Formula E almost a decade ago," he praised. "We had great battles on the track and came together to develop the category off it. Now, we are continuing our journey with intense technical collaboration," he concluded.
Formula E will hold its penultimate round of the season this weekend, with the eP in London scheduled to take place on July 30 and 31 - with live broadcast on TV Cultura.