Indian racing team Mahindra Racing secured its first Formula E victory in nearly five years after Dutch driver Nyck de Vries won the Monaco E-Prix on Saturday, marking the team’s first triumph of the Gen3 era.

The victory at the prestigious Monte Carlo street circuit also ended Mahindra Racing’s winless streak since the 2021 London E-Prix.

According to a detailed press note, De Vries delivered a controlled drive after starting near the front of the grid and managed pressure from rivals in the closing laps to take the chequered flag. The result earned the team a maximum 25-point haul and strengthened its position in the Formula E Teams’ Standings.

“Incredible. I’m very happy. Monaco is a special place. It’s my home. To do that together with Mahindra, and to give them the reward they deserve is just incredible,” de Vries said after the race.

He added, “We’ve had some challenges so far this season and we haven’t really been able to show what we’re capable of. Today it all came together.”

Strong comeback after difficult start

The race saw contrasting fortunes for Mahindra’s two drivers. While de Vries progressed strongly through qualifying and the duel stages, teammate Edoardo Mortara suffered a mechanical issue before the race and started from 19th on the grid.

Despite the setback, Mortara mounted an impressive recovery and climbed into the top 10 before a late puncture dropped him back to 17th place by the finish.

“What happened in Qualifying was frustrating because there was nothing we could do,” Mortara said. “It’s a shame to end the day the way we did, but these things happen on street circuits.”

Team closes gap in standings

Mahindra Racing Team Principal and CEO Frederic Bertrand described the result as a major milestone for the Indian outfit.

“This is a great achievement from the team. It was a mega drive from Nyck, but also from Edoardo as well,” Bertrand said.

He added that the victory had generated strong reactions from Indian fans. “I’ve had so many messages from India saying they were so proud to hear the national anthem,” he said.

The win helped Mahindra Racing maintain third place in the Teams’ Standings while narrowing the gap with the top two teams. De Vries also climbed to 11th position in the Drivers’ Standings after the Monaco success.