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Tag: Formula E
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Pascal Wehrlein wins Round 2 of ABB FIA Formula E
- Wehrlein races from ninth on the grid to win the first race of the 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix double-header
- Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti Formula E) moves from 11th to finish second, leads Wehrlein by a point at the top of the Drivers’ World Championship
- Jaguar TCS Racing driver Sam Bird finishes third for his first podium since Season 7
- Second race in the double-header on Saturday night, 20:00 AST / 17:00 GMT – 1030pm IST (India Live on Disney + Hotstar)
DIRIYAH, Saudi Arabia. Fri. 27 Jan. 2023 – Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) stormed from ninth to win the first of two races in the 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix, with standings leader Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti Formula E) following home in second after starting in 11th.
Wehrlein looked the quickest on the track as he picked his way through the points-paying positions to the front of the pack. The move for the lead came on Lap 30 at Turn 16, with Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing) unable to hold back Wehrlein’s 99X Electric Gen3. Both driver and car looked dominant for a second straight race. It was an emotional win for the 28-year-old, who once again credited his team with a monumental amount of work off-track to get things so right on it.
Jake Dennis in the Porsche-powered Avalanche Andretti took the fight all the way to the line with his factory Porsche counterpart from all the way back in 11th on the grid, but he couldn’t find a way beyond Wehrlein – who sealed his second Formula E win on his 50th start.
The result was a reversal of the one-two we saw two weeks ago in the 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix – and both TAG Heuer Porsche and Avalanche Andretti look to have thrown down the challenge to the rest of the field as the GEN3 development race continues at pace.
Sam Bird was overjoyed to make the podium for the first time since winning in New York City in Season 7 – calling it a “mini victory” for himself and Jaguar after a tough Season 8 for the Brit – the only season he has failed to claim Formula E silverware.
Sébastian Buemi (Envision Racing) started in Julius Baer Pole Position and finished in fourth, his best finish since the Season 6 finale in Berlin.
NEOM McLaren Formula E Team’s René Rast started fifth and ended fifth following a long battle in middle of the points-paying positions. He also sealed the TAG Heuer Fastest Lap.
Nick Cassidy made it two Envision Racing cars in the top six. Jean-Éric Vergne fought from 12th to the points for DS PENSKE, winding up just ahead of Jake Hughes in the sister McLaren. André Lotterer (Avalanche Andretti) and Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) rounded out the top 10 – the latter slipping from sixth on the grid.
That leaves Dennis as standings leader at just a point over Werhlein – 44 to 43 points – while Avalanche Andretti retain their Teams’ advantage over TAG Heuer Porsche, 58 to 49 points, with Envision Racing third.
Formula E’s return to Diriyah, a historical and cultural destination in Saudi Arabia, marks a groundbreaking move as it continues to prioritise sustainability and shift the paradigm in the sports industry.
The second race in the 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix double-header is tomorrow night, Saturday 28 January, starting at 20:00 AST / 17:00 GMT.
Find out where to watch here: www.fiaformulae.com/en/ways-to-watch
Pascal Wehrlein, No. 94, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, said:
“It feels incredible. I am so proud of these guys, unbelievable – what a car I had today. I mean from P9 to P1, amazing, I am so grateful to have this team. It has been a lot of work. We always wanted to achieve these kind of results, we had some highlights in the past but definitely this year we wanted to do a big step forward. I know how hard these guys are working, I am also quite often with them and pushing with everyone, especially after the testing in Valencia we were not looking that strong so I know how many hours everyone has put in. To start this well in the season in the first and second race is amazing, like I said I am just thankful for everyone and their hard work – we keep pushing.”
Jake Dennis, No. 27, Avalanche Andretti Formula E, said:
“I wasn’t at all [expecting to be on the podium]. I thought it was going to be quite difficult to overtake here with the mountain section being so fast, but my god the race car we have is just unbelievable. For me and Pascal to get another 1-2 from ninth and eleventh is testament to how much effort has gone in. Full credit to Avalanche Andretti for giving me the best race car today. We closed in on Pascal at the end, I was pushing to get the move done but when you’re racing a guy with the same car it is difficult to pass. But I am so happy and we deserve this after a difficult qualifying. I had to stop him getting an eight-second lead, but yeah super pleased for everyone and another 1-2. I need to try and beat him tomorrow and beat everyone else, but nonetheless I can sleep well tonight.”
Sam Bird, No. 10, Jaguar TCS Racing, said:
“It feels so good to be back on the podium, I can’t tell you. It has been a rough twelve months, but Jaguar have been amazing – they have stuck by me, put their arm around me and also recently we had a very difficult Mexico to open the season. The amount of work, the amount of sleepless nights everyone in the team has had in order to get us to this point, this is a little mini victory for us. I get that Porsche will be taking the spoils – but for us and where we have come from, amazing. Congrats to everyone in the team – we keep pushing. I tried to place my car to make it difficult for Pascal, I know the grip out there is tricky, but he did a superb job. The Porsche is looking extremely decent on change of direction and minimum speed, so we have got a bit of homework to do tonight.”
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Pole and podium for Mahindra in Mexico: Formula E
Mumbai / Banbury, January 15, 2023: Mahindra Racing started Season 9 of the FIA ABB Formula E Championship in stunning style this weekend as Lucas Di Grassi clinched the first pole position of the Gen3 era and finished third in a fantastic opening race in Mexico City.
Starting from pole, Lucas held the lead through two safety cars before dropping to second behind eventual winner, Jake Dennis. After a tense battle with Pascal Wehrlein, Lucas slipped to third, but held on to the lead of a five-car train that were right on his tail throughout the latter part of the race. He crossed the line third, grabbing the team’s first podium in 2023 and Lucas’ 40th podium in Formula E history.
Oliver Rowland had a more difficult race, struggling with the pace of the car and rear tyre degradation in qualifying, making it a mammoth task to even get into the points. He crossed the line P13 in the #8 Mahindra M9Electro.
Speaking after the race, CEO Frederic Bertrand said: “I think it’s been the dream weekend you could want as a Team Principle starting with a new team. We managed the weekend well so it’s very satisfying getting pole and being on the podium at the end. Ollie also came back into the game after a difficult qualifying, he had good pace towards the end. A mega result for the team but we need to make sure we can do this at the rest of the events. It’s a great achievement for Mahindra Racing but also all the partners who have worked so hard on creating the Gen3 car. ZF has done a great job on the powertrain and Tech Mahindra have supported us in the performance of the car. It’s great to see all our sponsors sharing this result with us.”
After getting his first pole and podium for Mahindra Racing, Lucas Di Grassi said: “What happened today was like a Mexican miracle. To be on pole and to be on the podium and going home with 18 points after a tough beginning to the season is a testimony to the hard work the team are putting in to make the car the best we can. I gave it my all today to try and make the team proud. I’m very happy to leave here with this result, it feels like a victory to us. But this is just the beginning. We need more consistent results and we have got to work hard for this.”
Commenting on his race, Oliver Rowland said: “It’s been a pretty tough weekend here in Mexico. I struggled quite a lot in practice and qualifying. We changed a lot for the race, which was a little bit better, but still not perfect. It’s disappointing to not score any points here, but hopefully we can learn from what happened this weekend. Obviously Lucas did a great job and got some good solid points for the team and hopefully we can move forward in Saudi.
This result marks a sensational start to Season 9 and the Gen3 era for the Indian-flagged, UK-based team. The aim is now to continue this run of form into the rest of the season with the next round taking place in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia in just two weeks’ time on 27-28 January.
Mahindra Racing has a strong set of partners, including Official Powertrain Partner ZF and e-fluids partner Shell. Maurice Lacroix, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, continues as the Official Timekeeper.
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Jehan Daruvala Joins Mahindra Racing Formula E Team
Banbury, 30 Nov 2022: Mahindra Racing today announced the signing of single-seater ace Jehan Daruvala as the team’s Reserve Driver for Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The 24-year-old racer is the first and only Indian F2 race winner, and recently completed three F1 tests with McLaren.
In his role at Mahindra Racing, Jehan will spend time at the team’s Banbury HQ, working on the simulator alongside engineers, providing car development and race support for drivers Lucas Di Grassi and Oliver Rowland. There are plans for him to attend some races, including the team’s inaugural home ePrix in Hyderabad, India scheduled for February 2023.
Jehan, a four-time Formula 2 race winner and multiple-time podium sitter, has enjoyed an impressive single-seater career. He made a swift rise up the junior formula ladder to step up to the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2019, where he achieved two wins and finished third in the championship in his rookie year. He was then promoted to FIA Formula 2, where he has been making an impact on track for the past three seasons. In 2021, he came third in the F3 Asian Championship, racing for Indian outfit Mumbai Falcons. He achieved three race wins and a further five podiums, as well as three pole positions and fastest laps.
Photo: Mahindra Racing Speaking about the signing, Asha Kharga, Chairperson, Mahindra Racing, stated, “We are delighted to welcome Jehan to our team. As a founding member, Mahindra Racing has diligently worked towards promoting Formula E globally and we are pleased to bring a young, accomplished Indian race driver to this fantastic sport. Jehan, with his experience and results across single-seaters, will add a great wealth of knowledge to our development program. With Formula E’s debut race in India, this is an especially exciting year for us, and we are excited to give the Indian fans a truly global experience.”
Speaking about joining the Mahindra Racing team, Jehan Daruvala, said, “To be a part of an Indian motorsport team is a dream come true. Formula E is very competitive, and I am really excited about this new chapter of my career. Season 9 promises to be very exciting with the all-new Gen 3 car and I am looking forward to learning and contributing, especially to car development and supporting the team. Mahindra Racing’s pioneering efforts in promoting sustainability globally are commendable and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute.”
Mahindra Racing make this signing at the dawn of a new era in the FIA Formula E World Championship. Season 9 will see the debut of the all-new Gen 3 car, as well as three exciting new race locations. Following the renewal of Rowland’s contract and the signing of Formula E World Champion Lucas Di Grassi, the team looks to make a return to the front.
Mahindra Racing has a strong set of partners, including powertrain partner ZF and e-fluids partner Shell. Maurice Lacroix, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, continues as the Official Timekeeper.
About Mahindra Racing
Mahindra Racing is a founding team – and the only Indian team – to compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the world’s first all-electric street racing series. Mahindra Racing has an impressive stats sheet and is a multi-race winning outfit after scoring its breakthrough victory at the Berlin E-Prix in 2017. The squad is committed not only to pushing the limits of technology and innovation in the electric vehicle space, but to addressing the impact of climate change; it was the first Formula E team to be awarded the FIA Environmental Accreditation Three-Star rating and is certified Net Zero Carbon footprint since inception, demonstrating best practice and excellence in sustainability.
About ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings intense and unpredictable all-electric racing to the heart of iconic cities around the world. With more automotive manufacturers on the grid than any other motorsport, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is not only one of the most compelling racing series on the planet but also an unparalleled proving ground for race-to-road electric vehicles and sustainable mobility technology.
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Formula E: Cassidy takes maiden win in drama-filled race
Envision Racing driver claims popular maiden success on the streets of the Big Apple, as rain stops play with less than ten minutes remaining.
New York City, 16 July 2022: Nick Cassidy and the Brooklyn Street Circuit have history together. Twelve months ago, the Envision Racing ace sped to pole position there and a second-place finish 24 hours later. Today (16 July), he went one better, converting the top spot on the starting grid into his breakthrough victory in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – in a dramatic race that ended under a red flag.
Aside from brief stints in the lead for Lucas Di Grassi (ROKiT Venturi Racing) during the two Attack Mode activations, Cassidy was never headed in the ninth New York City E-Prix. The New Zealander executed a textbook launch when the lights went out, and thereafter artfully withstood the dual pressure applied behind by his experienced Brazilian rival and Mercedes-EQ’s title-chasing Stoffel Vandoorne.
Cassidy was edging away from his pursuers as the race entered its final ten minutes, before intensifying rain injected a late twist into the tale. No sooner had a Full Course Yellow been deployed due to the deteriorating conditions, than three of the top four sailed straight on at Turn Six after aquaplaning on a puddle – the leader amongst them.
Cassidy’s Envision, Di Grassi’s Venturi and Vandoorne’s Mercedes were all firmly embedded in the tyre barriers, and the red flag was duly flown.
That confirmed Cassidy as the winner of the E-Prix ahead of Di Grassi, who had overhauled front row sitter Vandoorne at the start. A couple of small mistakes while in Attack Mode for the first time prevented a bid for the lead, and the 2016/17 champion subsequently slipped back to third when Vandoorne exploited his FanBoost to reclaim second place.
The Belgian – who had patiently bided his time early on, dropping as low as fifth – looked increasingly sharp as the race progressed but lost ground to Di Grassi again as well as an opportunistic Robin Frijns with 12 minutes left on the clock, when the former made a bold dive that prised the door open just wide enough for the Envision Racing driver to follow through.
From seventh on the grid – and at the scene of his most recent Formula E triumph three years ago – Frijns produced a fast and feisty performance to climb the order to third, and he appeared poised to launch a late assault on the runner-up spoils before the action came to a premature conclusion. Displaying lightning-quick reactions, the Dutchman was the only one of the top four to safely navigate the late Turn Six drama.
Vandoorne was classified fourth – elevating him to second in the title table. After a bright start initially lifted him from fifth to third, Buemi faded slightly as the race wore on, but fifth place nonetheless represented the 2015/16 title-winner’s best result of the season to-date. The driver he collided with on the last lap – Porsche’s Wehrlein – wound up sixth once the result was counted back.
The top ten finishers were completed by Jaguar TCS Racing’s Sam Bird, defending champion Nyck de Vries (Mercedes-EQ), the championship leader Edoardo Mortara (ROKiT Venturi Racing), who posted fastest lap, and Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti).
Like team-mate Bird, Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) had to fight back from a slow start and ultimately just missed out on a points score in 11th – dealing a blow to the New Zealander’s title aspirations. Fellow championship front-runner Jean-Éric Vergne similarly endured a day to forget for DS TECHEETAH, finding himself tipped into a spin on the race’s first lap that restricted him to a lowly 18th place in the final reckoning.
The Frenchman does have an immediate opportunity to redress the balance, however, with the second leg of this weekend’s North American double-header – round 12 of the fiercely-contested campaign – getting underway at 13:00 local time (19:00 CET) tomorrow (Sunday).
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Formula E – Evans prevails in heavyweight bout in Indonesia as title tussle heats up
The battle for glory in the 2021/22 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is taking shape after the leading protagonists duelled it out in Jakarta
Jakarta, 4 June 2022: On a day when the action on-track was as hot as the temperature off it in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the chase for the crown intensified in Jakarta as Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans fought to his third triumph of the season in a heavyweight bout on the streets of the Indonesian capital.
Prior to the start of the race, a minute’s silence was held in memory of Organización Mexicana De Automovilismo Internacional (OMDAI) President and honorary FIA Vice President José Abed, who passed away shortly before the weekend.
From third on the grid, Evans immediately made his intentions clear by challenging front row starter António Félix da Costa (DS TECHEETAH) when the lights went out. Following a short early safety car intervention – to clear up an errant wheel that had parted company with Oliver Rowland’s Mahindra Racing single-seater – the New Zealander then punished his Portuguese rival for a lock-up at Turn Seven by stealing through into second.
Thereafter, Evans set about hunting down da Costa’s DS TECHEETAH team-mate Jean-Éric Vergne in the lead, hitting the front of the field when the Frenchman activated his first Attack Mode of the E-Prix just over ten minutes in. The pair went on to engage in an enthralling cat-and-mouse duel, trading the top spot as one or the other deployed subsequent Attack Modes.
Their frenetic pace propelled them away from the pursuing pack and the decisive move came in the closing stages, when Evans caught Vergne off-guard with a late dive into his favourite passing spot of Turn Seven to grab the lead for good.
Although the two-time champion launched a counter-attack as the Jaguar driver began struggling with tyre wear as the clock ticked down, he was unable to prise the door back open. Vergne ultimately had to settle for his third runner-up finish of the campaign as Evans determinedly held on to the end to add to his Rome double top with victory in the inaugural Jakarta E-Prix – adding a potentially crucial bonus point to his season tally by posting the fastest lap.
Indeed, in addition to trying to reclaim the lead, Vergne had to keep one eye in his mirrors in the final laps on a resurgent Edoardo Mortara (ROKiT Venturi Racing). Having initially run fourth, the Swiss star exploited a late Attack Mode strategy to advance to third, before artfully keeping both Evans and da Costa behind him when they had the extra power at their disposal and he did not.
With more usable energy remaining than Evans and Vergne, Mortara zeroed in on the back of the two leaders like a lion stalking its prey, piling on the pressure but narrowly running out of time to pounce. His late charge pulled him away from da Costa, who took the chequered flag fourth, and Mercedes-EQ’s Stoffel Vandoorne, who came on increasingly strong as the race progressed.
The Belgian did not have the most straightforward of afternoons – sliding off-line going through the Attack Mode activation zone for the first time and then missing the sensor entirely later on – but his pace was impressive, as he fought back on both occasions and very nearly unseated da Costa from fourth on the last lap.
Fifth position keeps Vandoorne in the championship lead, albeit now by the reduced margin of just five points as the top four protagonists bid to break away heading into the second half of the season.
Jake Dennis was a consistent contender throughout for Avalanche Andretti, and while not quite able to stay with the front-runners, the series sophomore raced well to cement his third-best finish of the campaign to-date in a fine sixth place.
Former title-winner Lucas Di Grassi drew upon all of his extensive experience and guile to climb three spots from his starting position to wind up seventh ahead of TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein, with the pair making light contact along the way. The German showcased his fighting spirit to overcome a five-place grid penalty, applied after his team broke the seal on a component on his car.
Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing) battled back from a slow start to rise to ninth in the final reckoning, with double champion Sébastien Buemi (Nissan e.dams) unable to replicate his excellent qualifying form but nonetheless securing the final point on offer in tenth.
André Lotterer (TAG Heuer Porsche) slipped out of the points-paying positions after picking up a five-second penalty for causing a collision with defending title-holder Nyck de Vries that ended the Mercedes-EQ driver’s race. Another high-profile non-scorer was Robin Frijns, who could only improve from 21st to 17th on a difficult day for Envision Racing, dropping the Dutchman some 40 points away from the championship lead.
Following a four-week break, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will resume in Morocco on 2 July for round ten of its 2021/22 campaign – the fifth Marrakech E-Prix.
MITCH EVANS, JAGUAR TCS RACING, #9 said:
“That was hard. I was just happy to be in it at the end. We had a tough last race, and this track was similar with the climate being on another level. We put a lot of work into the set-up and the systems, but the team gave me what I need, gave me the goods, which is what I need.
It was really tight at the end with JEV, I thought I was going to pull away but my tires started going off as soon as I got past him. I was under a bit of heat but we got the job done. This is what we needed.
We needed a good result today. But obviously it was a new track, new climate, new everything – you don’t really know how it is going to go. So I am very happy with the result, we are back in it although we were never really out, but it has put us in a strong position so I’ll take that.”
JEAN-ÉRIC VERGNE, DS TECHEETAH, #25 said:
“It was a good race. Hats off to Mitch and Jaguar, they were simply faster today. I need to understand what happened as I had to save a lot more [energy] at some point for temperature reasons, so I need to understand what happened here. Anyway second is good, strong points, so if we carry on like this for the rest of the Championship it is good. I am happy there were no more laps!”
EDOARDO MORTARA, ROKiT VENTURI RACING, #48 said:
“We had a good race weekend in Jakarta. The qualifying was already very good, we did an intelligent race, it was very difficult with the temperatures so hot. To manage the tires and the battery was not easy today, but we managed it at the end. I could see that they were fighting at the front and I was kind of part of that fight. I was hoping for some kind of move from JEV to get some free places but unfortunately it didn’t come. But I am very extremely happy with another podium.
We finished with 0.0% energy on the line, and on top of that you need to manage the temperatures at some point – if you exceed a certain number then the power is going down. So that goal is to get that [to no energy) at the finish line, I could see that Mitch had it and I had a little bit more reserved but unfortunately I could not pass him.”
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Mahindra Racing profile in ABB FIA Formula E
Bengaluru, 1 Jan 2022: Mahindra Racing has competed in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since Season 1, representing the Indian car giant on a global sporting scale in single-seater motor racing.
Indian Car Giant
Formula E is Indian car giant Mahindra’s first foray into international single-seater racing, and it has been committed to the series since its inaugural campaign. The company is a manufacturer of electric cars, and utilises its competition in the championship as a fast-paced test-bed to develop and refine its groundbreaking electric vehicle technology through its ‘Race to Road’ programme.
Breakthrough win
The team scored its breakthrough win in the 2016/17 campaign and in 2017/18, went on to score two further victories thanks to Swedish driver Felix Rosenqvist, who raced alongside German driver Nick Heidfeld.
In the 2017/18 season, the team got off to a strong start before technical issues reduced Felix Rosenqvist’s title hopes to nothing more than a distant dream. The team finished fourth overall, one place behind where it finished at the end of 2016/17.
In Season 5, the team was fronted by long-standing Formula E, and former Dragon driver Jerome d’Ambrosio as well as rookie driver Pascal Wehrlein. Another victory followed as d’Ambrosio scooped a win in Marrakesh, and was denied a second of the season by in heartbreaking fashion in Mexico City as Wehrlein saw the winner’s Moet & Chandon champagne stolen from his grasp at the last by Lucas di Grassi just meters from the finish line.
New M6Electro
After a strong season Season 5, Mahindra headed into the 2019/20 campaign with the new M6Electro. Jerome D’Ambrosio closed out a two-year stint with the team with 16th in the standings and four top ten finishes over the season, seeing him edge former team-mate Pascal Wehrlein’s Berlin replacement Alex Lynn by just a point. Lynn’s exploits at Tempelhof were impressive. Three Super Pole appearances were backed up with good points in the final three rounds on the way to 17th in the Drivers’ table.
Stunning home win for Lynn
Such was the intensely competitive nature of Season 7 that Mahindra found itself down in ninth spot in the Teams’ table. A stunning maiden win on home soil for Alex Lynn – as well as an expert suplex by Team Principal Dilbagh Gill in celebration in the pit-lane – crowned a glorious weekend for the team in London. A string of five retirements in 11 races stunted Alexander Sims’ progress after an encouraging podium in Rome. He wound up ninth with Lynn finishing the season 12th in the Drivers’ running thanks to podiums in New York and Valencia, on top of that victory in the UK capital.
All British line-up for 2021-22
It’s an all-British line-up again for the team in Season 8, with Oliver Rowland joining Alexander Sims for 2021/22.
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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
