de Vries aiming to continue Mahindra's momentum in Miami

Formula E returns this weekend after an extended break with a return of the Miami E-Prix for the first time in a decade, albeit at the new-to-Formula E venue Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Eight weeks have passed since the last race in Jeddah, so you might think the momentum and progress teams have made has hit a brick wall. But for Mahindra – a team that’s stood out as already having made great strides this season compared to last year – it’s been less of a hindrance, and more of an opportunity to reflect and prepare for an even more encouraging continuation.

“It's been a positive start to the season,” Nyck de Vries told RACER. “I think it's great to see the little steps we're continuing to make as a team. It's obviously the first powertrain and package we've developed as the current Mahindra Group and seeing ourselves more competitively in the top 10.

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“We are encouraged by that, and we hope to continue to push that trend forward. We're always aware of the level of competitiveness in this championship. It's extremely tight, and everyone is obviously doing their job, but we're enjoying it.”

But while the break has been somewhat helpful for Mahindra, de Vries admits he would’ve rather been racing during that time.

“I think it's nice to have a moment to reflect on what we've done,” he said. “We did a test, so we collected a little bit more information and learning.

“There are pros and cons to both. As a driver, I enjoy being in that rhythm. I'm really looking forward to the next couple of months because you live from race to race, and there's not too much time to think about it during the weeks that you're not racing.

“I personally much more enjoy racing frequently, and I want to be racing. So I’m rather biased towards the coming months.”

Over the first four races of the season, Mahindra has scored 41 points – with points finishes in every race and two double-points finishes – to sit sixth in the Constructors' Championship. It’s a far cry from last season where the team didn’t get on the board until Round 9 in Berlin.

“It’s definitely more encouraging and motivating to turn up to a weekend knowing that you have a chance, and there is a realistic chance to to fight for good points,” de Vries said. “Then, whether we are fighting in top 10 or hoping for a podium or for points in the championship, whatever between those lines is so unpredictable, that if you're in that mix, you never know what could happen. But, last year, we kind of always had to hope for a miracle to pull off something, which is definitely a different approach going into the weekend.”

This weekend’s race at Homestead is expected to be an energy-sensitive race. That, combined with the unfamiliar circuit, leaves de Vries wary of making predictions.

“I find it very hard to have clear predictions because I feel like the racing has changed a little bit over the past races,” he said. “This season so far, relative to Season 10, halfway through Season 9, this peloton-style racing became very present, or very dominant, within the racing execution. But I feel like it's changing in some way. So of course, with all those straights and the energy sensitivities we have, we have a good chance of that, but you’ve always got to be very adaptive and dynamic to feel and see what's happening.”