Maserati will return to motorsport next year by making its Formula E debut. The carmaker will be the first Italian brand to compete in the all-electric racing championship.

• Maserati expected to partner with another Formula E team
• Motorsport learnings to aid Folgore EV sub-brand

Why is Maserati joining Formula E?

Maserati will join Formula E from Season 9 onwards, which will usher in the new Gen 3 regulations. The championship provided an early preview of its new-gen racer earlier this year, and claims it is the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient race car so far.

It is understood that Maserati will partner with another team for this effort, similar to Stellantis stablemate DS’ partnership with Techeetah. Explaining why it has selected Formula E for its motorsport return, Maserati highlights its new electric vehicle range – Folgore – which is a new sub-brand comprising of the EV versions of Maserati’s entire model line-up, including the upcoming Grecale, new GranTurismo, GranCabrio and MC20.

“The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship provides Maserati with a perfect platform to showcase the unprecedented brand racing heritage, and Folgore, in an environment where high performance and innovation powerfully co-exist,” a press statement explains.

“We are very proud to be back where we belong as protagonists in the world of racing,” said Davide Grasso, Maserati CEO. “In the race for more performance, luxury and innovation, Folgore is irresistible and it is the purest expression of Maserati. That’s why we decided to go back to racing in the FIA Formula E World Championship, meeting our customers in the city centers of the world, taking the Trident forward into the future.”

Maserati racing heritage

Maserati made its racing debut way back in 1926, with the Maserati Tipo 26 making its debut at the Targa Floro as the first race car to bear the Trident logo. The brand also enjoyed success in Formula 1, but 1957 (when Juan Manuel Fangio won his fifth and final F1 title with a 250F) was the carmaker’s final year as a manufacturer in single-seater racing until now.

The brand’s last motorsport outing was in the FIA GT championship from 2004 to 2010, where it won a total of 14 titles (constructors, drivers and team), with the MC12 built for GT1 regulations.