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Final Gen4 Manufacturer Launches Testing—Will It Face Setbacks?
Highlights
- Mahindra Gen4 car completed first laps at Abingdon Airfield.
- Drivers Mortara and De Vries to join Hughes for testing.
- Rivals completed 4-8 days of Gen4 testing before Mahindra.
- Team principal Bertrand optimistic despite limited track time.
- Driver schedule conflicts expected between Formula E and WEC events.
- Gen4 testing critical to close performance gap before 2025 entry.
Mahindra’s Gen4 development car turns its first laps at Abingdon Airfield, a key step as the manufacturer enters Formula E’s next era. Jake Hughes conducts the shakedown on Thursday in Oxfordshire.
The run serves as a systems check before more intensive testing begins next month. Early mileage is vital to uncover reliability issues and set baselines for performance work.
Mahindra’s late Gen4 entry, scheduled for 2025, leaves the team trailing rival programmes. Stellantis, Nissan, Jaguar, Porsche, and Lola have already logged four to eight days, advancing reliability and performance.
Edoardo Mortara and Nyck de Vries will join Hughes for upcoming days as Mahindra compresses its learning curve. Industry-wide constraints, including a persistent parts shortage, continue to pressure development schedules.
Team principal Frederic Bertrand strikes a cautious but upbeat tone. He says extensive simulation and learnings from the Gen3 Evo, particularly around software and four-wheel drive, translate directly to Gen4.
“Simulation tools are helping a lot… what we do on the four-wheel drive is very close to what will be needed for Gen4.”</fervogear_custom]
Bertrand targets minimal deficit at the planned early October homologation. He frames early reliability as the main risk, since stoppages would delay the switch to performance development.
Driver continuity offers stability. Mortara’s campaign includes two podiums and two poles, and he sits sixth in the standings, 38 points behind Pascal Wehrlein. That consistency supports Mahindra’s transition.
[fervogear_custom]Rivals have already completed four to eight days of Gen4 running, giving them a head start in reliability and performance.
Scheduling is the next headache. The 2027 calendar features clashes between Formula E and WEC, complicating De Vries’ Toyota commitments. Spa WEC conflicts with Monaco Formula E, with Interlagos and Shanghai also overlapping.
The Monaco E-Prix is set to clash with Spa WEC in May, adding complexity to driver availability.
Bertrand expects potential adjustments but no definitive fix yet. Any resolution affects testing plans, seat time allocation, and contingency strategies for race weekends.
The coming weeks are critical. Mahindra must gather data quickly, build reliability, and unlock pace to narrow the deficit before its 2025 entry. Efficiency of test days will be decisive.
The broader lesson is timing. Motorsport rewards rapid, structured upgrade cycles, a theme echoed in F1 by Aston Martin’s Hungary upgrade push and sustained upgrade drive. Mahindra’s Gen4 phase now follows the same logic.
Visual Summary
GEN4 DEBUT
🕒
Late to testing
Rivals have
4-8 days head start
4-8 days head start
⚠️
Reliability Risk
Any issue now
delays future pace
delays future pace
🔄
Simulation & stability
Advanced sim work
+ same driver duo
+ same driver duo
Mortara & De Vries
Continuity boost
4th year pairing
Mortara: 6th in points, 2🏆2⏱️
2027 dilemma
Calendar clashes
De Vries: WEC x Formula E:
Spa & Monaco, Interlagos & Shanghai
Fight to close the gap
Simulation
Track data
Sim work narrows the deficit, but real-world laps critical for pace
Mahindra’s Gen4 era begins—playing catch-up
Behind on track time, relying on simulation, but driver stability gives hope.
Next weeks: critical tests to bridge the gap.
Next weeks: critical tests to bridge the gap.
John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.
