“I Would Hope a Strong Result Will Follow” Andretti Formula E Team Principal Roger Griffiths Interview Ahead of Mexico E-Prix

January the 11th, sees Formula E return for the second race of the season at the hugely exciting Mexico City. One Team looking to leave their mark on Mexico will be Andretti Motorsport. Following on from some bad luck in Brazil in what had looked a promising weekend following Jake Dennis qualifying in 3rd. We caught up with the Andretti Formula E Team Principal ahead of Mexico to talk all things Mexico and Formula E. We are excited to be joined for this Roger Griffiths interview during what has been an extremely busy period for the team.

Read more: How to watch the Mexico E-Prix

Roger Griffiths Interview

To start off, what are the expectations of a team principal of a Formula E Team?

“There are no expectations, which is the fun aspect of the job. With Formula E being such a dynamic sport, you never quite know what to expect which is all part of the challenge of leading a team.”

What are the difficulties in creating a successful Formula E Team?

“The success comes from having a combination of the right people, whether that be drivers, engineers, mechanics etc. Finding the right people who will all work together successfully is perhaps the hardest part. The other challenge is that unlike many other racing series, we rarely see the cars back at our headquarters during the course of the season. Being able to adapt to this hurdle and ensure that the cars are reliable means that creating the right operational environment to support this is key.”

We saw the promise of Andretti during Brazil qualifying with Jake Dennis coming in 3rd.
What are the expectations going into Mexico?

“Mexico has previously been a good track for the team and our goal is to always advance through to the Duel stages of qualifying – ideally with both cars – and from there, you are guaranteed a decent starting position for the race. Operationally, from the team side we were strong in Brazil and if we can carry this through into Mexico, then I would hope a strong result will follow.”

What are the pressures of being the team principal of such a globally renowned racing
brand such as Andretti?

“To be honest, it is not something I really think about. I have always considered it a privilege to work for the Andretti name. Prior to Michael stepping into a different role in the team, I would always think about how I could best represent him and his brand. Now with Dan Towriss taking over that leadership role at Andretti Global, it is up to me to ensure the continued success of the team in a professional manner.”

Season 9 saw Andretti best season to date with Jake Dennis winning the DWC. Are you expecting to better that performance this season?

“That year we broke numerous records, some of which still stand today, so that’s a real stand out season. Beating that would be a serious challenge! However, the aim is always to improve in all aspects as our competition is never standing still.”

You joined Andretti in 2014, 10 years on how proud are you with what you have achieved so far?

“Not only have we built a successful Formula E team, but we’ve also had success during my time as team principal in our Extreme E team as well. Both have had race wins and in the case of the Formula E team, a World Championship – the first ever for Andretti. We even designed our own electric powertrain and ran as a manufacturer in our own right for two seasons. Everyone is very proud of what we have achieved, culminating in Andretti now being recognized as a global racing operation which has been a big step for the whole organization.”

You have experience previously holding roles in Formula One, INDYCAR, American Le
Mans Series, European Le Mans Series and Super Touring Cars, what different challenges does Formula E offer in comparison?

“All of the afore mentioned championships were well established when I joined them, but Formula E was new – a startup. All of us were trying to figure out exactly what it was we were trying to accomplish. There was no model for us to follow and we had a clean sheet of paper. While that is unique and refreshing, it meant that we had to find solutions to many challenges that didn’t exist anywhere else. Certainly, in the early days Formula E was much more of a ‘pop up’ race event than now, where you’d arrive in a city on the far side of the world not really knowing what you would find.”

We would like to thank Roger Griffiths and Andretti Formula E for their time with this interview. If you would like to see more content such as the Roger Griffiths Interview.

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