Another day, another manufacturer expressing interest in joining the all-electric Formula E world championship. This time, it’s the sister company to Ferrari.
The manufacturer influx into Formula E continues to flow like an open spicket. Mercedes and Porsche will be joining the series by 2020, and Nissan will be entering the series to replace corporate partner Nissan next season. Now, there could be another name joining the category, one relating back to a current F1 competitor.
Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has made it clear that his company has interest in Formula E, even going so far as to say that the company has to be involved in the series back in March. Now, Motorsport.com reports that the Maserati brand has taken the lead among the Fiat Chrysler marques to join the FE grid.
While Maserati has not made contact with the series yet about entering the championship, any effort to join the all-electric grid would require one of two eventualities. With the grid set to be capped at twelve teams when Porsche and Mercedes join, Maserati would likely have to partner with an existing team. At this point, only Techeetah and Dragon Racing remain without a linked OEM. Otherwise, Maserati would have to either purchase an existing team or wait for one to fold or shut down.
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Maserati at this point makes the most sense for Fiat Chrysler to use in Formula E. Both Ferrari and Alfa Romeo are now committed to Formula One, with the latter now partnering up with the Sauber F1 Team. While some reports suggested that Haas could see a rebrand like this in their Ferrari partnership, perhaps to Fiat or Maserati, this no longer appears to be the case.
It comes as little surprise that there continues to be massive interest in Formula E, with many auto manufacturers investing heavily in electric vehicles for road cars. Fiat Chrysler is certainly on this path as well, and a move into electric competition would put them alongside their business rivals Mercedes, Porsche, and Nissan.
The next question for Maserati and Fiat Chrysler will be if and when they contact Formula E and any prospective teams. There are many hurdles still for the manufacturer to join the grid, but if the discussions continue to accelerate, they could be ready by 2020.
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Do you think Maserati will join Formula E in the near future? Comment below with your thoughts and be sure to tune in for the next race in the all-electric championship on January 13 from Marrakesh.