Maserati MSG Racing secured a top 10 finish in the second leg of the double-header 2024 Shanghai E-Prix, with the team bouncing back from a difficult first race to score four points in China.
After losing a provisional ninth place finish in Race One, the team regrouped for Sunday and showcased renewed pace in a promising FP3 which saw Maximilian Günther set the fourth-fastest time.
For Qualifying, Max and his team-mate, Jehan Daruvala, completed their initial runs in Group A but despite displaying clear pace, missed out on the duels in one of the closest sessions of Season 10 so far.
With a 1:14.672 lap, Max missed out on the head-to-head stage by only 0.018 seconds to start 10th while Jehan, who was a mere 0.120 seconds shy of Max, qualified 16th.
Facing another peloton-style race ahead, energy saving was a top priority for the duo and when the race got underway, both set out to establish a consistent saving rhythm.
While Max held position on lap one, Jehan slipped to 18th but quickly recovered his lost ground by overtaking Sergio Sette Camara and Sacha Fenestraz on laps three and five.
Ahead, Max strategically fell out of the top 10 to build an energy advantage and pressed forward to eighth place before taking his first of two Attack Modes, rejoining in ninth.
On lap five, the 26-year-old overtook Jean-Eric Vergne to reclaim eighth in the first part of what would be a race-long battle with the DS Penske driver.
After pushing forward to overtake Mitch Evans for seventh, Max took his second Attack Mode on lap eight and continued to battle with Vergne when he rejoined the circuit and exchanged positions with the Frenchman for the next 12 laps.
Unfortunately, Vergne cleared Max on lap 20 and while Max remained a consistent threat, he was unable to regain the position and took a hard-fought eighth at the chequered flag. Jehan, meanwhile, finished 17th after losing time in an incident ahead.
Season 10 of the FIA Formula E World Championship will resume on 29th and 30th June for the 2024 Portland E-Prix – the penultimate race weekend of the current campaign.
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