Category: Formula E

Cassidy triumphs in Monaco to take Formula E championship lead

Nick Cassidy fired to the top of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with a storming drive from ninth on the grid to win the race in an absorbing 2023 Monaco E-Prix. Cassidy led home Mitch Evans, having fended off his countryman until a …

Nick Cassidy fired to the top of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with a storming drive from ninth on the grid to win the race in an absorbing 2023 Monaco E-Prix.

Cassidy led home Mitch Evans, having fended off his countryman until a late-race safety car made the win certain.

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The 150mph game of chess ebbed and flowed as leaders vied for control and to set the pace but Cassidy’s decisive early-race moves yielded the ultimate result. Once his engineer gave the green light for a six-lap sprint finish, Cassidy didn’t look back – despite the close attention of Evans’ factory Jaguar.

“It’s insane, I’ve got nothing against Berlin – but this feels amazing! This is so, so special. I’m lost for words,” said Cassidy. “It is going to take a bit to sink in, man we had such a tough day, I was 21st I think in both Free Practices which struck me a lot. I qualified 10th and I was really happy with that, so that was kind of how our day was going. Credit to our guys, both car crews and everyone in our garage helped out with the issues. I am so happy we got the reward after the work.

“There is a long way to go, this guy right here Mitch (Evans) he showed today how bloody strong he is. It is going to be a really cool fight, but for the moment let’s just enjoy the fact we won in Monaco.”

Evans had himself clambered from sixth on the grid to second at the chequered flag and was within touching distance of the Envision right up to the safety car three laps from the race finish. That New Zealand one-two made it four wins in succession, a new Formula E record for a single nation.

The Formula E field navigates the famous Grand Hotel Hairpin. Sam Bagnall/Motorsport Images)

Jake Dennis couldn’t quite live with the lead pair but he had torn through from 11th on the grid to make the final step on the podium.

Sacha Fenestraz , who thought he had sealed pole position only for a post-session penalty to hand that honour to Jake Hughes, steered home to fourth, unable to compete with the lead trio’s benchmark combination of speed and efficiency. Hughes followed him across the line, with Dan Ticktum hanging on for sixth position despite a couple of late-race scrapes and some damage to his car.

Long-time Drivers’ standings leader Pascal Wehrlein could only improve to 11th from starting 12th on the grid, which resulted in both the driver and his TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team losing their grip on their respective championships.

Fellow title contender Jean-Éric Vergne recovered to seventh from the very back of the grid after DS PENSKE’s tyre pressure infringements saw them disqualified from qualifying. The 15-position overtaking masterclass earned Vergne the inaugural ABB Driver of Progress race award, honouring intelligent, efficient driving resulting in the most places gained in a race.

Reigning world champion and DS PENSKE teammate Stoffel Vandoorne was also able to climb to the points with ninth place.

Cassidy’s 121 pts moves him ahead of Wehrlein on 100 pts in the Drivers’ table with Jake Dennis now third on 96 pts and Evans just behind on 94 pts. Vergne leaves Monaco fifth in the running.

Envision Racing now leap to the top of the Teams’ standings on 182 points, 14 points ahead of TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team on 168 points, while Jaguar TCS Racing sits third on 157 points.

Cassidy surges to Berlin E-Prix Race 2 win

Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy won the second half of the SABIC Berlin E-Prix doubleheader on Sunday, delivering an energy management masterclass in a race featuring 172 overtakes. Jake Dennis placed second while Jean-Eric Verge completed the …

Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy won the second half of the SABIC Berlin E-Prix doubleheader on Sunday, delivering an energy management masterclass in a race featuring 172 overtakes.

Jake Dennis placed second while Jean-Eric Verge completed the podium, and moved up into third in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship drivers’ standings

Starting eighth, Cassidy drove superbly to stay there both by setting the pace and mastering Formula E’s tightrope of ultimate pace, racecraft and energy management, the latter again proving crucial on the slipstream-heavy Tempelhof Airport circuit. For Cassidy, the win was confirmation of the form he’d felt building throughout the season.

Nick Cassidy and Jake Dennis celebrate in Berlin. Simon Galloway/Motorsport Images

“I knew I was in the fight. I’ve been in the fight the last five races,” said Cassidy. “Yesterday, we had a great opportunity as well and I made a mistake and I really put my hand up for that. But today we made it count. So, thanks so much to my guys. I’ve had an opportunity to win nearly every weekend and as a driver that’s a dream.

“I’ve had some really good luck and I’m sure some bad luck and bad weekends are coming our way, but until then I’m enjoying the ride — it’s been amazing.”

Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) who is now within four points of the championship’s leader, Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team), was in striking distance to Cassidy, just half a second behind as they crossed the finish line. The frustration was tempered by putting an end to a string of DNFs for the Andretti driver.

“To not see a checkered flag since Saudi is mind-blowing,” admitted Dennis. “We’re still fourth in the championship. Obviously more energy than Nick but the targets were so high at the end, and it was too much of a risk and honestly, I was just happy with the 18 points and bringing it home.”

Vergne (DS Penske) admitted he didn’t have the pace to challenge the Jaguar-powered Envision that ultimately raced to the top step, despite also intermittently leading the race. Nevertheless, he wase pleased to have scored strongly, with an eye on the long game as the season passes its halfway stage.

“It was really chaotic. I’m very glad the race is over,” declared Vergne. “I’ve never really experienced this kind of racing where no one really wants to be leading at the beginning and creating a lot of chaos at the back. I was just trying to manage to stay in the top 4 or 5, every time I was sixth I was pushing to come back because otherwise you’re glued to the back and then you can’t come back. So it’s a bit of a strategy game, but it’s mental — it was a very difficult race so I’m very happy to finish on the podium in third. It could have been very easy to do otherwise today, so I’m going to take those points gladly and move on.”

Wehrlein started sixth, in a stronger position than recent races, having complained of poor one-lap pace in qualifying, but found himself shuffled to seventh at the race’s end.

Saturday Berlin winner Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) made up a spot from his grid position to finish fourth, making it a superb weekend’s work for the New Zealander and Jaguar TCS Racing. Despite teammate Sam Bird getting into contact and being forced out of contention, the Jaguar powertrains have driven to victory in three consecutive races for the first time in Formula E history, albeit in the hands of customers Envision Racing this time.

A day after securing the team’s first podium in Round 7, the standout drive was arguably Maserati MSG Racing’s Max Guenther, who climbed 15 positions from 21st position to sixth. Polesitter Robin Frijns of the ABT Cupra team struggled to maintain pace and dropped to 17th at the end, with teammate and fellow front-row starter Nico Mueller faring better with ninth on home soil to score the team’s first points in the GEN3 era.

That left Wehrlein on top of the pile but by a narrow four-point margin to Cassidy, with Vergne third. TAG Heuer Porsche’s advantage in the teams’ table also continues to fade away, with the Jaguar-powered Envision Racing squad now just 15 points back in second.

A capacity crowd estimated at 34,000 took in the weekend’s two races, which featured a total of 362 overtakes.

Next up for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is the Monaco E-Prix on Saturday, May 6.

Jaguar goes one-two in Berlin E-Prix with Maserati third

Mitch Evans and Sam Bird executed a perfect strategy in the opening race of the 2023 SABIC Berlin E-Prix double-header to secure a show-stopping one-two for team Jaguar TCS Racing. Maximillian Gunther in third put the iconic Maserati trident on the …

Mitch Evans and Sam Bird executed a perfect strategy in the opening race of the 2023 SABIC Berlin E-Prix double-header to secure a show-stopping one-two for team Jaguar TCS Racing. Maximillian Gunther in third put the iconic Maserati trident on the podium for the first time since returning to single-seater motorsport this season following a hiatus of more than 60 years.

In a deeply strategic yet fiercely competitive race, the capacity crowd filling the grandstands of the Tempelhof Airport Circuit witnessed 190 overtakes, 53 lead changes and eight different leaders taking charge – all breaking previous Formula E records.

Round seven of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship was already marked down in record books before the race began – Pascal Wehrlein and his TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team both leading the points standings going into their home race in Germany.

The race was also the European debut of the GEN3 – the world’s fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car – and the cutting-edge EV lived up to its potential as the first formula car specifically designed for wheel-to-wheel racing on high-speed street circuits.

Throughout the 43 laps, a record number of drivers took charge of the race as the teams’ strategies emerged, with an early surge of front-runners electing to take ATTACK MODE early on and those further back running for longer.

Dan Ticktum (NIO 333 Racing) launched into the lead in stunning style with a move around the outside of Turn 1, right by Julius Baer Polesitter Sebastien Buemi (Envision Racing), Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing) and Stoffel Vandoorne (DS PENSKE).

After the lead group jumped for their second 50kW boosts, the racing settled for just three laps before Edoardo Mortara (Maserati MSG Racing) and Vandoorne pushed to the front. Glancing at the timing screens yielded a different race leader at almost every stage as positions changed almost continuously. The first of two spells under the safety car compounded things further with the field split by just over 5s going into the second half of the race.

Quick-starting Ticktum had been shuffled into the top 10 until he and Vandoorne came into heavy contact, deploying the safety car for the second time. The Jaguar pair and Buemi then fought to fill out the top three spots after Gunther had briefly taken P1 as the race headed into its closing stages. The Jaguar-powered cars went on to assert their new-found dominance and pace, with Gunther looking to pick up the pieces as the front three challenged for the race lead.

Evans managed to edge second-placed Bird on the exit of the hairpin with a good run down the start/finish straight to make a lunge into Turn 1 stick for the lead on Buemi as the race headed into three added laps. The Kiwi was able to get the jump and pull away, extending a 0.750s lead with two full laps remaining as Bird hassled Buemi for second just behind in the sprint to the finish.

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Bird’s incessant efforts paid off as he took the gamble to brake late in the approach to the Airplane turn and squeeze by Buemi for the second spot, sealing Jaguar TCS Racing’s first one-two in Formula E.

Gunther then broke the Jaguar-power stranglehold as he fired up the inside of Buemi at the final turn to prevent a second consecutive 1-2-3 for the I-TYPE 6. The Maserati MSG Racing’s podium is the first under the Italian marque and builds nicely for the Monegasque/Italian team following an unexpectedly disappointing start to the season as they head to their two “home” races in Monaco on May 6 and the Rome doubleheader on July 15-16.

“The last race was special having us both on the podium and also with Nick, all Jaguar powertrains on the podium,” Evans said after the race. “At this one, it’s extra special because it’s a one-two for the team and a really hard race to manage. It got a bit chaotic out there. I wasn’t expecting a victory in this place. This place has haunted me for many years. So super happy to get a second win, but here it was unexpected. It’s full credit to everyone. Sam drove really well. He’s been quick all day. I was surprised to get in the front bunch so early. There was a lot of games being played out there and it was hard to manage but we got it done.”

Standings leader Pascal Wehrlein started all the way down in 15th and made up huge ground before slipping to ninth late on. Out of sight, the German driver made up good ground on that final lap to finish sixth with nine places and strong points gained, nullifying Nick Cassidy’s comparatively quiet and collected run to fifth position for Envision Racing. Jean-Éric Vergne (DS PENSKE) recovered from contact early-race to seventh spot, again, another important if unsung drive in the battle for points.

Wehrlein heads into round eight tomorrow in Berlin with a standings lead and 94 points. Cassidy is second with Vergne doing enough to retain third position. TAG Heuer Porsche’s early season dominance however is coming under severe and increasing pressure from the Jaguar-powered cars.

Evans leads all-Jaguar Formula E podium in Sao Paulo

Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) led home a one-two-three for the Jaguar powertrain, with Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) and Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing) crossing the line together. The trio finished just half a second apart to close out an …

Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) led home a one-two-three for the Jaguar powertrain, with Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) and Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing) crossing the line together. The trio finished just half a second apart to close out an enthralling inaugural Julius Baer São Paulo E-Prix in front of more than 23,000 passionate motorsport fans.

It was a flat out push to the finish at the rapid 11-turn São Paulo Street Circuit, with Evans managing to navigate his way through constant position changes through the pack to take the checkered flag first from third on the grid. The New Zealander took the initiative and the race lead from his compatriot Cassidy as the race headed into laps added-on following multiple safety car incidents.

His move on lap 32 proved to be decisive, with neither Cassidy nor Evans’ teammate Bird able to undo the leader’s defensive driving — despite Bird having collected a couple of extra percentage points of usable energy during his climb from 10th on the grid at the start. Cassidy had led the race more than once but will be more than satisfied to score three consecutive podiums for the first time in his Formula E career.

Defending world champion Stoffel Vandoorne (DS PENSKE) started in Julius Baer Pole Position and led the way early on, fending off António Félix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) during the first round of ATTACK MODE activations until the race reached its half-way stage.

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The lead was almost impossible to track on lap 14 with three or four changes over that tour alone and Cassidy coming out on top.

Vandoorne would end up sixth after struggling for usable energy from his time at the front. Da Costa had slipped to fourth and briefly made inroads on the podium but wound up settling just outside the top three. Jean-Éric Vergne (DS PENSKE) headed his teammate home for an eventual fifth spot.

Standings leader Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) had it all to do from 18th on the grid and managed to slice his way through the pack to 7th position at the checkered flag with Jake Hughes (NEOM McLaren Formula E Team) finishing eighth, just ahead of teammate René Rast in ninth and with Sébastien Buemi (Envision Racing) rounding out the top 10. Meanwhile, Jake Dennis(Avalanche Andretti Formula E) suffered another non-finish after contact from Dan Ticktum’s NIO 333 saw his 99X Electric shoved into Wehrlein’s Porsche.

Wehrlein maintains his Drivers’ World Championship lead on 86pts from Dennis with 62pts, while Cassidy moves into third just a point behind the Brit. TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team heads Envision Racing 144pts to 103pts with Jaguar TCS Racing third on 83pts.