Maserati: It’s one of motorsport’s most evocative names. And while the name typically accompanies thoughts of days gone by, it’s still at the cutting edge of modern motorsport.
These days the brand’s headline motorsport program is in Formula E, where there’s not a single black and white photo or grainy silent film to be seen. Yet as it looks towards its 110th anniversary on December 1, the company has brought the past and the present together with its new Tipo Folgore GEN3 Evo.
The ‘Blu Infinito’ blue – the brand’s signature color in motorsport these days in place of the Rosso Corsa of yesteryear – remains, but complemented with Fouriserie Liquid Metal Rose Gold accents rather than the signature copper from the brand’s Folgore electric range used alongside the blue previously.
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“It has been a great honor to work for the third year running on the livery design of our Formula E single-seater, said Klaus Busse, Maserati’s head of design and the man behind the car’s new look. “This year’s aesthetics, while continuing to build on the brand’s journey of electrification symbolized by the Folgore copper color, are intended to celebrate Maserati’s wealth of history in motorsport with a tribute to the milestones of 110 years of history, an anniversary we’re celebrating early next month.”
It’s more than a simple design choice though: look closer and you’ll see the rose gold element made up of reminders from Maserati’s illustrious history. Fangio, Moss, Nuvolari, et al – the names of the brand’s legendary past drivers are all there, as are the dates and locations of the races, and the cars that have brought the team wins over the years.
“It continues to be an enormous honor for us to represent such an iconic automotive brand in Formula E and racing with the now-unmistakable Maserati Tipo Folgore blue is a big responsibility,” said Cyril Blais, who took over as team principal at Maserati MSG Racing in the off-season.
“Maserati has a formidable pedigree on and off the racetrack and it was our privilege to return the Trident to the top step of the podium in Seasons 9 and 10. With this striking livery that bears witness to Maserati’s impressive motorsport history and the team’s success in the championship, we look forward to fighting for more landmark victories together in Season 11.”
Maserati enters its third year of Formula E with two wins in the bank over the last two seasons courtesy of Maximilian Guenther in Jakarta and Tokyo, but much like the look of its car, the driver lineup has been refreshed, too.
Season 8 champion Stoffel Vandoorne has joined the team from fellow Stellantis team DS Penske, while highly-rated youngster Jake Hughes – already a four-time polesitter and a podium finisher – has moved over from NEOM McLaren as Maserati looks to elevate itself from regular podium contenders to serial race winners and title challengers.
The pair were in action in Spain this week during the official four-day Formula E pre-season test, where Vandoorne clocked the eighth-fastest time of the week with Hughes 11th. But with a lot of the focus of pre-season being on race pace and long runs, the team’s true competitive potential in relation to the rest of the field remains to be seen. The season kicks-off in earnest on December 7 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.