Credit: Sam Bagnall courtesy of FIA Formula E
Maximilian Günther is “very motivated” to end the 2023 Formula E season strongly, at this weekend’s season finale in London.
The London E-Prix double-header will close the curtain on the first season of the Gen3 era, which has seen Günther experience somewhat of a rollercoaster ride.
Life at Maserati MSG Racing started beautifully for the German in pre-season testing, where he topped virtually every session in Valencia. As a result, he was seen by many as a driver to watch this year.
The first five races couldn’t have gone any worse for Günther, who only participated in four of them. Gunther was ruled out of the opening race in Diriyah at the end of January after crashing heavily in qualifying, resulting in an all-nighter for the team.
He had been set for a strong finish in Cape Town where he secured second on the grid, only to crash on Lap 21 at the opening corner.
Since Berlin, though, the 26-year-old has been sensational. He scored his first points of the season at his home event at the end of April, after securing his and Maserati’s first podium of the Gen3 era.
With the exception of a controversial retirement in Monaco, Günther has finished no lower than sixth since his home E-Prix. Four of the last eight races have seen Günther feature on the rostrum, which includes his magical Jakarta victory.
His performance at the Jakarta E-Prix double-header is by far one of the most dominant in the history of the all-electric series, as he topped every single session bar the first race, where he claimed third.
Günther was victorious in the second race in the Indonesian capital though, in what represented Maserati’s first single-seater victory since 1957. A podium in the opening race of the recent Rome E-Prix also meant the Italian manufacturer were represented on the rostrum at their home race.
As a result of his mesmeric form since Berlin, Günther has rocketed up in the Drivers’ Championship. His 101 points since the opening race in the German capital has risen him to sixth in the standings and within touching distance of the top five.
Jean-Éric Vergne sits just six points ahead of Günther ahead of London, meaning the German could also end the season as the top DS-powered driver.
Maserati have also benefited from the Oberstdorf-born driver’s stunning form, as the Monte-Carlo-based team are looking set to claim at least sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Had Günther boasted his recent pace from round one in Mexico City, then he would’ve for certain been a title contender.
He’s incredibly “proud” of his and the team’s turnaround this year and is keen to end the campaign “on a high”, something the team are “very motivated” to accomplish at the ExCeL Centre.
“London is a great location to host the finale of Season 9,” Gunther said.
“It’s always a lot of fun to drive here, the track is very unique with the indoor and outdoor section. There are tarmac changes during the lap, very technical corners and I like the flow with the new layout in Sector Three.
“I’m proud about the turnaround of our season and with plenty of points up for grabs we are all very motivated to finish the season on a high.”
Keyword: Günther ‘very motivated’ to end season strongly