Mercedes-EQ’s Nyck de Vries took the chequered flag first in one of the craziest E-Prix in Formula E history, leading home Nico Mueller (DRAGON/PENSKE AUTOSPORT) and his Mercedes teammate, Stoffel Vandoorne. Energy management is central to the racing in Formula E, and with the incident-packed, rain-hit race at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo seeing 5 appearances for the MINI Electric Pacesetter Safety Car, the teams’ carefully calculated energy management strategies were thrown off with the round running a lap longer than had been expected.
De Vries had been happy to sit behind long-time leader Antonio Felix da Costa (DS TECHEETAH) and conserve energy for a late attack. As it happened, that attack turned into a 2-lap sprint following the final spell under the Safety Car. However, only those who’d gone long as contingency, and conserved their usable energy, had enough power left in their cells to complete the extended race distance.
Longer race time than anticipated
Dutchman de Vries drove by da Costa as the Portuguese and many around him slowed with the race running beyond its anticipated finish. Mueller and Vandoorne followed – the man stripped of Julius Baer Pole Position on a technicality and sent to the back of the grid incredibly getting his hands on silverware, making the final step on the podium.
Nick Cassidy (Envision Virgin Racing), Rene Rast (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler), Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing), da Costa, Alexander Lynn (Mahindra Racing), Sam Bird (Jaguar Racing) and Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler) rounded out the top 10. Jake Dennis (BMW i Andretti Motorsport) and Jean-Eric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH) were the only other drivers who were classified.
With the rain falling and the MINI Electric Pacesetter leading the pack away, da Costa pulled a gap on Maximilian Guenther (BMW i Andretti Motorsport) and Lynn with the pack cleanly away as the race went green, for a lap or two at least. Andre Lotterer and Sebastien Buemi collided at the hairpin – the Porsche man collecting the Nissan e.dams driver – leaving the Swiss stuck in the gravel.
ATTACK MODE activations
This brought out the Safety Car for a lengthy spell while recovery of Buemi’s Nissan was underway, with leader da Costa leading the pack away when racing resumed. He was able to get the jump on the rest once again to the tune of 2 seconds once the green flags waved.
Through the first ATTACK MODE activations, it was the young German who pounced first – smart as Guenther had been slipping back down the order. He managed to hold on to fourth with Rowland just behind, and the rest of the top six followed with their initial jump through the ATTACK MODE loop a lap later.
With 25 minutes plus one lap to run, things looked calm and collected for da Costa with the Portuguese firmly in his groove. De Vries held second, 3three seconds back but still 2 seconds clear of Lynn in third. Rowland, Guenther, Sims, Nato, Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche), Cassidy and Edo Mortara (ROKiT Venturi Racing) rounded out the top 10.
Wet and slippery conditions
Guenther’s race came to a sticky end on Lap 10 as the Bavarian’s iFE.21 left the track in tricky, slippery conditions. The BMW snapped under braking as he clipped a white line and despite an armful of opposite lock, Guenther couldn’t prevent the inevitable and ended up trapped in the gravel.
The MINI Electric Pacesetter made another appearance while the BMW was cleared and da Costa shot off early when the race went green once again – with Mercedes’ de Vries all over his diffuser. The Mercedes driver was content to have the Dutchman remain in the DS’ slipstream, though, with energy management looking likely to come to a head towards the final minutes of the race. This would force da Costa into punching a hole in the air and use more energy in doing so, as de Vries let the Portuguese do all the hard work.
5 laps later, Sergio Sette Camara (DRAGON/PENSKE AUTOSPORT) and Mitch Evans (Jaguar Racing) clashed with the Brazilian sent off into the gravel and out of the race and the Kiwi forced to retire in the pits. Yet another spell (the fourth) under the Safety Car followed, while Mercedes informed de Vries he had energy in-hand to push leader da Costa with 13 minutes plus one lap to run.
The pack was once again let loose with less than 10 minutes to run, and da Costa controlled things at the restart, though de Vries had a couple of per cent of usable energy in-hand over those around him – the leader still needing to use his second dose of ATTACK MODE. Da Costa intelligently combatted this with FANBOOST used to create the gap needed to jump through the activation zone and stay ahead of de Vries.
Energy management was crucial
By the time the MINI Electric Pacesetter peeled off the circuit after its latest outing, the race had become a straight 2-lap sprint. However, with the Safety Car so busy, and the race running to an extra lap not planned for, only a handful of drivers looked like they’d enough energy to make the finish.
De Vries had worked it best, to take the race win from Mueller and Vandoorne, sending the Dutchman to the top of the standings from teammate Vandoorne and Mercedes-EQ to the summit of the Teams’ pile. Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing) secured the point for TAG Heuer Fastest Lap.
Full Season 7 calendar finalised
Formula E and the FIA have also revealed the full calendar for the 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. It has a new race venue and updates to previously scheduled events. The Season 7 calendar is set to host more races than ever before in a single season, comprising 15 races in 8 cities, covering 3 continents.
The final set of races to be announced starts with a new location for the all-electric racing series, with the Puebla E-Prix in Mexico on June 19/20. This replaces the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City which has previously hosted 5 Formula E races. It cannot be used now because the circuit is still a temporary field hospital.
The Marrakesh E-Prix and Santiago E-Prix, scheduled for in May and June, respectively, have been removed from the calendar this season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Events in Santiago, Sanya and Seoul will be rescheduled for Season 8, with fans in attendance. However, the running of races will still depend on travel restrictions, as well as local government protocols, and the organisers will continue to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and communicate changes if any are required.
MINI Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW is the new Formula E Safety Car
