De Vries delivers maiden Mahindra victory on the streets of Monaco
Nyck de Vries kept his head when those around him were losing theirs, threading Mahindra Racing’s GEN3 EVO car through the barriers of the Principality to claim a long-overdue victory at Round 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
It was the Dutchman’s fifth career win in the series, his first since Berlin in 2022, and, most significantly of all, a maiden triumph for the Mahindra outfit in the Gen3 era. After two seasons in which the Indian marque has too often been on the receiving end of misfortune, this was a moment of unalloyed redemption on motorsport’s most glamorous stage.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans crossed the line second, a result that catapults the New Zealander to the top of the Drivers’ standings, 15 points clear of Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein. CUPRA KIRO rookie Pepe Martí inherited the final podium step after a post-race penalty for polesitter and team-mate Dan Ticktum, becoming the first Spaniard ever to stand on a Formula E rostrum.
Strategy, not heroics, won the day
In a championship that increasingly rewards thinking drivers, de Vries’ victory was a clinic in energy management. Starting from the front row alongside Ticktum, the 31-year-old was among the earliest to dive in for his mandatory PIT BOOST stop on Lap 16, emerging with the energy headroom to attack when it mattered.
Four laps later, he deployed ATTACK MODE to slice past then-leader António Félix da Costa — the Portuguese driver having recently swapped Porsche overalls for Jaguar green ahead of his move to the British marque for Season 12. From that point on, the race belonged to de Vries, who stretched his advantage to a comfortable three seconds by the chequered flag.
“The first one for Mahindra together,” a visibly emotional de Vries said in parc fermé. “It’s been a great day, the pace was there, the car was amazing and the team made the right calls at the right time. We had the energy to push during the pit window and we’ve won our first race together. A little bit emotional because it’s been a pretty rough start, we’ve been on the receiving end for a while. It just shows you have to hang in there and better times will come.”
The Dutchman, who joined Mahindra in 2024 when the squad was languishing near the foot of the table, was also keen to credit a wholesale technical revival in Banbury. “Last year we had a great year at P4 in the Teams’ Championship. We are obviously more ambitious than that, so we are very happy to be with the team. The vibe is great.”
Evans plays the long game
For Evans, second place was less spectacular but every bit as significant. A fifth Monaco podium in his decade-long association with Jaguar has not only put the New Zealander into the championship lead but lifted his team above Porsche in the Teams’ standings, where Stuttgart now plays catch-up.
“It was a pretty straightforward race with a few scary moments,” Evans admitted. “Strategy was key today. I didn’t race so well at the start, probably could have been a bit more aggressive, but the pit window worked great. Whole credit to Nyck and Mahindra, they’ve been rapid all day.”
The 31-year-old also revealed a heart-in-mouth moment after contact left him fearing the worst. “I got hit a few times and could feel the rear a bit nervous. I’ve felt that before. But the pressure seemed all right and I got away with it. Very fortunate that there was no puncture.”
With Wehrlein out of the points and Evans on the rostrum, the title fight has been reset. As the Kiwi himself put it: “These results are huge at this stage of the championship. Just keep accumulating, race by race.” Form-watchers will note that Evans has previously dominated the Monaco streets with Jaguar, and on this evidence he has the measure of his rivals once again.
A first for Spain
The fairy tale of the afternoon belonged to Pepe Martí, the 20-year-old CUPRA KIRO recruit who carved his way from 15th on the grid to fourth on the road, then was elevated to third after Ticktum was sanctioned for a late incident with Félix da Costa.
“I didn’t know what went on. I was really happy with fourth,” Martí admitted. “It hurts to see that Dan was the one to fall out of the podium, but nonetheless it’s a great result. To do it in Monaco, there’s no better place. The car’s been on fire — pole position for Dan and I’ve moved up from 15th to third. It’s a bit of a dream.”
The result writes Martí into the history books as the first Spaniard ever to take Formula E silverware, a notable footnote in a season that has already seen the championship break new commercial ground.
F1 royalty in the paddock
The Principality’s E-Prix has rapidly become a fixture in the international sporting calendar, and Saturday’s paddock looked the part. Carlos Sainz, Nico Hülkenberg and Formula 1 newcomers Ollie Bearman and Gabriel Bortoleto were spotted studying the championship’s energy-management protocols at close quarters, homework that should serve them well when F1’s new hybrid regulations, which split power roughly 50/50 between internal combustion and electrification, are unleashed on the same streets in a fortnight’s time.
Beyond the racing fraternity, the guest list was distinctly A-list: actors Idris Elba and Harry Collett, F1 Academy boss Susie Wolff, marathon legend Paula Radcliffe and Olympic decathlete Daley Thompson all turned out. Formula E, it seems, has finally pinned down the elusive crossover between sport, entertainment and culture that its founders always promised.
What’s next
The action resumes on Sunday with Round 10, the second leg of Monaco’s double-header, where Evans will look to extend his championship lead and de Vries will attempt to back up his first victory in nearly four years. For deeper background on how the title race has unfolded, our weekend preview sets out the broader context.
