After a strong performance in the first Formula E race in Misano, DS Penske driver Jean-Eric Vergne is robbed of a podium result by a penalty
After Jean-Eric Vergne had already put his DS E-TENSE FE23 at the top of the timesheets in practice and qualifying, he finished third in the race and was classified sixth. Stoffel Vandoorne, who started the race from 18th on the grid, finished eighth in the points.
After a difficult race in Japan, Team DS-Penske was back on track for the first European race of the 2024 season. Misano is a permanent race track that, for once, is not lined with walls. Nevertheless, the electrically powered monoposti must not stray too far from the line, as there is grass or gravel on the other side of the asphalt, which can be just as destructive for the cars.
This unusual constellation for the championship should not impress the drivers, and the two DS Penske starters quickly felt at home. On Friday afternoon, under clear but slightly cloudy skies, the two DS E-TENSE FE23s quickly found their rhythm and took first and second place (with Vergne in the lead). On Saturday morning, it was once again “JEV” who set the fastest time in the second practice session, with Vandoorne close behind in fifth place.
“The last few races have shown us that Season 10 is being held at the highest level,” said Vandoorne ahead of the first race. “After Tokyo, we continued to work very hard because we are aware of our strengths and our potential to achieve our goals. Robert Schwarzman also demonstrated this potential at the rookie test. The Russian-Israeli driver placed the DS-Penske monoposto in second place in both the 300 kW and 350 kW classes
Confirmation in the course of the race day
In qualifying, “JEV” set another fastest time and took first place in Group A. Vandoorne was unlucky on his flying lap and was unable to qualify for the quarter-finals. Vergne still seemed untouchable in the duels and easily left Max Günther’s Maserati behind.
In the semi-final, Pascal Wehrlein’s Porsche was no match for the DS Automobiles monoposto. In the final, JEV faced Mitch Evans, whose Jaguar was also one of the fastest cars of the season. Evans secured pole position just one tenth of a second ahead of the Frenchman’s DS Penske
With such a strong front row and Wehrlein’s Porsche right behind, the race promised to be exciting. On this permanent race track, where the longest straight ends in a chicane, the energy strategy is very important. Everyone knows that and predicted it in the simulator sessions, it’s a game of cat and mouse. It’s about staying at the front but not draining the batteries too much at the risk of not being able to maintain the pace to the finish.
Vergne was very convincing in this respect, steering his boat – or rather his single-seater – with an energetic skill that allowed him to control his position. Going into the final laps, the Frenchman was still in the running for victory. He crossed the finish line in third, but was classified sixth after a 5-second penalty (for involvement in a collision that was later much discussed). Stoffel Vandoorne scored another four points for DS Penske in eighth place
On Sunday, the Formula E World Championship drivers will be back on the grid for the second race of the weekend (start at 15:03).
Transparency notice: This article was made possible with the help of a production cost subsidy from DS Automobiles. DS had no influence on the content of this article
