Big Drama In The Big Apple

FORMULA E 14

BIG DRAMA IN THE BIG APPLE

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship took to the iconic Red Hook Circuit in Manhattan for Rounds 11 and 12 of Season 8 back in July, and it was a double-header weekend that will be remembered for years to come.

ROUND 11

With the focus on the four drivers’ leading the Championship heading into the weekend, it was Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy who came out on top in a wet and wild Round 11. With only six rounds of racing remaining for the season, ROKiT Venturi’s Edoardo Mortara came into the New York E-Prix’s top of the pile, leading a four-horse race with 138 points, just ahead of Jean Éric-Vergne of DS Techeetah on 128 points, who was only five in front of Stoffel Vandoorne, who had slipped down the table after a tough run of form. In fourth place was Jaguar’s Mitch Evans, who has made it to the top step of the podium on as many occasions as any driver this season. Neither of the drivers’ were able to truly seize the initiative, however, with Vergne and Evans

15 FORMULA E

qualifying outside the top ten, and Mortara only able to secure ninth. It was advantage Vandoorne, with the Belgian having qualified in second, but he was unable to muscle his way past Cassidy who held his nerve at the start. As the race entered its closing stages, it had been plane-sailing and relatively uneventful until a sudden downpour saw a number of cars skid off into Turn 6, causing a multi-car pile-up. The puddle was placed directly on the braking zone of Turn 6 and caused leader Cassidy, di Grassi, Vandoorne, Mortara and a number of other drivers to fly straight on and into the barrier. The race was red flagged and after a lengthy delay, the decision was made from race control to end the race with just over seven minutes remaining on the clock. On countback, the results were taken as of the lap prior to the one in which the stoppage was called, as per article 41.9 of the regulations – meaning the victory was given to Cassidy, with di Grassi and Frijns rounding out the podium. Mortara’s fifth placed finish is enough to keep the ROKiT Venturi man at the top of the drivers’ standings, ahead of Mercedes’ Vandoorne who is up into second place, switching places with Jean Éric-Vergne who slips down after a tricky day on track. Evans stays in fourth after failing to score any points.

ROUND 12

It was a weekend of first wins in New York as, on Round 12, DS Techeetah’s Antonio Felix da Costa claimed his first win of the season as he led from start to finish. The former world champion inherited the pole position from Envision’s Nick Cassidy after his car was found to have an infringement following overnight repairs. It would have been the Kiwi’s second successive pole position, but the penalty allowed Da Costa to start at the front of the grid and he took his opportunity with both hands, sprinting away as the lights went green and holding off early advances from Mahindra’s Alex Sims and Mercedes’ Stoffel Vandoorne, who powered up the field from sixth. Vandoorne had closed the gap to championship leader Edoardo Mortara in Round 11 with a fourth placed finish, and this time managed to find his way onto the podium after he propelled himself on to the front row in the early exchanges. ROKiT Venturi’s Mortara will be glad to see the back of New York, with the Swiss-Italian only managing a tenth placed finish after a ninth place finish in Round 11. Fellow championship contender Mitch Evans kept his hopes alive with an assured drive which allowed him to complete the podium lineup, with the Kiwi surging up from seventh to third in the race and third in the drivers’ standings. The win was Da Costa, and DS Techeetah’s, first of the season, and the Portugese driver will be hoping for a flourishing end to the season with just four rounds remaining. With his second-place finish, Stoffel Vandoorne of Mercedes EQ regains his position at the top of the drivers’ standings, jumping 11 points in front of Mortara who endured a disappointing weekend in the Big Apple. Jaguar’s Mitch Evans rounds off the top three, sitting just 16 points behind Vandoorne as Season 8 prepares to take to the streets of London later this month.