Bruno Senna hails team effort in London E-Prix

London: Finishing a creditable fourth in the season-ending London E-Prix, Mahindra Racing driver Bruno Senna was happy with his and the team's performance after enjoying the best result of the season in the FIA Formula E Championship.

Senna, the nephew of the late Ayrton Senna - three-time Formula One world champion, saw Mahindra Racing move up to eighth in the championship standings with its second driver, Karun Chandhok, finishing 13th overall.

"This was the best result of the season for me and also for the whole Mahindra Racing team. I am very happy to finish the season on a high and to be able to fulfil our potential," Senna said.

Chandhok said: "The first stint was pretty good and I think that?we could have got 11th. At the start I moved up places which was great for us around this circuit, however we ended up?using more energy than we'd hoped as a result. It's great to see Bruno get fourth and end strongly for the team."

The first-ever single-seater electric racing series saw the use of Spark-Renault stock car but it will showcase a range of e-technologies from the next race in 2015-16.

Mahindra's team principal Dilbagh Gill added: "We certainly saved the best for last. That was a brilliant performance from Bruno and from the entire team. We showed a lot of potential and signed off very well.

"I am pleased to have moved up in the championship ranking as a result and proud of all the hard work the Mahindra Racing engineers, mechanics and drivers have put in all season."

Set up by motor sports governing body FIA to help develop electric technology for the automotive industry, Mahindra Group is hopeful of gaining ground in India.

"It certainly is a great start for Mahindra and could mark a start for the popularity of the race in India," said Pawan Goenka, Mahindra and Mahindra Group President for the Auto and Farm sector.

"We were one of the early people who were approached by the organisers of Formula E to participate for two reasons: one that we were one of the very few manufacturers of electric vehicles commercially and therefore it is natural that we participate in Formula E and second that we are from India.

It was good for us from the viewpoint of enhancing India's image and through that spreading the focus that India is putting on electric vehicles," he explained.

The event, which is aimed at building an audience for

electric car racing, was held in 9 cities across the world ? Long Beach, Miami, Buenos Aires, Punta Del Easte, Moscow, Berlin, Monaco, Beijing and Putrajaya ? before a grand finale on Sunday at Battersea Park in south London.

In reference to India as among the e-racing destinations of the future, Goenka pegged Delhi as an ideal location.

"Delhi will be ideal in terms of interest and visibility and the backdrop that you get and wide roads, or maybe even Bangalore. The organisers have an interest in bringing a race to India. It cannot happen in 2015/16, as that is already decided, but 2016/17 is possible," he said.