Mahindra Racing head into the final Formula E weekend with a historic top-three finish within reach and a clear idea of what comes next, with team principal Frederic Bertrand insisting the outfit's competitive ambitions will remain the priority even as Kush Maini's path towards a future race seat stays open.
Mahindra have 210 points heading into the London double-header on August 15-16, just one behind Andretti in the team championship. A strong finale would see the Indian manufacturer equal its best-ever championship finish of third, achieved in the 2016-17 season, underlining the scale of its turnaround after a difficult Gen3 period.
The resurgence has also strengthened Maini's position within the organisation. The Bengaluru-born Formula 2 driver
has been Mahindra's reserve since Season 10 and has been closely involved in its development programme, but Bertrand made clear that an Indian driver will only get the nod when he is ready to compete at the required level.
Mahindra Racing have gone from rebuilding to fighting for wins
Mahindra's progress has been built around a shift in mentality as much as technical development.
Bertrand said the team has moved from simply participating to consistently scoring points, challenging for podiums and now believing it can win.
"We slowly moved the mindset of participation to point scoring, to podium capacity and then now to win. And that has been the real journey," he told PTI ahead of the London finale.
The results have started to reflect that change. Nyck de Vries has won in Monaco and Tokyo after a difficult opening phase, while Edoardo Mortara has taken four pole positions this season, matching the Formula E record for most poles by a driver in a single campaign.
Mahindra's current position is a sharp contrast to the setbacks that initially defined the season. De Vries suffered mechanical failures and grid penalties before finding his rhythm in the second half, helping drive the team into contention for third.
"There is no silver bullet. It's a combination of different things together," de Vries told PTI.
"We trust the process, we trust our team. And we just continue to do the work we do. "
Mahindra Racing can equal its best-ever championship finish
The stakes are straightforward in London. Mahindra need to overhaul Andretti's one-point advantage across the final two races to return to the championship's top three for the first time since 2016-17.
De Vries, who is ninth in the drivers' standings, believes the possibility of finishing third reflects the work that has gone into rebuilding the team.
"We can be satisfied with our season so far. We put ourselves in a position to be fighting for, as you said, realistically a top-three finish in the team championship," he said.
"That's a great position to be in. That's what we've been working for the whole year. "
The Dutchman also made clear that Mahindra will not abandon its approach in pursuit of the result. With every point potentially decisive, the priority remains maximising the team's overall haul rather than allowing the drivers' individual ambitions to dictate strategy.
"We are racing for the team and our collective objective is to score as much points as possible for the team," de Vries said.
Frederic Bertrand keeps door open for Kush Maini
Maini's future adds another layer to Mahindra's longer-term plans.
The Indian driver has regularly attended races and taken part in testing as he builds his understanding of Formula E, including topping a rookie practice session in Jeddah last year. He did not receive a race opportunity during the 2025-26 season, but Bertrand believes the door remains open.
"Kush is doing a very good job but he needs to choose at if he will make his career in Formula E or in Formula 1," Bertrand said.
"For the moment, it's important that he trains and gets the highest level of background he can get where he is. "
Maini is also part of the Alpine Driver Academy and continues to race in Formula 2. His involvement with Mahindra has nevertheless been deliberate, with Bertrand using his presence at races to expose him to the unique demands of Formula E.
"He is part of the development. He is coming, for example, on many races where I want him to learn how we deal with Formula E," Bertrand said.
"One day he will be a definitive candidate for the seat. "
Mahindra Racing will not choose a driver simply for nationality
Maini's potential race seat would carry obvious significance for Mahindra as an Indian manufacturer competing on the global stage. Karun Chandhok remains the only Indian to have raced for the team since Formula E's inaugural season in 2014.
But Bertrand was unequivocal that nationality will not determine the line-up.
"It has never been a priority to choose a driver for his nationality. It has always been important to choose the best driver we can to make the global team win," he said.
"I want the team to win. I want Mahindra to win the championship. This is the goal. "
That philosophy explains why the current line-up of former Formula E champion de Vries and Mortara remains central to Mahindra's immediate ambitions. Bertrand described the driver as the "cherry on the cake", but stressed that the team itself has to be strong enough first.
"The driver will be the cherry on the cake. But for the moment the cake is more important than the cherry. "
Mahindra's Gen4 challenge comes next
The London finale will close the Gen3 era before Formula E moves into Gen4 next season, creating another test for a team that has spent the current cycle rebuilding its foundations.
De Vries believes Mahindra has made enough progress to give it confidence, even if he does not expect an immediate title challenge against teams that are further along with Gen4 development.
"I don't think that is entirely fair and realistic," he said when asked about immediately fighting the established Gen4 teams.
"We know that we are a little bit late to Gen4. So it's possible that we will have a steep learning curve. But ultimately, I believe in the team. I believe in the people. "
For Bertrand, maintaining the momentum will be just as important as the result in London.
"The main thing right now is consistency," he said. "Every time you start not doing anything anymore, it's going backward. You don't stay stable in this game because everyone else is moving forward. "
Mahindra's immediate objective is therefore clear: finish the Gen3 era on the podium in the team championship. Beyond London, the challenge is to turn that resurgence into a sustained front-running project - with Maini potentially part of that future, but only if he can earn his place on performance.
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