Current Formula E Championship leader Jerome d'Ambrosio is confident that Mahindra Racing can extend its winning streak at the Santiago E-Prix, providing that the race weekend goes according to plan for the Indian marque.
In Marrakesh, d'Ambrosio secured his third victory in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, beating Envision Virgin Racing's Robin Frijns to the chequered flag after benefitting from a late-race collision between BMW i Andretti team-mates Antonio Felix da Costa and Alexander Sims who were running in first and second.
With d'Ambrosio also securing a podium finish at the season-opening Ad Diriyah E-Prix, the Belgian currently leads the Drivers' Championship with 40 points, holding a 12 point advantage over BMW's da Costa.
"I'm feeling very happy coming straight from my win in Marrakesh and, if things go well for us in Santiago, then we'll be fighting for the top spot again," said d'Ambrosio, who joined Mahindra in Season Five after previously racing for Dragon.
"We’re going to another new track which means it's a level playing field for all teams and drivers.
"We'll be working hard to get the best performance out of the car with a strong strategy using attack mode and hopefully we'll score more valuable points."
For Pascal Wehrlein, who retired from the Marrakesh E-Prix after being struck by Lucas di Grassi, Santiago marks the German driver's first opportunity for points this season and if everything goes well, the former F1 racer believes that a podium finish is possible:
"Last time out in Marrakesh I was happy with my pace and didn’t expect to get up to speed so quickly, so I think we have the potential for points in Santiago and, if everything goes well, then we can be on the podium," he said.
"It will be a different challenge to the last race; we'll have to look after the brakes and the tyres will be harder to handle in the heat.
"The most important thing for me is to finish the race and have a good qualifying session."
Dilbagh Gill, Team Principal of Mahindra Racing, believes that the outfit heads to Santiago with momentum and confidence after securing its fourth victory in Marrakesh:
"It's a quick turnaround to be heading to Santiago to race just two weeks after winning in Marrakesh, but it's fantastic that we'll be getting back on track so soon," he added.
"We have some good momentum and confidence that the team can carry through to the race in Chile and it is our objective to have both cars finish in a strong position.
"Marrakesh was very special for us and we have memories that will last a lifetime, but we are deep into preparation mode for Santiago as we must not rest on our laurels.
"The competition is serious this year and it will not be easy but we will be giving it our best shot to continue our strong performance so far this season."
The Santiago E-Prix will take place on January 26, with the Parque O'Higgins Circuit making its debut on the 2018/19 Formula E calendar.
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