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Category: Formula E
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Stoffel Vandoorne claims first win of the season
Monte Carlo, 30 April 2022: Stoffel Vandoorne mastered the unforgiving streets of Monte-Carlo today (30 April) to claim his first victory of the 2021/22 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship campaign with Mercedes-EQ – storming to the summit of the drivers’ standings in the process.
Vandoorne began the Monaco E-Prix from fourth on the grid and maintained that position throughout the opening half of the race in the glamorous Principality, behind pole-sitter Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing), TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein and two-time champion Jean-Éric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH), before the leading quartet began trading places as Attack Mode activations came into play.
The Belgian’s first move was to sweep around the outside of Evans for third at the chicane approaching mid-distance, going on to gain another spot when Wehrlein suddenly slowed. After boxing clever and biding his time early on, the German looked to have pulled off a masterstroke as he catapulted himself to the head of the order following the initial round of Attack Modes, only for misfortune to strike.
Vandoorne then seized the lead when Vergne became the first of the front-runners to deploy his second Attack Mode, the DS TECHEETAH driver dropping to third and losing much of the benefit of his extra power to a Full Course Yellow, prompted by Wehrlein’s car stopping on-track.
When the action resumed, Mercedes man Vandoorne had a 3.5-second advantage over closest rival Evans. Whilst, like Vergne, he was unable to fully exploit his second Attack Mode – due to a safety car intervention for a collision between Mahindra Racing’s Oliver Rowland and André Lotterer that left the Porsche buried in the Ste Dévote barriers – he would not subsequently be challenged.
A new fastest lap enabled Vandoorne to put some breathing space between himself and his pursuers, and the Monaco resident went on to take the chequered flag just over a second to the good to cement a popular ‘home’ triumph – a result that made him the first driver ever to win the race from lower than pole position, and which leaves him six points clear at the top of the title table.
After rebuffing Wehrlein’s advances to lead the opening stages of the race, Evans – Formula E’s form driver following his double top in Rome three weeks ago – subsequently struggled with energy management but ultimately rallied to clinch the runner-up spoils as he fought his way grittily back past Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns and Vergne.
The Frenchman – who had arrived in Monte-Carlo leading the championship – adopted an aggressive strategy that at one point looked like reaping rewards, but the unfortunate timing of his second Attack Mode would prove costly and in the end, he was powerless to defend against a resurgent Evans in Attack Mode and was forced to settle for third.
Right on Vergne’s heels at the flag was Frijns, who lost ground early on but drove an intelligent race to climb to fourth position and keep his own title aspirations very much alive. The Dutchman wound up sandwiched between the DS TECHEETAHs, with practice pace-setter and last year’s Monaco winner António Félix da Costa hauling himself into contention as he charged through to fifth from down in ninth on the grid.
Sixth-placed Lucas Di Grassi was in the front-running group throughout for ROKiT Venturi Racing, on a day when his team-mate – erstwhile championship leader Edoardo Mortara – failed to score.
Nick Cassidy crossed the line seventh for Envision Racing – an improvement of 11 positions on his starting position – with double title-winner Sébastien Buemi recreating some of the magic that saw him win the first two editions of the Monaco E-Prix as he scythed through from the very back of the pack to finish eighth.
Jake Dennis made up significant early ground for Avalanche Andretti on his way to ninth, with Vandoorne’s Mercedes stablemate, defending champion Nyck de Vries, a subdued tenth.
The 2021/22 Formula E season will continue with rounds seven and eight on Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit in a fortnight’s time (14/15 May).
STOFFEL VANDOORNE, MERCEDES-EQ FORMULA E TEAM, #5 said:
“It is an amazing feeling, I mean Monaco is always a special race to win as a driver. Last year we had a tough time here, this year we managed to turn it around. The target was to qualify at the front and then I knew we would be in the mix, and that is exactly how the race panned out. We were flying today, massive well done to the team for giving me a strong car. It has not been an easy start to the season, but it shows the consistency we have. I am extremely happy.
“I feel like I have been fighting at the front all season already, I have had a few pole positions and have not quite been able to convert them into victories. This weekend I decided not to qualify on pole and get the victory instead.”
MITCH EVANS, JAGUAR TCS RACING, #9 said:
“It was a confusing race because I felt we were looking really good on the energy, obviously off the back of Rome but also approaching the race. We thought we were pretty conservative, so were not expecting to use much energy, but it was the complete opposite. This is something to look into, maybe we just got things a bit wrong today – but we were quite lucky to get second, so I will take that. I really wanted to win today off the back of pole and the wins for us at the last race, but Stoffel and the other guys were really quick. So I will take these good points and move on for the next race.”
JEAN-ÉRIC VERGNE, DS TECHEETAH, #25 said:
“It was a good race but I was unlucky on the second attack mode, I had a struggle with full course yellow so it was a waste. Obviously I would rather fight for the win today but I am going to take those points. I’ll keep pushing hard, I’ll keep hard working and move forward.”
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Mitch Evans bags a double to jump into title-contention: FormulaE
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Rome specialist does the double in the Italian capital to charge into the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship contention.
Rome, 10 April 2022: Mitch Evans had just a solitary point to his name in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship arriving in Italy for this weekend’s Rome E-Prix double-header. Following a second consecutive victory today (10 April), the Jaguar TCS Racing star is now a bona fide title protagonist.
Buoyed by the third triumph of his Formula E career yesterday, Evans began Sunday’s race from fourth place, but he did not stay there long. After despatching Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) and André Lotterer (TAG Heuer Porsche) in quick succession, the New Zealander set about chasing down Jean-Éric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH) for the lead.
Following a brief safety car period to allow for Antonio Giovinazzi’s Dragon / Penske Autosport car to be cleared away shortly after one-third distance, Evans made his move, sweeping around the outside of Vergne to seize the top spot.
The 27-year-old thereafter looked to be in complete control, despite subsequently conceding ground to Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns and Lotterer as his rivals both deployed their single Attack Mode.
When the safety car re-emerged with just 11 minutes left on the clock, however – to remove Alexander Sims’ stricken Mahindra Racing single-seater – Evans was the sole driver in the field yet to activate his own Attack Mode, evoking the possibility of a penalty for not using it in its entirety prior to the end of the race.
Fortunately for the Jaguar driver, a rapid recovery operation and 5m15s of added time enabled him to continue his charge, immediately taking Attack Mode on the resumption of racing and only ceding a single position to Vergne. After swiftly reclaiming third place, he then made short work of Frijns and Lotterer before proceeding to stretch his legs.
A third safety car intervention with two minutes remaining threatened another twist in the tale as it erased Evans’ advantage and set up a no-holds-barred single-lap shootout, but the leader boldly held his nerve and his reward was a third win around the Circuito Cittadino dell’EUR in as many years – a success that has vaulted him firmly into championship contention, just nine points adrift of the summit of the standings.
It is Vergne who now tops the table, after finishing second in the Italian capital. The Frenchman won in Rome last year, and he looked to be on-course to repeat the feat until Evans went on the offensive. He dropped to fifth when he entered Attack Mode, but utilised his extra power to battle back past Jaguar’s Sam Bird, Frijns and Lotterer to seal the runner-up spoils.
From sixth on the grid, Frijns overhauled Bird and Dennis to advance to fourth, and was the first of the leading pack to activate Attack Mode. The Dutchman was another to enjoy a spell at the head of the order, ultimately getting the better of Lotterer in the duel for the final step on the podium – with a third rostrum appearance of the season elevating him to just two points shy of the championship lead.
Following an energetic scrap with front row starter Dennis, Lotterer similarly led the E-Prix later on, and after yielding to Evans, Vergne and Frijns, the German held off Mercedes-EQ’s Stoffel Vandoorne for fourth, the Belgian gaining three places from his grid slot.
Mexico winner Pascal Wehrlein wound up sixth for Porsche at the end of a solid run, ahead of Oliver Turvey, who registered his first points for NIO 333 since Valencia almost 12 months ago. Former champions Lucas Di Grassi (ROKiT Venturi Racing) and Sébastien Buemi (Nissan e.dams) placed eighth and ninth, with NIO 333 rookie Dan Ticktum rounding out the top ten.
Elsewhere, there were hard luck stories for a number of drivers, chief amongst whom were Edoardo Mortara and Nyck de Vries. A DNF following contact with António Félix da Costa – and soon after the wall – saw the Venturi ace slip from first to fifth in the chase for the crown, while defending champion de Vries (Mercedes-EQ) failed to score for the second day in a row after picking up a ten-second penalty for causing a collision with Sérgio Sette Câmara (Dragon / Penske Autosport).
The 2021/22 Formula E campaign will continue with round six in Monaco in three weeks’ time (30 April).
MITCH EVANS, JAGUAR TCS RACING, #9 said:
“It feels like déjà vu.This is a result of pure graft, hard work. I just want to thank everyone at the team because the last eight weeks have been insane with the amount of work that has gone in. I didn’t know if we could manage two – double-headers are tricky to back up – but we showed good quality. The race was a carbon copy from yesterday, the car was working perfectly. It was trickier today because of the temperature and the longer ATTACK mode, I almost got caught out with that during the safety car, but a huge thanks to everyone on the team and hopefully this isn’t just a one-off but it feels good. It has been a big couple of days. It was what we wanted, you dream about that but to try and pull it off is usually quite unrealistic. We are back as a team, I am back towards the top, so it is good times.”
JEAN-ÉRIC VERGNE, DS TECHEETAH, #25 said:
“It was a chaotic race. I didn’t know what was happening in terms of our strategy, the Jaguar and Mitch were way too fast this weekend. I hope that is only going to be a one-off from their side, otherwise it might be difficult to beat them. Today it was impossible. I am fairly happy with second, it was the best I could do, but I am going to urge my team to do better if we want to fight for wins because every time there is someone stronger than us. It is not good enough so we need to work hard in Monaco to be the best. The Championship is still very long, consistency is key, and I think we were fairly consistent throughout the season, but if we want to win we need to have more pace. Leading the Championship at this race, everyone will have forgotten if you don’t win the Championship, so it is at the end that matters.”
ROBIN FRIJNS, ENVISION RACING, #4 said:
“It is a good weekend, it was a good race. It was very tricky in Turn 15, I didn’t know this at the beginning. I felt really comfortable and the team told me I had a bit more energy than the others around me, so my plan was to go a bit further into the top three, and I overtook Jake there. We both went wide, then I noticed the track was breaking up massively. I feel a bit sorry for Jake that we both went wide and he lost his position, that definitely wasn’t the plan, but at the end of the day we were fighting for podium positions which is a victory for us. We move on from here.”
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ABB FIA Formula E World Championship returns to Mexico
MEXICIO CITY, Mx. 10 February 2022 – Mexico City hosts Round 3 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship this Saturday (12 February) with fans returning to fill the grandstands and 22 drivers set to go flat out on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track.
A perfect mix of long, fast straights and a technical infield section that passes right through the legendary Foro Sol stadium – packed with 40,000 fans creating Mexico City’s distinctive vibrant atmosphere – the long-standing host circuit is known for producing intense races and high drama. Fresh from a third placed finish in Round 2 and a strong opening weekend for his new team, ROKiT Venturi Racing’s Lucas di Grassi is one to watch in Mexico.
The Brazilian has made two trips to the top step in Mexico City, most recently in Season 5 after his first win in front of the Foro Sol two seasons earlier. Teammate Edo Mortara is looking to continue his fine opening weekend form and stay at the top of the drivers’ standings after winning the second of two races in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Mortara’s win followed reigning World Champion Nyck de Vries’ victory in Round 1, as Mercedes-EQ immediately got to grips with the all-new Duels qualifying format.
De Vries and teammate Stoffel Vandoorne threw down the gauntlet with a formidable one-two finish in the opening race of the seaon. The German manufacturer sits just a point behind its ‘customer’ outfit in the Teams’ World Championship ahead of the trip to Mexico, with Mercedes power currently the benchmark.
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Nyck de Vries begins Season 8 campaign in style: Formula E
Defending ABB FIA Formula E World Champion exploits an error by his Mercedes-EQ team-mate in Saudi Arabia to cement the first victory of Season Eight
Diriyah (Saudi Arabia), 28 Jan 2022: Reigning ABB FIA Formula E World Champion Nyck De Vries got his title defence off to the perfect start in Saudi Arabia this evening (28 January), taking advantage of a missed ATTACK MODE for stablemate Stoffel Vandoorne to seize the initiative and replicate his curtain-raising triumph from last season.
The Mercedes-EQ duo were on imperious form around the Riyadh Street Circuit, as the defending Teams’ title-holder sought to stamp its authority on proceedings right from the outset. From pole position – after prevailing in Formula E’s new Groups and head-to-head ‘knockout’ Duels qualifying format – Vandoorne looked to have matters under control early on as he held sway ahead of De Vries, who had leapfrogged front row sitter Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) away from the lights.
The momentum shifted, however, when Vandoorne initially failed to activate his second ATTACK MODE, meaning he had to try again a lap later – and the loss of time was sufficient to elevate his Dutch team-mate into the lead. Although the Belgian kept the pressure on, it would prove to be the pivotal moment of the race, opening the door for De Vries to seal the third victory of his burgeoning career in the all-electric single-seater series.
The result represented a remarkable turnaround for the 26-year-old, whose weekend had begun with an impact with the wall on only the second lap of free practice, ruling him out of the remainder of the session. Fighting back to the top step of the podium proved that he will once more be a force to be reckoned with over the course of the campaign.
If the Mercedes pair were unquestionably the class of the field in the desert kingdom, Dennis did his best to keep them honest over the first half of the Diriyah ePrix. Having slipped behind TAG Heuer Porsche’s André Lotterer during the second round of ATTACK MODES, last season’s standout rookie thereafter had to dig deep indeed to reclaim the position, finding his efforts repeatedly rebuffed by the experienced German until he finally succeeded in forcing his way past.
The Briton duly secured the last spot on the rostrum, followed home by compatriot Sam Bird, a former winner in Saudi Arabia. The Jaguar TCS Racing driver was embroiled in an entertaining scrap throughout with 2016/17 champion Lucas Di Grassi – the Brazilian on characteristically fast and feisty form on his debut for ROKiT Venturi Racing.
Both men overhauled the fading Lotterer in the closing stages – Di Grassi producing an eye-catching late dive into Turn One – to cement fourth and fifth places at the chequered flag. Behind them, Edoardo Mortara in the second Venturi entry battled up the order from 12th on the grid to snatch sixth on the final tour from series sophomore Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing), who nonetheless tallied an extra point for posting the race’s fastest lap.
Two-time title-winner Jean-Éric Vergne finished eighth on a difficult day for DS Techeetah, as team-mate and 2019/20 champion António Félix da Costa retired on the opening lap due to suspension damage caused by contact.
Avalanche Andretti newcomer Oliver Askew – the first American to compete in Formula E in almost seven years – wound up an excellent ninth on his series bow having started down in 17th, with Mitch Evans rounding out the points-scorers for Jaguar TCS Racing in tenth.
After featuring up at the sharp end for much of the race and looking to be in contention for a podium position, Lotterer ultimately plummeted to 13th as Porsche struggled to maintain its early pace. Oliver Rowland’s first outing with Mahindra Racing, meanwhile, ended in the barriers following contact with Envision Racing rival Robin Frijns ten minutes in, bringing out the safety car and earning the Dutchman a drive-through penalty.
The second Diriyah ePrix will get underway at 20:03 local time (18:03 CET) tomorrow (Saturday, 29 January).
Nyck de Vries, Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, #17, said: “The result might be the same than last year, but the way we achieved it felt very different – obviously starting with yesterday tapping the wall in lap one didn’t help. It put myself and the team on the backfoot, then you have to rebuild your confidence and the conditions were very slippery, very different to last year. There is always a lot of track evolution, so you have to build it up in FP2 and then straight into qualifying. So I was actually very happy with what we achieved in qualifying, and then I knew we had a strong race car to capitalise on our qualifying position. We had great pace, the team did a great job and I was a bit fortunate with Stoff missing his ATTACK MODE, but at the end of the day it was faultless from our garage and we managed to win the first race. I am very pleased with the way we managed to win this race and start the season strong.”
Stoffel Vandoorne, Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, #5, said: “I’m a little bit disappointed, I think it’s not bad to be disappointed with the second place today. I was leading the race, everything was under control, we had really strong pace in the car today – but then I missed the loop on the second attack activation which handed the position to Nyck. We were pushing each other, cruising away from the others and had a one-two finish for the team. It’s been a great team result. I can’t be disappointed, qualifying on pole in the first new qualifying format – to finish second today is a good one and we have another opportunity tomorrow. You can never have relief in Formula E. The nature of the Championship is so close that the moment you give up a bit of performance, someone else is going to be there. It is not a guarantee that we win today we win tomorrow, but we are going to try and do everything to repeat the performance in qualifying, and from my side do a bit better in the race.”
Jake Dennis, Avalanche Andretti, #27, said: “I felt quite comfortable behind the Mercedes, I think we were on the same strategy, things were looking quite good, but when the top four breakaway it isn’t the best being in third as it allows the car behind to have free attack zones. Andre (Lotterer) undercutting us ruined our race a bit, but I wanted a podium so bad today – we deserved it as a team. We tried it the first time, completely got it wrong, but the second time I learned from my mistakes and put it right, got the overtake done and then we pulled clear and tried to close down the Mercedes, but they were a little too quick in the end. We had a great race.”
Round 1 results Final Classification
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Porsche Taycan, the new Safety Car: Formula E
STUTTGART (Germany) 18 Jan 2022: A Porsche with leadership qualities: When the distinctively designed Taycan pulls out of the pit lane and onto the racetrack in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, it will quickly take the lead.
Meanwhile, some Formula E news from India. Hyderabad has expressed its interest to host a round of Formula E, read the report here.
Porsche’s first all-electric sports car is the new safety car in the innovative electric racing series this season. The vehicle will celebrate its racetrack debut at the opening round of the Formula E season on 28/29 January in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Designed to be more than just the Formula E safety car, the Porsche Tycan Turbo S` striking paintwork flies the colours of all eleven teams competing in the Championship, as well as the colours of the FIA and Formula E. It symbolises the commitment of everyone involved in Formula E and the common path towards the future of all-electric motor racing. At the same time, it gives a visual expression of social values such as diversity and community. The number 22 acknowledges the performance of the 22 drivers who contest the series this season.
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Hyderabad in line to host Formula E race: Telangana State signs LoI
Hyderabad, 17 Jan 2022: India has today taken a step closer to hosting a round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship following the signing of a Letter Of Intent (LOI) between the Telangana State and Formula E. However, the calendar for 2022 is already out with 16-rounds but may see changes later on.
Signed in Hyderabad, the Official Candidate City, the agreement will see Formula E work with City and State officials to examine the viability of hosting a future E-Prix.
Alberto Longo, Formula E Co-founder and Chief Championship Officer, said, “We welcome Hyderabad and the State of Telangana’s interest in hosting a round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. With this Letter Of Intent we can further explore the exciting potential of returning elite motorsport to India.
“Mahindra Racing has been a part of Formula E since our very first race and I encourage you all to tune in to Star Sports and show your support for the team in the opening rounds of Season 8 on 28 & 29 January.”
As one of the India’s leading renewable energy companies, Greenko, will also partner with Formula E to deliver the event. Headquartered in Hyderabad, the group is committed towards delivering clean and affordable energy to meet the India’s long-term energy needs.
Since its inception seven years ago, Formula E has completed 84 races on the streets of some of the most iconic cities in the world including New York City, Monaco, Berlin, Paris, Beijing and Buenos Aires. As one of the founding teams of the world’s first all-electric street racing series, Mahindra Racing has competed in every round.
More than 20 cities are currently vying to be part of Season 9 – the first year of the new Gen3 era of Formula E.
Season 8 gets underway in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on January 28, the first of 16 races in locations including Jakarta, Vancouver, Mexico City and London before the calendar concludes in South Korea in August.
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Mahindra Racing unveils Season 8 car: M7 electro-ZF
The Anglo-Indian outfit unveiled its new car with a refreshed identity at the new ZF factory in Birmingham, UK. Team principal Dilbagh Gill, drivers Alexander Sims and Oliver Rowland – a new signing for Season 8 from Nissan e.dams – were joined by Mahindra & Mahindra’s chief customer and brand officer Asha Kharga at the event.
“The new dynamic Mahindra wordmark reflects the sleeker, more tech-focused Mahindra of today,” said Kharga. “The new ‘Born EV’ logo is electric-in-motion, it feels like a force of red and silver energy passed by in high-speed. It reflects our focus and commitment to the electric revolution. By sporting the new identity, the race team has become the first of Mahindra companies to be adorned with the new brand identity elements.”
- Mahindra Racing’s Season 8 charger unveiled: The M7Electro, powered by ZF, features an all-red livery embellished with Mahindra & Mahindra refreshed identity
- The global unveil of the brand-new Mahindra wordmark and Born EV logo reflects the marque’s focus and commitment to the electric revolution
- Shell and Maurice Lacroix extend team partnerships
- Team certified ISO 14001 as it continues to lead the way as Champions of Sustainability
Mahindra’s design division, Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (M.A.D.E.) has been instrumental in creating the ‘Born EV’ platform. Mahindra Racing, competing at the pinnacle of global electric racing, is helping accelerate Mahindra’s global EV vision by bringing knowledge and technology from the sport to road vehicles in its ‘Race to Road’ technology programme.
Continuing to lead the way as Champions of Sustainability, Mahindra Racing is also proud to announce yet another accolade to its rollcall of achievements. Following a successful audit process, the team has received official ISO 14001:2015 certification. ISO 14001 is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for an Environmental Management System (EMS). It helps organisations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste, gaining a competitive advantage and the trust of stakeholders.
The M7Electro will take on its final year of racing before the Gen3 cars replace the current Gen2 from Season 9 onwards. This season will see the continuation of competition of the car powered by the ZF powertrain and utilising the dedicated e-Transmission fluid developed by Shell for optimised on-track performance. These key technical partnerships that debuted during Season 7 saw the team achieve 1 race victory, 4 podiums, 9 Super Pole appearances, 1 Pole Position and 2 Group Qualifying Poles.
Season 8 sees a new phase of the team’s partnership with Shell, as it extends and strengthens its relationship with Mahindra Racing on a multi-year basis. The team is also pleased to announce an extension of its partnership with luxury Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix, which continues as Official Timekeeper.
Dilbagh Gill, CEO & Team Principal, Mahindra Racing said, “On the cusp of a new season, we are thrilled to reveal our new race car. We head into our eighth year of competition reinvigorated and working hand in hand to maximise our package with the fantastic partners we have; including ZF and Shell, whose technology forms key parts of our M7Electro.”
Nick Heidfeld steps away from his previous position as Official Test and Reserve Driver but retains his role as Special Advisor to Mahindra Racing. Jordan King continues for a second year as Development Driver.
Alexander Sims, entering his second year as a Mahindra Racing driver, will compete in the #29 M7Electro, which fans have voted to be named as ‘Rath’ (which means Chariot in Hindi). Alongside him in the #30 will be Oliver Rowland, who joins Mahindra Racing from Nissan e.dams, having achieved 1 victory and 5 podiums in his Formula E career to date. Fans have voted his car to be called ‘Rowl With It’ in this season.
Mahindra Racing will be in action alongside the other teams at the official pre-season test from 29 November to 2 December 2021 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. Season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will start on 28 January 2022 with a double-header in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia and is due to be the longest season in Formula E history, comprising 16 races.
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Sergio Perez tops timesheets in FP2: US GP
Austin, 23 October 2021: Sergio Pérez set the fastest lap of second practice for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, beating McLaren’s Lando Norris by more than two tenths of a second. Lewis Hamilton was third, with title leader Max Verstappen eight after encountering traffic on his qualifying simulation.
Once again run in hot conditions, the session got underway with most drivers using the hard compound tyres. Valtteri Bottas moved to medium tyres, however, and he jumped to the top of the order with a lap of 1:38.887s. Pérez then took over thanks to a time of 1:35.883 and which he eventually lowered to 1:35.716 as the session reached the 15-minute mark.
The field then began to switch to soft tyres for their qualifying simulations, with Bottas being the first main mover. The Finn posted a time of 1:35.360s to reclaim top spot.
Pérez moved ahead again though with his time of 1:35.310 and Norris took second place with a lap of 1:35.203.
Hamilton might have moved well clear with a lap of 1:34.842 but he went over the track limits in the penultimate corner and had the time deleted. The Mercedes driver continued, however, and he posted a best effort of 1:35.310 to take third place.
Verstappen meanwhile failed to put in a quick lap on soft tyres after he was released into traffic. He abandoned the lap, vented his frustration on the radio and pitted. He ended the session in P8.
Earlier in the session, there was a moment of tension between title rivals Verstappen and Hamilton who had raced side by side from the final corner to Turn 1 with neither willing to back off. Verstappen was told by Red Bull to “ignore” Hamilton’s actions but consoled himself with a gesture towards the Mercedes man as he accelerated away.
At the flag, Bottas took fourth ahead of McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo, with Stroll sixth ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Verstappen. The top 10 was rounded out by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi rounded out the top 10.
2021 FIA Formula 1 United States Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
1 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda 1:34.946 24 209.032
2 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:35.203 0.257 20 208.468
3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:35.310 0.364 22 208.234
4 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:35.360 0.414 24 208.125
5 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren/Mercedes 1:35.457 0.511 21 207.913
6 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:35.561 0.615 25 207.687
7 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:35.572 0.626 23 207.663
8 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda 1:35.824 0.878 23 207.117
9 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:35.919 0.973 24 206.912
10 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:36.138 1.192 26 206.440
11 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1:36.158 1.212 23 206.397
12 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri/Honda 1:36.242 1.296 25 206.217
13 Fernando Alonso Alpine/Renault 1:36.376 1.430 18 205.930
14 Kimi Räikkönen Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1:36.558 1.612 25 205.542
15 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin/Mercedes 1:36.718 1.772 30 205.202
16 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda 1:36.983 2.037 24 204.642
17 Mick Schumacher Haas/Ferrari 1:37.041 2.095 24 204.519
18 Nicholas Latifi Williams/Mercedes 1:37.254 2.308 26 204.071
19 George Russell Williams/Mercedes 1:37.490 2.544 21 203.577
20 Nikita Mazepin Haas/Ferrari 1:38.026 3.080 23 202.464 -
Lucas Di Grassi wins finale’s double-header opener
Victory for Lucas Di Grassi on Audi’s farewell weekend, a fighting drive by Edoardo Mortara, a non-score for Nyck de Vries and a race of two halves’ for DS Techeetah set the scene for a pulsating final day of the 2020/21 campaign…
Berlin, 14 August 2021: Lucas Di Grassi delivered Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler a sublime second victory of the 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Berlin today (14 August), as he stormed into title contention on the German manufacturer’s home soil.
From third on the grid around the Tempelhof Airport circuit, Di Grassi – a winner in the German capital two years ago – initially held station, closely shadowing fellow former champions Jean-Éric Vergne and António Félix da Costa ahead, with the DS TECHEETAH drivers trading places at mid-distance as the defending title-holder advanced to the front of the field.
No sooner had he conceded the top spot than qualifying pace-setter Vergne found himself under pressure from not just one but two Audis, with René Rast having scythed his way up the order in ATTACK MODE from 12th on the starting grid. The pair wasted little time in making their move as they relegated the Frenchman to fourth, but they were not done yet, and a peerless display of teamwork saw Di Grassi and Rast depose da Costa from the lead in one fell swoop.
Once Rast’s ATTACK MODE had run out, the German began slipping back down the order, but his team-mate was still very much on a mission and after relinquishing the initiative to ROKiT Venturi Racing duo Edoardo Mortara and Norman Nato when he activated his own ATTACK MODE, he swiftly set about reclaiming it.
As the top three pulled away from Rast, Di Grassi relived Nato of second place with 13 minutes remaining, before rapidly zeroing in on Mortara in the lead. It was not long before the 2016/17 champion was through, and despite a late counter-attack from his Swiss rival, he held on to secure his 12th career Formula E win – a result that has vaulted him up the order from 14th in the Drivers’ table to sixth with just one race remaining.
The runner-up spoils for Mortara have elevated the Venturi ace to second in the title standings, only three points adrift of the summit, while Mitch Evans similarly kept his own championship aspirations very much alive with a hard-fought third place for Jaguar Racing.
From seventh on the grid, the New Zealander immediately gained a position at the expense of Nissan e.dams’ Sébastien Buemi before continuing to move forward, pulling off an ultra-committed switchback pass on Nato through Turns Six and Seven to squeeze through to third. Thereafter, he drove a defensive line to keep the Frenchman at bay, as the Venturi rookie narrowly missed out on the rostrum but nonetheless celebrated the best result of his season to-date in fourth.
Jake Dennis was another to launch a late assault on the podium, the BMW i Andretti Motorsport man showcasing his excellent racecraft as he recovered from a slow start to wind up fifth and gain a spot to third in the championship chase. Behind the Briton, Vergne and da Costa ultimately faded to sixth and seventh, around a circuit where they had dominated only 12 months earlier.
Maximilian Günther in the second BMW i Andretti Motorsport entry and Rast were the remaining two drivers in the hunt for silverware in the closing stages – ultimately placing eighth and ninth, as the latter posted the race’s fastest lap – with André Lotterer taking the last point on offer in tenth.
Amongst the big names that failed to score, Sam Bird survived a first lap tag that sent him into a half-spin only for his Jaguar Racing machine to crawl to a halt on the start-finish straight just over ten minutes in, bringing out the safety car and spelling the British driver’s third straight retirement since briefly re-taking the championship lead in New York last month.
Having begun the E-Prix from the back of the grid, Stoffel Vandoorne (Mercedes-EQ) and Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing) could manage no better than 12th and 15th at the chequered flag, while Nyck de Vries in the sister Mercedes lost time due to a collision with Mahindra Racing’s Alex Lynn that necessitated a visit to the pits and left him a lap down.
The Dutchman still leads the championship, albeit now by a reduced margin, with the gloves set to come off tomorrow (Sunday, 15 August) for one final showdown on the streets of Berlin, when the 2020/21 FIA Formula E World Champion will be officially crowned. The 15th round of the season on the circuit’s reversed ‘NILREB’ layout will get underway at 15:34 CET
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Indian National anthem sounds sweet as Lynn delivers victory for Mahindra Racing
London, 25 July 2021: Alex Lynn was disappointed to finish third in yesterday’s London E-Prix after starting from pole position; just under 24 hours later, the Mahindra Racing ace made amends in fine style, racing from third on the grid to his maiden ABB FIA Formula E World Championship victory on home soil. The sweet victory for the Indian outfit saw that the Indian National anthem, Jana, Gana mana… played at the London e-prix and the Indian flags were proudly displayed.
Watch the video clip here courtesy twitter @anandmahindra
As pole-sitter Stoffel Vandoorne (Mercedes-EQ) led away in the early stages, Lynn initially conceded a place to the Belgian’s team-mate Nyck de Vries – the Dutchman damaging his steering in the process.
Undeterred, Lynn subsequently reclaimed the spot with the dual benefit of FANBOOST and ATTACK MODE, going on to seal his first win in his 40th start in the all-electric single-seater series. In so doing, he completed a popular British double, following countryman Jake Dennis’ triumph for BMW i Andretti Motorsport yesterday around the ExCel circuit in the heart of London’s historical docklands district.
Right from the outset, this was a race that had a bit of everything. Up until mid-distance, Vandoorne looked odds-on to secure his second victory of the 2020/21 season as he established a small gap over the chasing pack and mastered a brace of safety car interventions, but a lock-up from Oliver Rowland at the hairpin resulted in contact that put both cars in the barriers, incurring the Nissan e.dams driver a five-second penalty.
That drama promoted de Vries to a net lead, pursued by Lynn – net, because Lucas Di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler) had driven through the pit-lane during the second safety car period to controversially vault to the front of the field.
Whilst the Brazilian would go on to take the chequered flag first, he was disqualified for having not brought his car to a complete standstill on his passage through the pits and then failing to serve a drive-through penalty handed down for the indiscretion.
The duel for honours, therefore, was between de Vries and Lynn, with the Mahindra man taking advantage of a later second ATTACK MODE to steal the initiative. Di Grassi’s post-race penalty left Lynn celebrating his breakthrough series success, whilst the runner-up spoils were sufficient to vault de Vries into a six-point championship lead with just two rounds of the season left to run.
Behind the top two, Mitch Evans produced an inch-perfect defence to tally his fourth third-place finish of the campaign, artfully fending off first Maximilian Günther (BMW i Andretti Motorsport) and then Envision Virgin Racing rival Robin Frijns to reach the bottom step of the rostrum for Jaguar Racing, despite nursing some damage and losing time when he missed the activation zone for his second ATTACK MODE and had to try again the following lap.
Frijns took fourth to keep the pressure on in the title fight, impressively battling past Günther with a bold round-the-outside move. TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein would similarly demote his compatriot before the flag fell as the pair wound up respectively fifth and sixth, while Envision Virgin Racing rookie Nick Cassidy continued his recent strong run in seventh from all the way down in 18th on the grid.
Dragon / Penske Autosport’s Sérgio Sette Câmara troubled the scorers for the first time since Diriyah in eighth, with Saturday star Dennis placing ninth. Joel Eriksson in the sister Dragon / Penske Autosport entry claimed his first Formula E point in tenth.
António Félix da Costa was also in the wars, the defending champion displaying fast and feisty form as he hauled himself almost into the points-paying positions from the penultimate row of the grid, until contact with André Lotterer’s TAG Heuer Porsche sent him crashing out of contention and earned the German a drive-through penalty.
In much the same fashion, Sam Bird – championship leader entering the E-Prix – was on the cusp of the top ten from a lowly 21st starting slot when a coming-together with ROKiT Venturi Racing’s Norman Nato in the closing moments propelled both drivers into the wall, dropping the Briton to equal-third in the overall table alongside Dennis, some 14 points adrift of de Vries.
The season will conclude in the German capital of Berlin on 14/15 August, where at the end of a truly thrilling and unpredictable title scrap, the seventh Formula E champion – and the series’ first world champion – will finally be crowned.
Alex Lynn – Mahindra Racing
“It’s hard for words to be honest. It’s as special as it gets. I’ve never felt something like this. Formula E has been a difficult one for me so to win is very special. I’ve got a huge crew behind me that I have to thank. I get the pleasure of driving around their hard work, and I can tell you there isn’t a group of guys and girls that stay longer and wake up earlier than them. I honestly can’t believe this has happened. It’s incredible.”
Nyck de Vries – Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team
“I have to admit I’m a bit disappointed with P2. First of all, I feel sorry for my team mate (Stoffel Vandoorne), he deserved the win today if it wasn’t for Oliver Rowland taking him out. We were a bit unlucky with the safety car when we just activated the attack mode, that made me a little bit vulnerable after the re-start. And then Lucas Di Grassi was there which I was surprised to see because he shouldn’t have been there. At the end, the energy targets were so high, so I wasn’t able to get alongside him. I made quite a lot of mistakes trying to push but the targets were too high to ever be in a position to make a move.”
Mitch Evans – Jaguar Racing
“A bit of an unexpected podium for me. At parts I actually thought I was out the race. I didn’t have a clean first few laps, and after the Rowland and Vandoorne incident I made a mistake, Günther got me and I made a stupid move into him and broke my front wing, and I thought I would be out the race. But with a bit of luck the wing flew off and I was able to continue. I missed my second attack mode which I couldn’t believe. I thought I gifted it to Frijns, but lucky I was able to activate it later and make good move on him and bring it home. A bizarre race and I’m a bit surprised to be on the podium, but roll on Berlin.”
