DHL eChampions Award: Mahindra Racing in Singapore

As winners of the DHL eChampions Award, Claudio Corradini and the Mahindra team traveled to Singapore where they visited the DHL Asia Pacific Innovation Center and Nanyang Technology University.

In 2017, DHL teamed up with FIA Formula E to create the eChampions Award to recognize the unsung heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes to help make the all-electric racing series the fastest-growing form of motorsport in the world.

Formula E and DHL invited all the teams to nominate those individuals or departments who drive excellence, innovation and pioneering spirit. Their stories were presented in a series of short films that took a closer look at how they are pushing the boundaries of innovation.

A combination of fan votes und a panel of esteemed judges made up of representatives from DHL, Formula E and the media, selected Mahindra Racing as the winners of the DHL eChampions Award.

I was very proud to win the DHL eChampions Award.

Claudio Corradini

Mahindra-nominated Operations Manager Claudio Corradini is the only person to have won both Formula 1 and Formula E championships. The Italian began his motorsport career with Ferrari at the age of 17 and worked with some of the great names in the sport such as Gilles Villeneuve, Mario Andretti and Alain Prost before moving on to Benetton where he won the World Championship title with Michael Schumacher.

A few years later, when Corradini was contemplating retirement from motorsport, he got an offer from NextEV to get involved with the new Formula E. The Italian agreed and won the 2015 Drivers' Championship with Nelson Piquet Jr that same year. Corradini then joined Mahindra Racing and secured no fewer than ten podium finishes with Nick Heidfeld and Felix Rosenqvist - more than any other team.

Sustainable technologies for a better environment

As a reward for winning the DHL eChampions Award, Claudio Corradini and his team traveled to Singapore in December 2017 to explore the positive impact of pioneering technologies and future-oriented solutions in one of Asia's most sustainable cities.

"I was very proud to win the DHL eChampions Award. I've been always keen to support the environment and being recognized for all the hard work means a lot," said Corradini, who also visited the DHL Asia Pacific Innovation Center (APIC).

DHL launched the APIC in 2015 to offer a visionary view of the logistics world and to develop innovative solutions to meet evolving supply chain needs. The center is located within the DHL Supply Chain Advanced Regional Center building at Singapore's Tampines LogisPark. Besides providing a second customer-centric innovation platform that caters to the Asian market, APIC also invests in capabilities in analytics, e-commerce and last-mile solutions for Asia Pacific markets.

Change is not an option, it's a commitment.

Claudio Corradini

"The DHL Innovation Center was very impressive," said Corradini. "Change is not an option, it's a commitment, and I've seen that DHL have got this message fixed in their minds and in their business plan."

They also went to the Nanyang Technology University (NTU) campus where the first autonomous vehicle is being tested. "Autonomous vehicles have the potential to make driving much safer in urban cities, reduce the carbon emissions and are environmental friendly," said Ryan Jin Zhane, Program Co-Ordinator at NTU.

It is clear to Claudio Corradini that Formula E has a crucial role to play as an ambassador for sustainability. "Sustainability is the only weapon we have at the moment to fight for a better environment," he said after visiting NTU. "We need to be more committed, because this place shows you it's possible. We just have to spread that message around the world."