Jehan Daruvala has joined Maserati for the 2024 Formula E season, with Maximilian Gunther retaining his seat on a day of driver movement surprises.
Earlier on Wednesday, Nyck de Vries‘ return to Formula E was announced by Mahindra, with the Dutchman’s teammate being Edoardo Mortara.
Mortara left Maserati at the end of last season and the team have held talks with multiple drivers, including De Vries himself, before deciding on signing Daruvala.
“Formula E is a championship that I have admired for a long time, and after taking part in two test sessions, I’m very happy to have the opportunity to step up to a full-time race seat,” said Daruvala.
“From my experiences so far, the Gen3 car is completely unique to drive, but I’ve found it to be a very rewarding experience.
“I would like to thank James and Maserati MSG Racing for giving me this chance and I can’t wait to learn more about the car and get to know the team better in pre-season testing, before hitting the ground running in Mexico City in January.”
Gunther stays at Maserati
Gunther was one of the most impressive drivers in the second half of the 2023 Formula E season as he took three podiums, plus a win on Jakarta.
His win at the 2020 Santiago E-Prix saw him become the youngest winner in Formula E at 22 years old – a record which still stands going into 2024.
“I’m very proud to continue with Maserati MSG Racing,” said Gunther. “We had a great first season together, particularly with the momentum we built in the second half of the year with one win, four podiums and two poles.
“Continuing to build on this base is something that I‘m very much looking forward to in 2024, alongside working with Jehan as my new teammate. After seeing our performance trajectory unfold this year, I‘m confident we can go on to achieve bigger and better things in the future.”
Maserati looking to fight at the front
Maserati came out of pre-season testing last season full of confidence as they appeared to be the team to beat, along with DS Penske. However, they struggled early in the season and Mortara was unable to gel with the car.
They finished sixth in the teams’ championship but team principal James Rossiter is targeting to challenge at the front of the field in 2024.
“We’re excited about our driver line-up for Season 10, and we’re confident that the blend of Max’s experience with Jehan’s determination will prove to be a competitive combination.
“Max impressed us throughout the 2022/23 season, and continuing our relationship was a natural decision. He has brilliant speed, a strong understanding of Formula E’s Gen3 package, and with five seasons of experience – despite being aged only 26 – has an impressive amount of knowledge.
“That experience will be invaluable for Jehan, who has already shown good promise in his two rookie test outings with Mahindra earlier this year.
“Over the past four years, he has shown hunger and determination in Formula 2, and has clearly demonstrated that he has what it takes to win races. Now, Jehan is ready to do the work it takes to succeed in Formula E.
“In Season 9, we faced many highs and lows, but we learned a great deal from every scenario we faced. After making some positive performance gains over the summer, we’re looking forward to getting Season 10 underway, and with our line-up, we’re confident that we can be in a position to fight at the front of the grid.”
