Mahindra has taken a move to ‘snatch’ former Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains team leade Josef Holden as the team continues to prepare and restructure for the 2021 Formula E season.
Holden has already taken and started to work his new role as the performanc edirector at Mahindra as he will be incharge of trackside performance for the UK based, Indian team. The team has been in the process of making an in-house team so as to reduce outsourcing engineering and operational purposes.
The team debuted in 2014 in association with Carlin Motorsport but later switched to QEV Technologies which is spanish based for 4 years up to 2019. Though Mahindra parted ways with the company in 2019, they still use QEV affiliated staff for consultancy services including Tony Cuquerella who is currently liasing with Josef Holden.
Holden’s has extensive experience in motorsport apart from the former Mercedes role that also includes having key engineering roles in Formula Renault 3.5 and a spell with the Marussia F1 team.
Mahindra team principal Dilbagh Gill described Holden as having an experience that will prove invaluable as the team looked forward to building on the many positives of last season and taking the team back to where it belongs- the front of the grid.”
Josef Holden in a statement said, “The next chapter for me is to continue this pursuit with Mahindra Racing, technology is forever marching forward and I strongly believe that Formula E leads the charge for the future of pioneering, high-performance motorsport.”
Mahindra finished 9th in the 2019/2020 Formula E season as they experienced gearbox issues that led to the team changing back to the 2018/2019 powetrain for the final 8 races of the season.
Alex Lynn will expect to be confirmed by the team in the 2020/2021 drivers’ lineup as ex-BMW Alexander Sims signed to drive alongside him for 2020/2021 season. Lynn was brought in for the Berlin races after Pascal Wehrlein split with Mahindra ahead of his move to Porsche, while Sims will be replacement for long-time driver Jerome D’Ambrosio.
