Maserati to make Formula E debut in 2023

MANILA: Maserati has announced that it will enter the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in 2023 as part of its motorsport strategy.

Maserati is the first Italian brand to compete in Formula E. The return to the track revitalizes the brand’s racing DNA.

In a statement, Maserati Chief Executive Officer Davide Grasso said, “We are very proud to be back where we belong as protagonists in the world of racing. We are powered by passion and (are) innovative by nature. We have a long history of world-class excellence in competition and we are ready to drive performance in the future. In the race for more performance, luxury, and innovation, Folgore is irresistible and it is the purest expression of Maserati. That’s why we decided to go back to racing in the FIA Formula E World Championship, meeting our customers in the city centers of the world, taking the Trident forward into the future.”

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the world’s first all-electric road-racing motorsport series, corresponds to Maserati’s unparalleled racing legacy — a brand inherently tied to high performance — and its pioneering approach toward electrification.

“We are proud to welcome Maserati to their new home in world-class motorsport. The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is the pinnacle of electric racing. It provides the perfect environment for the most dynamic and innovative high-performance car brands to showcase their technological capabilities alongside their sporting ambitions,” Formula E Founder and Chairman Alejandro Agag stated.

Maserati’s commitment to electric mobility is driven by a burst of new energy, now accelerating to run at top speed with Folgore, the full electric range. All new Maserati models, including the Grecale, GranTurismo, and GranCarbio, as well as the Maserati MC20 super sportscar will also be offered in 100% electric versions.

Maserati will be featuring the new Gen3 in its Formula E debut. The Gen3 is considered as the fastest, lightest, and most powerful Formula E racing car ever. It is also the world’s most efficient racing car, with a number of industry-leading design, manufacturing, and technological advancements to its credit.

“We are delighted Maserati will join the Gen3 era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and play a defining role reimagining the future of motorsport. Formula E races in the heart of the most iconic cities in the world and is followed passionately by a progressive global audience. Our millions of fans around the world will be thrilled to see Maserati line up on the grid as one of the world’s elite electric car brands,” Formula E Chief Executive Officer Jamie Reigle stated.

In parallel, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said, “I am delighted to welcome Maserati to Formula E for Season 9. For such an iconic manufacturer with a tremendously proud and successful heritage in motor sport to pledge its commitment to the series is testament to the overwhelming faith in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s future as we prepare to usher in the next era. The new Gen3 single-seater will represent the pinnacle of sustainability, technology, and performance.”

Due to Formula E’s sensational racing on the streets of New York, Monaco, Berlin, Mexico City, London, and Rome, electric vehicles exported around the world today go further on every charge, with improvements in energy efficiency, battery range, and powertrain development.

Maserati’s first race took place 96 years ago. The first racing car to feature the Trident badge on the hood was the Tipo 26, which debuted at the Targa Florio in 1926 and won first place in the 1.5-liter class with Alfieri Maserati at the wheel.

In 1957, Juan Manuel Fangio won the Formula 1 World Championship with Maserati. The last single-seater Maserati was seen with Maria Teresa De Filippis, the first woman to compete in a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Maserati made its last appearance in racing with the MC12, which won 22 races and 14 championship titles in the FIA GT from 2004 to 2010, including Constructors’ Championships, Drivers’ Championships, and Teams’ Championships.

“It is a great pleasure for Stellantis Motorsport to play a part in getting Maserati back in the race. Beyond this piece of history, Maserati Formula E will be our technological laboratory to accelerate the development of high-efficiency electrified powertrains and intelligent software for our road sports cars. Formula E is the perfect Championship for this purpose and we are very proud to be the first Italian brand to join in,” Stellantis Motorsport Senior Vice President Jean-Marc Finot stated.

Maserati’s natural habitat has always been racing. As it now embarks on a new era in Formula E, Maserati is returning to its heritage to build its future.

Photos from Maserati

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