James Rossiter lays out driver expectations as he prepares for Maserati bow
New Maserati boss James Rossiter has set a high bar as he targets the "one thing that is missing" following several near misses by the team.
Having previously raced under the Rokit Venturi name, the outfit, which remains largely the same, has now teamed up with the Italian manufacturer, who enter the sport for the first time. Rossiter has left his senior role with DS to become the team principal and brings with him winning experience.
The 39-year-old former driver, who himself has driven the new Gen 3 car, knows he is assuming control at what is already a well-oiled machine. Last season the outfit won five races - more than any other team on the grid. This season, with a new look car and a new powertrain, Maserati arrive off the back of a sensational testing performance.
Rossiter has articulated clearly that he wants to see Edoardo Mortara and Max Gunther fighting at the front if the team's goals are to be achieved. He said: "Our ambition is to be the champions - this is clear. Expectations are very different, for me I sat down with both my drivers and told them that I expect them to challenge for the top five every race.
Max Gunther topped the timing sheets in testing ahead of the season opener"If we're in the top five we're going to come away with the chance of winning this championship. So the ambition is there, the team are hungry, the team is motivated and so are the drivers. Taking over a team that finished second in the championship, there is certainly an ambition in this team to achieve the one thing that is missing. We've won lots of races, but that championship is what is missing."
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In Rossiter's previous role at DS he was tasked with managing the dynamic between DS Techeetah pair Antonio Felix da Costa and Jean-Éric Vergne. The two champion drivers were by no means always a harmonious duo and, whilst Rossiter understands that emotions do peak at times, he doesn't expect to experience similar with Mortara and Gunther.
He said: "I mean having been a driver for 20 years I can imagine that the emotions are. Working with JEV and Antonio for 3 years - and my responsibility was to manage that dynamic. It was challenging at times, but I learned a huge amount. Also trying to communicate to each driver how they can work together so that we can all have the success that we desire.
Edoardo Mortara has recently challenged for the championship and is tipped to be a major player once again"I think Max and Edo definitely have a different dynamic, that's for sure. You've got Max who is the young gun, you've got Edo who has all the experience, won races, fought for the championship the last two years. So they're very different in terms of where they are at, which I think will help me and the team. I think Edo understands that he is the team leader."
The Maserati boss was part of a DS outfit that did win three titles on the bounce and brings with him that know how of success. Rossiter doesn't envisage having to make wholesale changes in his new role, citing their victory tally as proof of the talent that already exists.
He added: "I learned a huge amount at DS. To have won championships with them, to understand what it takes, what systems you need in place, which I think is key, and what people you need in place. To be able to bring all that together now - and to work together with such an amazing team that I already find myself in charge of. The people are amazing, the team finished second last year, and in terms of leadership it is bringing whatever small bits I can to make our bad days less bad, because it is a team that won five races last year."
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship returns on Saturday 14 January for the 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix with races across the season live on Channel 4 and Eurosport
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